Announcing Professor Ulrich Laaser as the New Chair of the WFPHA Advisory Board

We are thrilled to introduce Professor Ulrich Laaser as the new Chair of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) Advisory Board. His profound experience and unwavering commitment to public health make him an invaluable asset to our organization.

Born in 1941 in Königswusterhausen near Berlin, Professor Laaser has a distinguished academic and professional background. He holds a Venia Legendi for Epidemiology in Internal Medicine from the Medical Faculty of Cologne (1980) and became an external professor in 1987. His academic career flourished at the University of Bielefeld, Germany, where he served in the Faculty of Sociology (1989) and Health Sciences (1994). Notably, he was the principal investigator of the Stability Pact Project on Public Health Training and Research in South Eastern Europe from 2001 to 2010.

Professor Laaser’s influence extends beyond Germany. In 2004, he was appointed as a visiting professor at the School of Public Health in Belgrade and as an honorary professor at universities in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Tirana, Albania. His leadership roles include presidencies at the German Association for Health Sciences and Public Health (1997-2001), the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER, 1993-1995), and the WFPHA (2010-2012). He continues to serve on the Honours Committee of ASPHER and the Advisory Board of WFPHA. Additionally, he co-edits the book series on International Public Health, published by Hans Jacobs Publishing House and the South Eastern European Journal of Public Health.

Professor Laaser’s academic credentials are complemented by degrees from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Diploma of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, 1969) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Master of Public Health, 1970). His accolades include the German Hufeland Price (1979), the Andrija Stampar Medal from ASPHER (2008), and the WFPHA Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Global Health Award (2023).

Over the past two decades, Professor Laaser has been instrumental in numerous public health projects across South Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, West Africa, the Pacific Region, and the One Health Commission. His vast expertise and commitment to improving global health make him the ideal candidate for this role.

We extend a warm welcome to Professor Laaser in his new role and eagerly anticipate his significant contributions to WFPHA. His leadership will undoubtedly steer us towards greater achievements in public health on a global scale.