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Former Ethiopian Health Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been elected the new Director-General of the World Health Organisation, an election keenly watched by pro-health and patient advocacy groups.
Nominated by the Ethiopian government, Tedros, as he is reportedly known as, will take charge in July, for a five-year term. He takes over from Margaret Chan who in her two-term stint since January 2007 oversaw global public health crises such as H1N1 (swine flu) and Ebola, more recently. The election is the first where all WHO member-states participated in the voting process. And from five candidates the list narrowed down to three contenders selected by the WHO Executive Board in January.
As the top man at WHO, Tedros will have to tackle challenges like the spread of the Zika virus and Ebola alongside existing public health concerns like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, to name a few. Multi-government efforts are underway for newer vaccines, even as pro-health groups seek to keep the pharma industry away being able to push their agenda, and this is fine line the WHO will have to carefully tread. On a personal note, Tedros has worn different hats including that of Ethiopia's Foreign Affairs Minister (2012-2016) and Health Minister (2005-2012). He has also served as chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; as chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board, and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
The DG-elect had “led a comprehensive reform effort of the country's health system, including the expansion of the country’s health infrastructure, creating 3500 health centres and 16 000 health posts; expanded the health workforce by 38 000 health extension workers; and initiated financing mechanisms to expand health insurance coverage,” a WHO note said, after he was elected.
But the new chief also has his critics and foreign media reports link him to cover-ups of the cholera epidemic in his country to prevent international isolation, a charge he has denied.
The attention though will now shift to the priorities that the WHO chalks out to steer public health across the globe, as its first chief from Africa readies to take charge in little over a month from now.
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