World Health Organization Secretariat announcement regarding the election of the next WHO Director-General

The Director-General is WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer

The appointment of the next Director-General of the World Health Organization will take place at the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly in May 2022 (WHA75). The Director-General is WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer. The election process began when Member States, through a circular letter sent by the WHO Secretariat in April 2021,…

Football champion Didier Drogba appointed World Health Organization Ambassador for Sports and Health

Mr Drogba, well known for his football career at Chelsea and as a two-time African Footballer of the Year (2006 and 2009), has a long track record of participating in various health campaigns

Football legend Didier Drogba was today announced as the World Health Organization's Goodwill Ambassador for Sport and Health. Drogba, from Côte d’Ivoire, will support WHO to promote the Organization’s guidance on the benefits of physical activity and other healthy lifestyles, and highlight the value of sports, particularly for youth. Mr…

WHO Executive Board appoints directors for Africa and Europe

Re-appointed Dr Matshidiso Moeti for a second term as WHO Regional Director for Africa

The WHO Executive Board, currently holding its 146th session in Geneva, has re-appointed Dr Matshidiso Moeti for a second term as WHO Regional Director for Africa and Dr Hans Kluge as Regional Director for Europe in his first term. Re-election of the Regional Director for Africa “I am greatly honoured…

Winning community trust in Ebola control

Recent armed attacks in Beni, Biakato and Mangina threaten the efforts made to control the spread of the virus in the hotspots

“Why is Ebola taking so long to end?” a fierce-looking man in a community meeting outside Butembo town in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) wants to know. Listening to community concerns such as these, Hamadou Boiro, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) social anthropologists team leader,…

Dr Ahmed Salim Saif Al Mandhari nominated as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean

WHO's Special Session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, held today in Geneva, has nominated Dr Ahmed Salim Saif Al Mandhari from Oman as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, to be formally appointed by the WHO Executive Board during its 143rd session from 28 to 29…

World Health Assembly Elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as New WHO Director-General

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, and will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017.

Today the Members States of the World Health Organization (WHO) elected Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the new Director-General of WHO.   Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, and will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017. Prior to his election as WHO’s next…

Election process for the new WHO Director-General

The Government of Ethiopia has submitted the nomination of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Six candidates have been proposed by Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the position of WHO Director-General.  Member States proposed the following candidates: ·         The Government of Ethiopia has submitted the nomination of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; ·         The Government of Italy has submitted the nomination of…

WHO welcomes appointment of Chair-elect of Gavi Board Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Statement by WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan

The World Health Organization welcomes the appointment of the Chair-elect of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She will take up the position of Chair from January 2016. Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a renowned development economist and former Nigerian Finance Minister. She brings more than 33 years…