The Lancet: WHO AFRO: in need of new leadership
Editorial Board

“Although now is not the time for a detailed review of the failures that led to the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, enough is known to say that WHO’s Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) failed catastrophically in its mandate to monitor emerging health threats on the continent and to signal those threats to the wider international community. … Senior WHO leaders have expressed fears that the failure of its Regional Office puts the credibility of the entire organization at risk. The upcoming election of a new Regional Director for WHO AFRO in Cotonou, Benin, is therefore of more than passing interest. The election of a competent, respected, politically skilled, and technically able leader is a critical test for the agency…” (11/1).