The World Health Organization (WHO) was established on 7 April 1948 with an ambitious goal – ensure the highest attainable level of health for all people.

More than 7000 WHO staff members all over the world collaborate with governments and other partners to build a healthier world. WHO operates as an independent specialized agency of the United Nations.

WHO assists countries in building robust national health systems and in preparing for and responding to emergencies. We lead the fight against noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes that cause millions of premature deaths every year.

WHO advocates universal health coverage, safe and effective medicines, and efforts to address health inequities and the social determinants of health. We are the undisputed leader in developing global public health norms, standards and guidance.

Dr Timothy Armstrong is a global health diplomacy and noncommunicable disease (NCD) expert from New South Wales, Australia, with more than 30 years of experience. Following four years working in Australia for a range of health policy-focused organizations, Dr Armstrong joined WHO in 2002, with an emphasis on NCDs.

In his 22 years with WHO, he has served in its Geneva-based headquarters as a Technical Officer (NCDs), Program Coordinator (Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion), Unit Head (Global Strategy for Diet, Physical Activity and Health), Head of Secretariat to the WHO High Level Commission on the Prevention of Childhood Obesity, and most recently, from 2015, as Director of the Department of Governing Bodies. In this latter role, he was responsible for WHO’s World Health Assembly and Executive Board, overseeing strategic engagement with WHO’s 194 Member States at the highest levels, in addition to managing other high-level WHO governance mechanisms and structures.

Across his global health diplomacy work, Dr Armstrong has guided core governance and diplomatic interfaces to strategically shape the global health agenda. He has focused on ensuring that low- and middle-income countries have a voice in global health decision-making, and supported countries to achieve consensus on technical and political issues in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. Over the past two decades he has worked with increasing urgency to address the acceleration of climate change and environmental degradation as the greatest threats to human health.

In the field of NCDs, Dr Armstrong has been responsible for implementing NCD risk factor research in more than 50 countries, as well as supporting childhood obesity prevention and physical activity strategies across all WHO regions.

Throughout his career Dr Armstrong’s priority has remained supporting Member States. With deployments to more than 80 countries (including within Asia), he has focused on supporting the development and implementation of practical, achievable and impact-focused strategies, policies and programmes. This has cemented his belief in WHO’s mission, and the effectiveness that WHO technical support can deliver when well aligned with national priorities.

Dr Armstrong has peer-reviewed numerous publications covering genetic epidemiology, disease surveillance, health diplomacy and global health governance. He holds a PhD in Genetic Epidemiology and a Bachelor of Science with 1^st Class Honours (Population Behaviour, Genetics and Social Epidemiology) from the University of New England, Australia.

Christopher Fitzpatrick works to advance health in Lao PDR through external engagement, and internal strategy and operations of the WHO Country Office. He contributes to office-wide initiatives, with a focus on strengthening collaboration across programmes and sectors.

Christopher brings nearly 20 years of experience with WHO, including previously as a health economist in Lao PDR, where he supported the Ministry of Health on national health insurance and early COVID-19 response. He later served in Uzbekistan as Health Policy Adviser, supporting primary health care reform and resilience-building efforts in the Aral Sea region.

Christopher has also worked at WHO headquarters in Geneva, most recently as Executive Officer to the Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage / Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, and on secondment to the Director-General’s Office.

He holds postgraduate degrees in economics and finance, and a PhD in health sciences.