Dr. Osama Ali Maher is Acting Regional Adviser for Climate Change, Health and Environment at the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO), providing strategic leadership on climate–health, WASH, occupational health, food safety, and chemical safety across 22 Member States. He concurrently serves as an Associate Research Professor at UNU-INWEH and as an Affiliated Researcher at Lund University, Sweden.

Holding a PhD in Environmental Limnology from Lund University, Dr. Maher brings over 30 years of experience spanning civil engineering, elected service as a Member of the Swedish Parliament on the Committee on Environment and Agriculture, and senior UN emergency operations. His research demonstrates that governance is the primary structural determinant of environmental health outcomes across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Dr. Maher has led WHO EMRO’s response to conflict-related environmental health emergencies, including petroleum infrastructure crises, and has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications on climate, health security, and emergency preparedness.