Dr Naoko Yamamoto is WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Universal Health  Coverage - Healthier Populations. Previously, she also held the role of WHO’s  Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage and Health Systems.

Dr Yamamoto brings nearly 30 years of experience working on health. She served as Senior Assistant  Minister for Global Heath in Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. In this capacity, she  was heavily involved in Japan’s global health leadership, including hosting and organizing the  International Conference on Universal Health Coverage in 2015 and supporting the compilation of  the G7 Ise-Shima Vision for Global Health and Kobe Communique of the G7 Health Ministers’  Meeting in 2016, both of which highlighted the importance of promoting universal health coverage.