Photo credit: Nicola Baldwin

Richard Peeperkorn

In March 2021, Dr Rik Peeperkorn was appointed as WHO Representative in WHO's office for the West Bank and Gaza.

Rik Peeperkorn, MD, MPH, has been working for over 30 years in the field of international Public Health in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and has extensive experience with health systems strengthening, sector reforms, primary and referral health care, communicable and noncommunicable diseases, HIV-AIDS, and humanitarian support. 

From 2013 to 2021, Dr Peeperkorn was the WHO Representative to Afghanistan. WHO country support was focused on COVID-19, leading the "One United Nations" response, health systems, communicable and communicable diseases, nutrition, reproductive, maternal, neonatal child and adolescent health, gender-based violence, and humanitarian support. The humanitarian programme addressed health emergencies and outbreaks and polio eradication. In a country in conflict such as Afghanistan, this required ongoing, skilful negotiations with all parties at all levels.

Prior to joining WHO, Dr Peeperkorn was managing a large health and HIV-AIDS supported-programme portfolio in Tanzania (2005–2013) for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As Health Sector co-lead, he represented and coordinated many development partners vis-à-vis the Government of Tanzania, civil society organizations, private sector, and global initiatives.

Prior to his assignment in Tanzania, Dr Peeperkorn worked as Associate Director of the Country and Regional Support Department at UNAIDS in Geneva (2002–2005), where he was responsible for the conceptualization and establishment of the UNAIDS regional technical support facilities, mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in development instruments and sector programmes, policy advice and programme guidance.

From 1996 to 2002, Dr Peeperkorn served as Sector Specialist Health and HIV-AIDS for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Zambia and Malawi. Besides managing a comprehensive support programme in Zambia and Malawi, he played a guiding role in the health sector reforms processes in the framework of developing sector-wide approaches in both countries and co-developed and managed a regional HIV-AIDS programme for Southern Africa.

Previous to that (1986–1996) he held various positions with the United Nations and governments, in Zambia, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Lesotho and as a clinician with a University Hospital in the Netherlands.

Dr Peeperkorn’s specific interests are health systems and humanitarian support. He researched, directed, and co-produced a documentary film “Health Reforms at Work: Experiences with the Sector-Wide Approach in Zambia” (2004). Rik is a passionate soccer fan and, has a keen interest in modern history.

Dr Peeperkorn is a Dutch national. He is married and has a son.

Rik Peeperkorn received his MD from the University of Amsterdam (1986) and obtained his MPH from Johns Hopkins University-School of Public Health (1992).