Ms Elizabeth Iro
Chief Nursing Officer
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Mrs Elizabeth Iro is the World Health Organisation Chief Nursing Officer. She commenced in this role in January 2018 and is a member of the WHO Headquarters leadership team.
Mrs Iro is from the Cook Islands, she has served as the country’s Secretary of Health since 2012- 2017. In this role, she has implemented legislative reforms to strengthen the country’s health system and developed the National Health Strategic plans (2012-2016, 2017-2021)and a National Health Road Map 2017-2036, among other National policy and strategic documents. She was the first nurse and woman to be appointed in this role in the Cook Islands.
Mrs Iro was trained as a nurse and a midwife in New Zealand and holds a MHSc in Nursing and a MBA. She has over 30 years’ experience in clinical and public health nursing. She held various nursing roles such as Chief Nursing Officer (2011-2012), Registrar of the Nursing Council (2000-2007) as well was the President of the Cook Islands Nurses Association (2002-2010).
