Sightsavers trustee plays pivotal role in handling COVID-19

Sightsavers is proud to have Professor Chris Whitty on our board of trustees and acknowledges the pivotal role he is playing in response to the current coronavirus outbreak in the UK.

As chief medical officer (CMO) England and the UK government’s chief medical adviser, Prof Whitty has been instrumental in advising the UK government through the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

As well as providing advice to the government, his role includes communicating with the public, fronting a new government TV campaign and supporting the prime minister in regular press conferences.

Prof Whitty was appointed to the Sightsavers board of trustees last year and has since helped guide the organisation through an exciting period of growth in our work to protect sight, eliminate debilitating diseases and fight for disability rights.

Sightsavers’ CEO Dr Caroline Harper said: “We are so very fortunate to have Chris Whitty as a member of the Sightsavers board. Chris’s unparalleled experience and expert advice, combined with his measured and research-driven approach to global health, has been of great value to Sightsavers and he’ll be bringing the same qualities and approach to advising the government in handling the current unprecedented situation.”

An epidemiologist and physician, Prof Whitty was previously professor of public and international health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and is an expert in international public health and infectious diseases.

In 2014 he played a leading role in the UK effort on Ebola, when he held the post of chief scientific adviser at the Department for International Development. Alongside his other government roles, Prof Whitty is also head of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).