Mrs Elizabeth Iro is the Chief Nurse of the World Health Organization (WHO), appointed by WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus in 2017. She is from the Cook Islands, where she worked as Secretary of Health (2012-2017). She was the first woman and nurse/midwife to be appointed to this position in this country. Her top goals in this role were legislative reforms to enhance the country’s health system, as well as the development of National Health Strategic Plans (2012-2016, 2017-2021) and a National Health Road Map (2017-2036). Mrs. Iro has an MHSc in Nursing and an MBA and was educated as a nurse and midwife in New Zealand. She worked as a nurse in different capacities, including Chief Nursing Officer (2011-2012), Registrar of the Nursing Council (2000-2007), and President of the Cook Islands Nurses Association (2002-2010).
