World Bank hires former WHO assistant director general

The World Bank has appointed a former assistant director general at the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead its own efforts in healthcare.

Dr Timothy Evans, who previously headed the evidence, information, research and policy clusters at the WHO, will now serve as the World Bank's director for health, nutrition and population.

His main priorities include providing the World Bank with an overall health strategy that ensures countries are able to access affordable quality care.

He will also lead efforts to create health-related partnerships between the World Bank and other organisations.

The appointment is quite a coup for the World Bank, considering Dr Evan's rich experience in global health, which has included overseeing the production of the annual World Health Report during his time at the WHO.

He has also worked with the Rockefeller Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, and has contributed to the development of several major global health partnerships, include the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunization and the World Alliance for Patient Safety.

Since 2000 the World Bank has provided $24bn for healthcare improvement programmes across the world, which have covered areas such as the financing of education, infrastructure, and transportation.