The Regional Director’s Office WHO/SEARO

Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei can most aptly be described as a health statesman and visionary. For over 20 years, he has been deeply involved in the Region's efforts to strengthen primary health care services and in providing leadership to the Region to achieve the cherished objective of the Organization for attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

Born in 1935 in Bandung, Indonesia, Dr Uton obtained his M.D. in 1963 from the prestigious Airlangga University in Indonesia. He received a Master’s degree in Public Health from Tulane University, USA and a Diploma in Project Planning, Systems Analysis for Developing Countries from Bradford University, England.

Starting his career in public health over three decades ago as Director of the Regency General Hospital as well as 15 Health Centres in Banjar District, Indonesia, Dr Uton had the rare distinction of holding concurrent charge, for over 15 years, as the Director of Bandung's Municipal Health Services; Director of the Provincial CDC Directorate in West Java; Director of the Provincial Health Services, West Java; Director of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Health, and Adviser to the Regional Socio-Economic Planning and Development Board, West Java, besides working as a lecturer at the Medical Faculty of the Padjadjaran University in Bandung. During 1978-1981, he served as Executive Director of BAPPEDA (Regional Socio-Economic Planning and Development Board) in West Java Province. Over the years, he also gained vast clinical experience. In 1980, Dr Uton was awarded Garuda Nugraha Wibawa (for leadership capability) on the occasion of attending the prestigious National Defence College Course, Indonesia.

Dr Uton joined the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia in 1981 as Regional Adviser in Primary Health Care and progressively rose to the positions of Senior Public Health Administrator (1982-1984), Director, Health Protection and Promotion (1984-1988) and Director, Health System Infrastructure (1988-1994). In March 1994, Dr Uton was elected as the Regional Director of WHO, South-East Asia Region. In these capacities, he has been responsible for several programmes related to the essential elements of primary health care. He underscored the importance of health advocacy as a means of promoting the health of the community and developed the regional long-term perspective to address the double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in the Region. He also pioneered the concept of decentralizing health services using the district as the unit of devolution, as also health systems research as a means of supporting innovative strategies for health development and for the application of available knowledge of health. Keeping in mind the special needs of the Region, Dr Uton has been consistently advancing the cause of the populations living in rural and remote areas. As Regional Director, he has strengthened WHO collaboration and closer working relations with Member Countries through the highest decision-making levels in a spirit of mutual respect and transparency.

Dr Uton is a member of several professional and social welfare organizations. He has published extensively in leading technical and academic journals on various topics including health development, primary health care, district health system, and health-for-all leadership. Among other publications, he has also authored "Partnerships: A New Health Vision".

Dr Uton is a recipient of several awards, degrees and fellowships for his outstanding performance in various academic and professional pursuits. He was conferred with (1) the Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by the Tamil Nadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University, Madras, India in March 1996, (2) Honorary Degree of Medical Doctor by the State Academic Degree and title conferment Committee of DPR Korea in September 1996, (3) the Degree of Doctor of Public Health (Honoris Causa) by Mahidol University, Thailand in July 1997 in recognition of excellent services for Mahidol University and accomplishments contributing to medical advancement in Thailand, (4)"Ksatriya Bakti Husada Aditya" awarded by the Ministry of Health, Indonesia for his great contribution in national health development in January 1998, (5) the title of Fellow (Honoris Causa) by the Indian Public Health Association, Calcutta, India in March 2000 for outstanding contribution to the promotion and strengthening of Public Health, (6) "Sutomo Tjokronegoro" (highest award of IMA) awarded by the Indonesian Medical Association for outstanding performance in the development of health and medicine in October 2000, (7) "Gold medal" awarded by the Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib Eye Care Project, Bangladesh in November 2000 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the improvement of eye care services in the South-East Asia Region and (8) the title of "Professorship in Public Health" by Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia in July 2001 in recognition of his association with the University as well as his extraordinary contribution at both national and international level in the field of Public Health. In addition, he has received [i] the "Certificate of Appreciation" by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in December 1994 for monumental services for the welfare of children in India; [ii] the "First Honorary Fellowship" by the Indian Association of Epidemiologists, New Delhi, in October 1995 in recognition of significant contribution for the advancement of discipline of Epidemiology; and [iii] the "Honorary Life Membership of the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility, Bombay", India in December 1996 for outstanding contributions to strengthen primary health care services and research in reproductive health.