WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Visits WHOCCUTS

During his first official visit to Australia, WHO Collaborating Centre at UTS (WHO CC UTS) was honoured to receive Dr Takeshi Kasai, the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific on the 18th of June. Dr Kasai visited the WHO CC UTS and toured the university facilities and Faculty of Health. Academics, professional staff and interns shared their knowledge and welcomed him to the University, Faculty and Centre.

Dr Kasai toured the Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care Research Centre (ImPACCT), the clinical simulation lab for nursing and midwifery and the Australian Centre for Complementary and integrative Medicine and Public and Population Health Research.

As the new WHO WPRO Director, Dr Kasai spoke to UTS about the goals he aims to achieve during his five-year tenure. Dr Kasai emphasised the importance of working within the community and all health workers, with the majority being nurses and midwives, noting that WHO’s thematic priorities of NCDs and ageing, health security and climate change need to be addressed through the operational shifts outlined for the region, which include:

1. Developing new approaches to meet new challenges (innovation)
2. Working backwards from the longer term goal (“back-casting’)
3. Building solutions from the ground (“ground-up”)
4. Systems approach with UHC as the foundation
5. Championing health, beyond the health sector
6. Strategic communications as a means for delivering on new ways of working
7. Driving and measuring country impact

After the tour of UTS facilities Dr Kasai was received at WHO CC UTS with a short reception held in his honour and attended by various UTS

and Faculty of Health staff. We were excited to also be able to include remote colleagues from the Pacific through an online teleconference who were able to share in the speeches and contribute to the discussions.

Dr. Kasai was very grateful for this visit later tweeting: “Delighted to visit @whoccmichele for Nursing and Midwifery @UTSEngage in Sydney. @WHOWPRO relies on our partnerships with our excellent Collaborating Centres around the Region – we couldn’t do our work without you. This Centre is an excellent example – thank you!”

For further coverage on the event, please click this link.