20 January 2021
Published in the Korea Biomedical Review & the Korean Doctors’ Weekly
Former Yonsei University Professor Sohn Myong-sei, who served as director of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, has taken office as the second chairman of the Research Investment for Global Health Technology (RIGHT) Fund.
RIGHT Fund is an international health research fund established in July 2018 in Korea through public-private cooperation among the Korean government, life science companies, and international funding organizations, to promote global public health.
The fund aims to make the most of Korea’s healthcare technology to solve health inequality problems in developing countries by supporting the research and development of vaccines, treatments, diagnosis, and digital health technologies necessary to respond to new and endemic infectious diseases in developing countries.
To contribute to global health promotion by developing technologies necessary for developing countries, the fund requires a leader who has accumulated partnerships with governments, social groups, and various private and public sector organizations and the ability to predict future technologies. The organization has selected Sohn as the best man for the position.
Chairman Son has built his expertise in health policy and international health for nearly 40 years.
He has served in various positions, such as the president of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), vice-chairman of the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO), special assistant to the UNAIDS Program, member of the UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) International Bioethics Committee (IBC), president of the Korean Academy of Health Policy and Management, special advisor to the Minister of Health and Welfare, a member of the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) Revision Committee, and a member of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future.