Dr Doherty is the Director of the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes (HHS) at the World Health Organization (WHO).
Appointed on the 1 February 2020, Dr Doherty was previously the Coordinator of Treatment and Care in the Department of HIV at WHO Headquarters starting in 2012. She has more than 25 years of experience working in HIV and infectious diseases, including leading WHO’s normative and programmatic work focusing on expanding HIV treatment to all and reducing inequalities in access to the most effective anti-retroviral drugs for people living with HIV. She brings many years of diverse country experience to this role, having spent 10 years living and working in low- and middle-income countries, advising ministries of health and international partners on implementing comprehensive HIV and infectious disease programmes, including 5 years in Ethiopia as the Director of Clinical and Training services for JHUTSEHAI, a PEPFAR implementing partner supported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prior to joining WHO, Dr Doherty was faculty member of the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where she was responsible for the treatment and care of people living with HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases. Dr Doherty is a trained epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist and has published over 110 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She received her MD from Harvard Medical School and her MPH and PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Under her leadership as Director, HHS department, the department will maintain and expand global efforts to eliminate HIV, hepatitis and STIs by 2030 with a strong emphasis on service integration and strengthening primary health care within the framework of UHC, while focusing on vulnerable populations and countries with the highest burden. The HHS department is committed to reaching the global targets through intensified engagement with WHO and partner regional and country offices to achieve impact and will be bringing new Global health sector strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2022-2030, for review and approval at the 75th World Health Assembly, May 2022.
