In the position of Assistant Director-General of the Universal Health Coverage, Healthier Populations Division, Dr Ailan Li oversees WHO’s efforts to promote better health and well-being through interventions relating to the environmental, social, and economic determinants of health, including climate change, tobacco control, chemical safety, road safety, food systems and nutrition, physical activity, air pollution and radiation. The work will be carried out through a One Health approach.

Dr Li served as the WHO Representative to the Kingdom of Cambodia between 2019 and 2023. Prior to this, she worked as the Regional Emergency Director for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and before that as Director of the Division of Health Security and Emergencies in the same Office. Before joining WHO, Dr Li was an Associate Professor at the School of Public Health, Peking University. During her career in public health, Dr Li has also worked in the areas of preventive medicine, disease prevention and control, health policy, health systems, social science and food safety.

Dr Li Ailan holds a medical degree from Beijing Medical University in China and a Master’s degree in health social science from Mahidol University in Thailand.