Elizabeth Iro is the World Health Organization Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), commencing the role in January 2018. Elizabeth is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ms. Iro is from the Cook Islands and prior to taking up her role she served as her country’s Secretary of Health between 2012 and 2017. In this role, she implemented legislative reforms to strengthen the country’s health system and developed the National Health Strategic Plans (2012 to 2016, 2017 to 2021) and a National Health Road Map 2017-2036, among other national policy and strategic documents. She was the first nurse/midwife and woman to be appointed in this role in the Cook Islands.
Ms. Iro was trained in New Zealand as a nurse and a midwife and holds a MHSc in Nursing and an MBA. She previously held various nursing roles such as Chief Nursing Officer (2011-2012), Registrar of the Nursing Council (2000-2007) as well was the President of the Cook Islands Nurses Association (2002-2010).
