What the FAQ: Why is WHO Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus most likely to win a second term?

Since the Coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, some names and faces have stood out in the public eye for guiding the world through this difficult time. One such name is that of the World Health Organization chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has chaired numerous WHO press briefings regarding COVID for more than two years. He is all set to remain the head of the WHO for another term after a procedural vote made him the sole nominee for a leadership election in May.

How is the WHO Chief decided?
The election process begins when member states, through a circular letter sent by the WHO Secretariat, are invited to submit proposals for candidates for the post of Director-General. This time, the invitation was sent in April 2021 and the deadline to submit proposals closed on September 23, 2021. 

Following this, the WHO Board interviews the proposed candidates and decides by a secret ballot on the nomination. Ghebreyesus won this vote on Tuesday, approving his nomination as the only candidate for the post of Director-General. His nomination will be submitted to the 75 World Health Assembly in May 2022, which will most likely appoint him as next Director-General by secret ballot.

When did Ghebreyesus take charge of the office?
On May 23, 2017, the member states of the WHO elected Ghebreyesus as the new Director-General. He was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia and began his five-year term on July 1, 2017. Ghebreyesus is the first African leader of the UN health agency, he succeeded Dr Margaret Chan, who was the WHO’s Director-General since 2007.

How many times can one person hold the WHO's top post?
A Director-General can be re-appointed once. Therefore, Ghebreyesus, the incumbent Director-General, is eligible for a second term of five years. His predecessor, Chan, was also reappointed in 2012.

Who was Ghebreyesus before the WHO?
He was the Ethiopian Minister of Health and Foreign Affairs and is now expected to be re-elected as WHO chief when all 194 WHO member states cast their ballots in May. While most African countries have been pleased with the efforts of his relentless campaign for poorer nations to receive a fair share of COVID-19 vaccines, Ghebreyesus has faced opposition from his home country. 

Tedros, an ethnic Tigrayan, has come under new criticism from Ethiopia’s government, which has been fighting armed fighters in Tigray, for his comments on Twitter and elsewhere that condemned Ethiopia’s blockade of international access to Tigray. Ghebreyesus had said that the WHO had not been allowed to send any humanitarian aid to the region since July last year and has called for “unfettered” humanitarian access to Tigray, whose people are facing enormous hunger amid the war.