Liviu Vedrasco

Mr Vedrașco is currently leading a WHO team In Geneva that conceptualises and runs simulation exercises and emergency response reviews.

He began his career at WHO HQ in 2012, co-creating the Health Emergencies Risk Management Framework and the Pandemic Influenza Risk Management Guidelines.

Following his work at HQ, Mr Vedrașco worked in country offices in Thailand, Myanmar and Sierra Leone. In Thailand he led a dynamic team tackling Migrant Health, International Trade and Health, Road Safety, Chemical Safety, Air Quality and Climate Change. In Myanmar he coordinated the Health Cluster for the Rohingya Crisis.

At the peak of the 2014 Western African Ebola Epidemic, Mr Vedrașco was deployed to Sierra Leone to coordinate the WHO emergency response operation that helped end the epidemic.

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until his reassignment to Geneva in November 2020 he served as WHO COVID-19 Coordination Liaison for Asia Pacific in Bangkok.

Prior to WHO he served with UN agencies, philanthropies and international non-governmental organisations: 2009 to 2012 as Chief of Party for the USAID PREPARE initiative in Washington, DC; 2007 to 2009 as Pandemic Preparedness Adviser with UN in Geneva and Dakar; 2004 to 2007 as Refugee Health Adviser on the Thai-Myanmar border camps with the International Rescue Committee; 2002 to 2004 as Country Director for Georgia with the International Medical Corps; 1999 to 2001 as Regional Director for Eastern Europe with Carelift International and from 1994 to 1997 as Project Coordonator and later Programmes Director with the Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute.

Languages: Mr Vedrașco speaks English, French and Russian in addition to his native Romanian. He is learning Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic, aiming to speak all 6 UN languages by 2025.