The Lancet: Offline: The tasks facing Dr. Tedros
Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet

“…WHO should focus on a ‘few big things’ rather than producing a long shopping list of undertakings. One overriding priority should be to remake the national investment case for health. At a time when most resources will come from domestic budgets rather than international aid, the case for health needs to be made in countries. It was alarming that national investments in health had mostly flatlined. … Tedros will receive a great deal of well-intentioned advice as he begins to rewrite WHO’s strategy for his skeptical executive board. It will be impossible to satisfy every demand made by member states. He should not try to do so. Tedros will be judged mainly on his ability to protect countries from unexpected epidemic outbreaks. Beyond that, he must choose what is necessary, tempered by what is possible” (12/9).