Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe

Dr. Rabi Abeyasinghe assumed duties as OIC and Acting WHO Representative CO Philippines on 26th August 2019. Prior to this, he was Coordinator, Malaria Other Vectorborne and Parasitic Diseases at the World Health Organizations Regional Office for the Western Pacific based in Manila, Philippines. He has served WHO since 2011 in various capacities, including, Acting Director, Communicable Diseases, WPRO (May to October 2018), Regional Entomologist, WPRO and Technical Officer Malaria in CO Papua New Guinea.

Dr. Rabi is a Medical Specialist MD (Community Medicine) from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Additionally, he has a MSc in Biology & Control of Disease Vectors from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene from the Royal College of Physicians, London.

He has nearly 30 years of experience in malaria control and has held several senior positions in the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, including, Director National Malaria Control Programme and Project Director, GFATM Projects. He is a Fellow of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka and a Past President of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka. He was a Senior Fellow of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and Advisory Board Chair of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network.