Dr Pem Namgyal
Dr Pem Namgyal is Coordinator of the Implementation Research team of the World Health Organization's Initiative for Vaccine Research. In this role, Dr Namgyal is responsible for research that aims to translate research findings into policy and practice, and to identify barriers to scaling-up programmes from pilot phases to full-scale uptake. Vaccines against typhoid, cholera and human papillomaviruses are available but do not fit into the traditional EPI schedule. Translational research to support the sustainable introduction of vaccines for all age groups is an important objective of this unit.
Dr Namgyal joined WHO in 2001 as a medical officer to support the introduction of new vaccines. Following two years in Geneva, he moved to the Organization's Regional Office for South-East Asia in India, where his responsibilities covered not only new vaccine introduction, but also strengthening of immunization systems in countries of the region. During his last two years at the Regional Office, Dr Namgyal took over the management of the immunization team. Dr Namgyal returned to headquarters in 2009.
Before joining WHO, Dr Namgyal worked for fifteen years in the Ministry of Health of Bhutan. Following initial employment as a General Duty Medical Officer, he moved into public health as the manager of the malaria programme. He later led public health programmes including those for tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections, health information systems, and immunization. For his last two years at the Ministry of Health, Dr Namgyal was responsible for policy and planning.
Dr Namgyal obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene in the United States of America, with specialization in epidemiology.