President Joe Biden has nominated US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, to serve as the US representative on the World Health Organisation’s executive board. The White House said in a statement that Dr Murthy, 45, will take on the new role while continuing to serve as the US surgeon general.

The US Senate confirmed him in March 2021 as the 21st US surgeon general. Previously, he served as the 19th Surgeon General under former President Barack Obama.

As the nation’s physicians, surgeons’ mission is to help lay the foundations for a healthier nation, relying on the best scientific information available to provide the public with clear, consistent, and equitable guidance and resources.

“During his tenure as the 21st Surgeon, Dr Murthy focused on drawing attention to and working with governments to address some key public health issues, including the growing proliferation of health misinformation, the ongoing adolescent mental health crisis, health and hygiene Burnout in worker communities, as well as social isolation and loneliness,” the White House said.

As Vice Admiral in the US Department of Public Health Service, Dr Murthy also commands a unified force of more than 6,000 dedicated public health officials serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations.

The first Indian-American surgeon, Dr Murthy, grew up in Miami and graduated from Harvard, Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Management, the White House said.

It says he is a noted doctor, research scientist, entrepreneur and author who lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Dr Alice Chen, and their two children. Murthy was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, to immigrants from the Indian state of Karnataka.

In 1978, the family moved to Newfoundland, where his father served as the district medical officer. When he was three years old, the family moved to Miami.