WHO elects new director-general
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, will be the first African and first non-physician director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) when he takes over for Margaret Chan, MD, on July 1.
As STAT reports, the man who goes by his first name, Tedros, beat out other contenders from Pakistan and the United Kingdom after three ballots at the World Health Assembly—the first the WHO director-general was selected by member countries rather than the group’s executive board. In his acceptance speech, Tedros said he would focus on making the WHO more efficient and accountable, after it was criticized for a poor response to the 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus.
“I hear you and I will act on your messages,” he said. “Let’s get to work for a healthier world.”
Tedros served as Ethiopia’s health minister from 2005 to 2012 and was applauded for his work on boosting vaccination rates in a country with limited resources.
However, he has been criticized for how he handled outbreaks of disease in his own country. Read more at the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.