Dr Basel Al Yousfi

Director of the Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA)

Vision

CEHA is an environmental health centre of excellence in supporting countries of the Region in their efforts to reduce the toll of morbidity and premature mortality caused by modifiable environmental risk factors.

Mission

CEHA provides technical guidance, programmatic support, advisory consultations and related services to Member States and partner agencies to heighten the leadership role of the public health sector in regulating, surveilling and managing environmental risks. Support is provided in the areas of water and sanitation, waste management, air quality, food and chemical safety, vector control, and environmental health emergency management. CEHA coordinates WHO support in the cross-cutting issues of climate change, sustainable development, knowledge management, and environmental health risk communication. 

Biography

Dr Al-Yousfi has been the Director of the WHO Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action since August 2009. Formerly, he had served from January 2001 in the United Nations Environment Programme as a Deputy Regional Director in West Asia.

Dr Al-Yousfi holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering from the USA, and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Syria. He is Board Certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. 

In the 10 years prior to working for the United Nations, Dr Al-Yousfi worked in the international petrochemical industry; and held an academic post at the University of Central Florida in the United States of America. He also served as an adjunct professor at Marshall University in the USA and the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain. He was the Associate Editor of 2 major scientific journals, has over 60 peer-reviewed publications, and has received several international awards.