Building a Career with the World Health Organization - My Journey!

As part of the 2023-2024 Dahdaleh Institute Global Health Seminar Series, Dahdaleh adjunct faculty fellow Dr. Firdosi Mehta will share his journey leading to his extensive career in public health in six diverse countries. With over 30 years of experience, learn from his first-hand experiences working with the World Health Organization on polio eradication efforts, communicable diseases control, Tuberculosis, NCDs, etc. to contribute towards a healthier and equitable world.
Dr. Mehta will impart some key lessons including how kindness, compassion and empathy are at the roots of public health necessary to create effective health interventions. He will also highlight the necessity for patience, perseverance, passion, and perspiration - the indomitable foursome - essential for navigating the challenges in any field.
Speaker Profile
Dr. Firdosi Mehta has over 30 years of Public Health experience in several countries and regions of the world. Dr. Mehta completed his medical education in India after which he served in the Indian Navy Defense Services. He then served in the Ministry of Health, Sultanate of Oman in various capacities for 10 years, the last being Director of Surveillance and Disease Control. Dr. Mehta then joined the World Health Organization and worked in Somalia from 1998 - 2002, where he was responsible for supporting the control of TB and all other communicable diseases in a complex emergency situation. He moved from Somalia to Indonesia in 2002 in the capacity of Country Advisor Tuberculosis Control program for seven years. Dr. Mehta then moved to Sri Lanka in 2009 as the WHO country Representative until 2014.
He is an Adjunct Professor & Fellow at York University and University of Toronto in Canada, as well as a senior Mentor on several mentoring platforms. In recognition of his contributions to the Global Health Program at York, a Global Health student prize has been named after him in 2022. He is a member on the Governance and Advisory committee on Human Trafficking at the Peel Institute on Violence prevention, Family services Peel Toronto.