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INTERNATIONAL

Interview with

Dr David Nabarro

Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change and candidate

for the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Nabarro's career spans more than 40 years of working in public health. Starting as a doctor work-
ing for Save the Children in Northern Iraq and then Nepal, he later lectured on nutrition and public
health in the United Kingdom (UK) and worked for the UK's Department for International Devel-
opment as Chief Health and Population Adviser from 1990-1999. In 2000-2005, he held a range of
positions in the WHO, notably as Executive Director to the Office of the Director-General and as
Head of the Health Emergencies group. In the past 12 years, he has been entrusted by successive
UN Secretary-Generals (UNSG) to lead on Avian and Human Influenza, Food Security; Nutrition,
Ebola, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and the UN response in Haiti. He is now a candi-
date to be WHO'S next Director-General. Here is our interview with Dr David Nabarro.

Tell us about yourself. political economy, social anthropology and management,
I am the son of two medical doctors. Although my family which helped me understand how organisations work in
were expecting me to have a career in specialist medicine, practice. In my work I've sought to combine both linear
I opted instead for a career as a specialist in public health, (deductive) and 'systems thinking' in order to focus on
which has allowed me to live and enjoy the cultures of Can- specific problems while - at the same time - understand-
ada, Iraq, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and briefly in Uganda ing the patterns of thought systems used by groups of peo-
and Brazil. In terms of inspiration, like ple who see issues very differently.
many of my peers of my generation, "Diversity is
I was consistently influenced by the This way of thinking has enabled me
movement towards Primary Health essential to ensure to establish myself as a convener and
Care for all and the role of WHO as the the breadth and problem solver at the global scale.
curator of this movement.
depth of perspective
As Director-General of the WHO,
I am blessed with five amazing chil- needed in any truly what would be your management
dren. When I have spare time, I love and leadership style?
international organi-
skiing and music. When I was young I describe my style of leadership as
I regularly DJ'ed and still have turn- sation that acts in visionary, participatory, inclusive, evi-
tables at home. Just like any good DJ, the interests of all dence and result-based with respect
in my professional life I have learnt to for diversity. I am people-centred in
feel the mood of the people around Member States." everything I do. I relate my work now
me, to sense when feelings change, to the community based health care in
and to tune in to the currents of those feelings. which I was intimately involved in the first 15 years of my
professional life. I have an inclusive management style, seek
Have you always been interested in multilateral institu- to empower others wherever possible and lead in ways that
tions? enable personnel to perform to their very best effect.
Even as a teenager in school I was interested in how dif-
ferent organisations worked and I constantly tried to I also believe in the power of effective partnering in ways
understand why they did not always do what they were that respect the interest of the different partners and earn
supposed to. Early on, I studied theories of bureaucracy, their trust. I have led responses to major challenges (such

6 DIVA - INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT