Krech, Rüdiger

World Health Organization

Dr Rüdiger Krech is the Director of the Department of Health Promotion at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva since September 2019. He heads WHO's work on risk factors such as tobacco consumption and harmful use of alcohol; he is responsible for work on health-promoting settings and programs for more physical activity. In addition to the normative work, his team supports Member States with appropriate health promotion instruments, such as health literacy, empowerment and community engagement, public health legislation and fiscal measures to design well-being societies. Prior to this, Dr Krech was Director of Universal Health Coverage and Health Systems and played a key role in placing this issue on the global health agenda. From 2009-2014, Dr Krech was the Director of Social Determinants of Health, Human Rights, Ethics and Equity. Prior to joining WHO, Mr Krech worked at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GiZ), where he developed and implemented the Social Protection agenda for Germany's development cooperation, and at the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, where he was Head of Unit for Healthy Ageing.  Dr Krech studied educational science and human medicine and was one of the first public health (MPH) graduates of a German university in 1991. He was awarded a doctorate in public health (DrPH) at the University of Bielefeld. Mr Krech is married and has three adult daughters.