Race For WHO Top Job
OpenLife News reports that the race to succeed World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has intensified after China entered the contest, expanding the field to seven countries jostling for the top job.
Beijing on Thursday nominated maternity health expert Song Li, head of the Department of Women and Child Health at China’s National Health Commission, with 21 years experience in women and children’s health policy.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the nomination “demonstrates China’s firm support for multilateralism” and “will help the organisation play a more active role in enhancing the health and well-being of all humanity.”Song is seeking to replace Tedros, whose second and final term ends in August 2027 under WHO.
China’s late entry comes after the September 24 nomination deadline and after the United States – WHO’s former largest donor – formally quit the organisation in January under President Donald Trump, who has long accused WHO of being a “puppet of China” during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The WHO will release the complete official list after final regional committee meetings in early November, but six countries had already made their nominees public on the WHO website before China’s announcement.
Countries in the contest
1. China – Song Li: Senior public health official, maternal and child health expert.
2. Qatar: Candidate yet to be detailed publicly.
3. Saudi Arabia – Hanan Balkhy: Physician with dual US-Saudi citizenship, seen as a potential bridge-builder with Washington.
4. Belgium.
5. Spain.
6. Indonesia – Budi Gunadi Sadikin: Health Minister, former banker with stints at IBM and Bank Mandiri, who led Indonesia’s 280 million-person COVID vaccination drive. He is the only non-physician in the race.
7. Botswana
If elected, Song Li would become the second Chinese national to lead the UN health agency after Margaret Chan, who led WHO between 2007 and 2017.
The election comes at a critical time for WHO, which has been forced into sweeping restructuring, cutting senior roles and thousands of jobs following the loss of US funding.
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