The World Health Organization appointed Dr. Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu chief nursing officer.
Dr. Tuipulotu will begin in her position in early 2023. She succeeds Elizabeth Iro, who departs after five years.
In her new role, Dr. Tuipulotu will be asked to champion, nurture and support nurses and midwives to ensure they are being well utilized and to bolster their role in communities and national health systems, according to a Dec. 13 WHO news release.
Previously, Dr. Tuipulotu served as a member of the WHO executive board and was Tonga's first female minister for health and the first Tongan to receive a PhD in nursing.