Trump names health official as US representative for WHO executive board

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump nominated Assistant Secretary of Health Brett Giroir as US representative to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), the White House said on Wednesday.

The nomination has been sent to the Senate, said a statement issued by the White House.

The WHO Executive Board consists of 34 technically qualified members in the field of health, who serve for three-year terms, said the WHO website.

The United States currently does not have a representative on the board, the website said.

The nomination came amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the United States. According to the lastest update by Johns Hopkins University, there are currently more than 9,077 confirmed cases and 145 deaths related to the coronavirus in the country.