Associated Press: 3 vie for top WHO post in U.N. health agency election
“A British physician, an Ethiopian former health minister, and a Pakistani expert in non-communicable diseases are the three finalists vying for the top job at the World Health Organization in an election on Tuesday, aspiring to land a key U.N. post that confers great power to set worldwide medical priorities — and great responsibility as the world’s go-to person when emergencies like Ebola, Zika, and SARS strike…” (5/20).

BBC News: Wanted: Top doctor to care for 7 billion people
“…Health ministers and officials from 194 countries are due to vote for a new director general of the World Health Organization in Geneva on Tuesday. … The new boss could make or break the WHO, which is still trying to prove it is fit for purpose after admitting it was slow to respond to what became the worst Ebola outbreak in history…” (Mazumdar, 5/21).

Devex: What we know as WHO heads into historic election
“…The director general, though bound by what member states want, still carries a weight of influence and authority in setting priorities, providing the right policies and guidance for important global health issues, and maneuvering a cadre of global health experts in addressing health threats and emergencies. He or she can choose to use the high-profile role to be an outspoken advocate, making the case for global health with publics around the world and pushing back on member states’ demands in order to control and reform the unwieldy agency…” (Ravelo, 5/19).

STAT: Behind closed doors, WHO prepares to elect its next leader
“…This election — the first time the WHO’s entire membership will be involved in selecting a director general — involves secret balloting. Few if any countries have tipped their hands about how they are casting their votes. … The U.S. government has not indicated who it is supporting for WHO director general…” (Branswell, 5/22).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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