Devex: Priorities for the next WHO director general
“The next director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, will have his work cut out for him when he takes the helm. Even before the election, government, business, and civil society leaders were weighing in on what the priorities of the next director general should be. From restoring faith in WHO, to updating and upgrading systems, to improving transparency and coordination between local offices and headquarters, the recommendations can help form a roadmap, not just for Tedros’ first 100 days but for his critical first year in office and beyond…” (Saldinger, 5/25).

Devex: Tedros’ fundraising strategy for WHO, global health
“Ensuring a well-funded World Health Organization is one of the biggest responsibilities — and headaches — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will have to bear in the next five years when he officially takes over as director general of WHO in July. … WHO, he said, is the ‘leader of the global health agenda’ and therefore should look at raising funding not just for its own programs, but also for multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to Fight HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, whose programs help fill gaps in health financing and service delivery in countries…” (Ravelo, 5/25).

STAT: ‘The clock is ticking’: WHO’s next chief faces sobering challenges
“…Huge challenges face Tedros … when he takes over the embattled global health agency’s top job on July 1. Those problems don’t all boil down to inadequate funding — and threatened funding cuts from the WHO’s second largest donor, the U.S. government. But the question of how to secure the cash the agency needs to do the job expected of it is pretty much top of the list, people familiar with the organization and its troubles said…” (Branswell, 5/25).

U.N. News Centre: ‘All roads should lead to universal health care,’ says new WHO chief
“The newly elected head of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, outlined his priorities for journalists at the agency’s headquarters [Wednesday] in Geneva, where he stressed the need for Member States to provide health care for all and to implement international health regulations. … He said that another major issue was regaining confidence in Member States and ensuring the best use of their contributions…” (5/24).