Director-General of the World Health Organization

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) is the chief executive officer of the World Health Organization and the principal advisor to the United Nations on matters pertaining global health. The director general is elected by and answers to the World Health Assembly (WHA).[1] The current director-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was appointed on 1 July 2017,[2] and re-appointed on 24 May 2022.[3] The Director-General also leads the WHO Secretariat and is also the ex-officio Secretary of the World Health Assembly, the WHO Executive Board, and of all commissions and committees, and conferences convened by the Organization.[4]

Director-General of the World Health Organization
Incumbent
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
since 1 July 2017
StyleDirector-General
TypePhD
StatusChief administrative officer
Reports toWorld Health Assembly
Term length5 years, renewable
DeputyDeputy Director-General

Selection process

Candidates for Director-General can be proposed by Member States, then nominated by the Executive Board and appointed by the World Health Assembly.[5]

The appointment process begins more than one year prior to the May vote, when the WHO sends out a letter informing Member States that the nomination process has begun. The nomination period ends in mid-September, and candidates are announced at the end of October. If there are multiple candidates, the executive board of the WHO — a panel of members from 34 member countries representing the various WHO regions — interviews the nominees.[6]

The term of the Director-General lasts for five years. Office holders can be and have been appointed for multiple subsequent terms, such as Marcolino Gomes Candau who served for four consecutive terms. The Director-General is typically appointed in May, when the WHA meets.

Flag of the World Health Organization
Logo of the World Health Organization

List of Directors-General of the WHO
No.[7] Image Name and nationality Tenure
1 Brock Chisholm1948–1953
2 Marcolino Gomes Candau1953–1973
3 Halfdan T. Mahler1973–1988
4 Hiroshi Nakajima1988–1998
5 Gro Harlem Brundtland1998–2003
6 Lee Jong-wook2003–2006
– Anders Nordström*2006–2006
7 Margaret Chan2006–2017
8 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus2017–Incumbent
*Appointed acting Director-General following the death of Lee Jong-wook while in office

References
  1. "WHO Governance". WHO.
  2. "World Health Assembly elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as new WHO Director-General". WHO.
  3. "Tedros re-elected to lead the World Health Organization". UN News. 24 May 2022.
  4. Constitution of the World Health Organization Basic Documents, 45th edition, Supplement, October 2006 Archived 21 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "World Health Organization Director-General selection: frequently asked questions". WHO. Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  6. Branswell, Helen (3 May 2021). "WHO's Tedros plans to seek reelection, setting up referendum on his leadership". STAT News.
  7. "Former Directors-General". who.int. WHO. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
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