The World Health Organization’s ‘Who's WHO’ video series tells the stories of WHO colleagues and the work they do to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
Meet Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist, head of the Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses Unit in the Health Emergencies Programme, and COVID-19 Health Operations and Technical Lead at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva. Dr Kerkhove talks about her journey from student to scientist, the invaluable support of her family as she leads the response to a global pandemic, and what motivates her work at WHO. “I’m proud to be WHO. I’m proud to work alongside the thousands of WHO staff in Geneva, in our Regional Offices, in our Country Offices - I draw inspiration from all of you. I am so grateful you are on the front lines and working with people in country to advocate for what we stand for. I’m proud to be one of you.”