Professor Richard Laing is an experienced physician who, for 18 years, worked in the Ministry of Health Zimbabwe at all levels. Having obtained post graduate degrees in public health and health policy, Professor Laing then spent 13 years in Boston, MA, USA.
In Boston, Professor Laing worked for an international consulting company and helped to establish the International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD). He then became a professor of international public health at Boston University School of Public Health.
In mid-2003, Professor Laing joined World Health Organization (WHO) as a medical officer. He has served on multiple WHO Expert Committees and is responsible for editing the ‘Essential Drugs Monitor’, while also coordinating training and research related to promoting rational use of drugs in the community.
Professor Laing has published an extensive list of academic publications and is one of the editors and authors of the standard text ‘Managing Drug Supply’. He is also one of the authors of the ‘Priority Medicines for Europe and World’ report, and the editor of the ‘World Medicines Situation 2011’ report.
Most recently, Professor Laing has been working on measurement of medicines pricing and availability as part of the joint WHO/Health Action International (HAI) project on medicine prices. He is currently the Coordinator for Medicines Information and Evidence for Policy Unit.
Professor Laing retired from his WHO position on 27 December 2013 and holds a position at the Department of International Health, Boston University, USA, starting from 15 March 2014.