US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy's nomination sent to Senate to serve country's representative on WHO board

Indian-American Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has been nominated once again by President Joe Biden to serve as the US's representative on the executive board of the World Health Organisation. The 46-year-old physician's nomination was re-sent as his confirmation to the position had been pending in the Senate since October 2022.

He was confirmed by the US Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the country. He previously served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Barack Obama.

As the nation's top doctor, the Surgeon General's mission is to help lay the foundation for a healthier country, relying on the best scientific information available to provide clear, consistent and equitable guidance and resources for the public.


In a press release on January 8, the White House mentioned Murthy's name in the nominations sent to the Senate.

As the Vice Admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr Murthy also commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations.

The first Surgeon General of Indian descent, Dr Murthy, was raised in Miami and is a graduate of Harvard, the Yale School of Medicine, and the Yale School of Management, the White House said.

A renowned physician, research scientist, entrepreneur and author, he lives in Washington, DC with his wife Dr Alice Chen, and their two children.

Murthy was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire to immigrants from Karnataka, India. In 1978, the family moved to Newfoundland, where his father worked as a district medical officer. When he was three years old, the family relocated to Miami.