WHO Director-General Candidate Tedros Adhanom Discusses Leadership Credentials, Vision For Agency

The Huffington Post: My commitment to ensuring a strong, coordinated, global response to health emergencies
Tedros Adhanom, minister and special adviser to the prime minister of Ethiopia, and candidate for WHO director general

“…Strong leadership is essential in the face of health crises. Complex public health emergencies demand a collective response with high-level political and diplomatic engagement at both the national and global levels. Local and international authorities must work together to put health at the center of their security, economic, and development agendas. … Two weeks remain before the Member States of the WHO Executive Board convene to short-list the top three candidates for director general. I am running because WHO has the power to make tangible and positive impact[s] on the lives of billions of people. I believe in WHO’s mandate, I know what it takes to serve those who need the most care yet receive the least, and I believe I can lead WHO to fulfill its potential. First, I am passionate about improving the health of people around the world … Second, I have proven experience addressing the greatest health challenges of our time at their roots at both the national and international levels. … Third, having served as Ethiopia’s minister of health and minister of foreign affairs — as well as in several board leadership positions — I have the political leadership and diplomatic skills that WHO needs. … I truly believe that together we can create a healthier world” (1/15).

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