By Asma’u Ahmad
The Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has selected three candidates to be presented to World Health Assembly as nominees for the post of Director-General.
The nominees are Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, of Ethiopia, Dr. David Nabarro of United Kingdon and a Pakistani, Dr. Sania Nishtar.
Five candidates were interviewed by Member States prior to the vote today, after which the three nominees were announced at a public meeting this evening.
All Member States will choose among the three nominees at the World Health Assembly in May 2017.
The new Director-General will take office on July 1, to succeed the current DG, Dr. Margaret Chan.
Ethiopian Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a public health expert, was the Minister of Health from 2005 to 2012, and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2016.
He is an internationally recognised malaria researcher and has received commendations for a number of ‘innovative and system-wide health reforms that substantially improved access to health services and key outcomes in Ethopia.’
If he emerges winner, he would be the first WHO DG from the African sub region.
Nigerian Professor Adeoye Lambo, was deputy director-general from 1971 and 1988.
Dr. David Nabarro, an Englishman, is a physician and diplomat who currently serves as Special Adviser to the United Nations (UN) Secretary–General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change.
He is also leading the UN’s response to the cholera epidemic in Haiti; he had previously served as the Special Envoy on Ebola.
Dr. Sania Nishtar is a Pakistani Cardiologist and the founder and President of Heartfile, a health information-focused non-governmental organisation, which began in Pakistan in 1999.
She is also founder of Heartfile Health Financing, a programme that uses a customised IT platform and mobile phones to protect poor patients from medical impoverishment or foregoing health care.
Dr. Nishtar served as Pakistani Minister for Science and Technology, Education and Training, and Information Technology and Telecom during the 2013 caretaker government.
