Both the voting process and the event itself were held virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Instead of watching candidates give presentations during the meeting, candidates posted bios, CVs and videos on a digital platform which was used to inform voting decisions. Votes were then held online. While the process was new, what was the same was the spirit of cooperation in the name of the bleeding disorders community shown by everyone who took part.
The Annual Meeting of the General Assembly marked the completion of Alain Weill’s second mandate as WFH President. Cesar Garrido was voted in as the new President of the WFH. His mandate starts immediately, and Hemophilia World will be bringing you more news on Garrido’s experience and his objectives as President in the coming days.
There were other changes to the board of directors: two medical member and three lay member positions were up for election. The following is the list of new members voted into the WFH board of directors during the WFH 2020 Annual Meeting of the General Assembly:
| Position | Name | Term |
|---|---|---|
| President | Cesar Garrido, (America South) | Four years |
| Medical Member | Miguel Escobar, (America North) | Four years |
| Cedric Hermans, (Europe West) | Four years | |
| Lay Member | Carlos Safadi Marquez, (America South) | Four years |
| Clive Smith, (Europe West) | Two years | |
| Megan Adediran, (Africa) | Four years |
Twelve organizations were accredited as full national member organizations (NMOs) or associate NMOs, bringing the total number of WFH NMOs to 147. WFH Associate NMOs representing El Salvador, Maldives, Mali, and Zambia all became full NMOs. Organizations from Angola, Botswana, Djibouti, Fiji, Kosovo, Malta, Republic of the Congo and Rwanda became associate NMOs. The WFH is proud to welcome these new organizations into the WFH.
Twelve organizations were accredited as The WFH would like to thank the departing board members—Alain Weill, Magdy El Ekiaby, Deon York, Ampaiwan Chuansumrit and Vincent Dumez—for their hard work and dedication in the name of Treatment for All.