Menghis Bairu Joins OneWorld Health Board of Directors

The Institute for OneWorld Health, the U.S.-based nonprofit pharmaceutical company that develops drugs for people with neglected infectious diseases in the developing world, recently announced the appointment of Elan Executive Vice President and Head of Global Development Menghis Bairu, M.D., to its Board of Directors.

OneWorld Health noted that Dr. Bairu brings nearly two decades of international experience in the pharmaceutical industry and nonprofit arena, where his work has included a focus on addressing the unmet healthcare needs of underserved communities. OneWorld Health said it was delighted to welcome “an accomplished physician, scientist and business professional with a deep commitment to providing the world’s most impoverished communities with access to essential medicines.”

Dr. Bairu said he was honored to serve on OneWorld Health's board and to contribute to its unique efforts in developing new essential medicines for some of the world's most devastating neglected diseases. “We have some real opportunities to effect large-scale change in global health,” Dr. Bairu said.

OneWorld Health also highlighted Dr. Bairu’s commitment to complementing the corporate and philanthropic elements of healthcare advances, noting a decade of experience in medical leadership in the nonprofit realm. Also citing Dr. Bairu’s personal journey, including his youth in Eritrea, East Africa, and his experience as a refugee in Sudan, OneWorld Health said that Dr. Bairu “has proven to be steadfastly committed to trying to reduce the impact of preventable and treatable infectious diseases in developing countries.”

Learn more about OneWorld Health at http://www.oneworldhealth.org/