Public notice & comment
After careful consideration of all applications submitted to WHO, the following individuals are proposed for membership of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Occupational Burden of Disease Estimation (TAG-OBoDE).
Following a public call for experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced proposed members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Occupational Burden of Disease Estimation (TAG-OBoDE). The TAG-OBoDE will provide independent advice to the WHO including its strategic priorities and plans of action on specific topics relating to burden of disease modelling for occupational health.
The 10 proposed TAG-OBoDE members have expertise in a range of areas including, but not limited to the following:
- Burden of disease modelling;
- Global health;
- Occupational cancer;
- Occupational epidemiology;
- Occupational exposure science; and
- Occupational medicine.
The composition of the TAG-OBoDE properly reflects geographic and gender diversity.
As per WHO processes, there will now be a two-week public consultation period for WHO to receive feedback on the proposed TAG-OBoDE members and set in place the modalities for the TAG-OBoDE ’s first meeting, which is planned to take place following this consultation period.
The final membership to the TAG-OBoDE is subject to the above-mentioned public consultation period and relevant WHO practices and procedures.
Functions of the TAG-OBoDE
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG-OBoDE shall have the following functions:
- To advise WHO on the evidence base and input parameters to produce estimates of exposure to occupational risk factors and occupational burden of disease;
- To review WHO estimates of exposure to occupational risk factors and occupational burden of disease and provide technical feedback on these estimates; and
- To contribute to the publication and dissemination of WHO estimates of exposure to occupational risk factors and occupational burden of disease.
WHO will be finalizing the appointment of the 10 members in the coming days following the review of comments received during their notice period.
The members are to serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to burden of disease modelling for occupational health. In evaluating the applications submitted, consideration was given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance.
Proposed TAG-OBoDE members
- Dr Marissa Baker is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Health at the School of Public Health of the University of Washington in the United States of America. This expert is from the United States of America.
- Professor Tim Driscoll is a Professor of Epidemiology and Occupational Medicine and the Director of the Master of Public Health at the School of Public Health of the University of Sydney in Australia. This expert is from Australia.
- Dr Irina Guseva Canu is an Associate Professor of Occupational Epidemiology at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. This expert is from Uzbekistan and France.
- Dr Hannah Kiiver is a Statistical Officer at Eurostat of the European Commission in Belgium. This expert is from Germany.
- Professor Jian Li is a Professor of Work and Health at the Fielding School of Public Health and the School of Nursing of the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States of America. This expert is from the People’s Republic of China.
- Professor Rajen Naidoo is a Professor and the Head at the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. This expert is from South Africa.
- Dr Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem is an Emergency Medicine Resident Physician at the School of Medicine and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University in the United States of America. This expert is from Nigeria and the United States of America.
- Dr Michelle Turner is an Associate Research Professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain. This expert is from Canada.
- Dr Susana Viegas is an Assistant Professor at the National School of Public Health of NOVA University of Lisbon in Portugal. This expert is from Portugal.
- Professor Paul Villeneuve is a Professor at the Department of Neuroscience and the School of Mathematics and Statistics of Carleton University in Canada. This expert is from Canada.
Pursuant to WHO’s rules and practices, and in order to enhance WHO’s management of conflicts of interest, as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO advisory groups involving the provision of technical advice, the names and brief biographies of the individuals selected for TAG-OBoDE Membership are now disclosed for public notice and comment.
Should you wish to comment on the individuals, please send your comments to TAG-OBoDE@who.int with subject, “Public comments on TAG-OBoDE members,” by 9 September 2022, 17:00 CET.
WHO will treat the comments received through this public notice and comment process confidentially. Comments and perceptions brought to the attention of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and will, subject to WHO’s rules, practices, and policies, be carefully reviewed by WHO. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert and otherwise within the Organization as appropriate, with no attribution to the provider of the information. WHO, may, in its sole discretion, take appropriate action in accordance with its rules, practices, and policies, based on any information received.
Disclaimer:
In order to enhance its management of Conflicts of Interest as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice, the names and brief biographies of individuals (“Published Information” ) being considered for participation in such meetings are disclosed for public notice and comment.
The Published Information is provided by the experts themselves and is the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the Published Information provided. Furthermore, in no event will WHO be responsible or liable for damages in relation to the use of, and reliance upon, the Published Information.
The comments received by WHO through the public notice and comment process are treated confidentially and their receipt will be acknowledged through a generic email notification to the sender. Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and are carefully reviewed. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies.
The participation of an expert in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO.
The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interests, will be reported publically in accordance with WHO practice.