Dr Akjemal Magtymova, WHO Representative to the Syrian Arab Republic
7 May 2020 – WHO welcomes Dr Akjemal Magtymova as incoming WHO Representative to the Syrian Arab Republic. Dr Magtymova joins WHO Syria at a critical time, with multiple public health threats threatening the well-being of millions of Syrians. An outbreak of COVID-19 in the country has placed additional pressure on a health system ravaged by years of war.
“I am delighted to join the WHO Syria team to support its mission. What we do is noble, and I have no doubt that it is driven by this team’s passion to help others. Each of us has a greater reach beyond the individual people we serve, impacting whole populations. WHO is a global leader in public health, and what makes WHO is us, its staff who remain committed to overcoming all challenges and succeeding. We at WHO embrace partnerships; we do not compete for the prestige or the niche, but we gain respect by competency, professionalism and the results we accomplish,” said Dr Magtymova as she started her new assignment.
Nine years of conflict in Syria have resulted in a severely damaged health system and significant shortages in health workers. Vulnerable families continue to rely on essential life-saving aid. Almost 6.1 million Syrians continue to be internally displaced and often lack adequate essential services, including water and sanitation. An estimated 11 million people require humanitarian assistance in 2020, with up to 5 million people in acute need.
Recently, Syria also reported its first cases of COVID-19, with 44 cases now confirmed in the country. WHO classifies Syria one of the high-risk countries globally and a priority country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.
“We are in the middle of the battle of our lives, and I consider WHO and its partners on the frontlines, alongside surgeons and those working in hospitals. This battle requires our full energy. The world is going to change, and we are writing history. Each and every one of us, individually and collectively, are responsible for its script – and we have a key opportunity now to change the course of many lives in Syria, and achieve something we can be proud of,” said Dr Magtymova.
Born and raised in Turkmenistan, Dr Magtymova has dedicated the past 20 years of her career to international humanitarian aid and development. Prior to her new assignment in Syria, Dr Magtymova was WHO Representative in Oman, where she achieved significant goals within WHO’s “Health for All” vision. Dr Magtymova also served as Deputy Head and Emergency Coordinator of WHO’s Office in Yemen and held several posts in WHO’s South-East Asia Region, where she covered both development and humanitarian programmes.
Dr Magtymova is an MD and holds two Master’s Degrees; an MSc from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and an MA from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.