Devex: And the top 3 WHO director general candidates are …
“After a full day of closed-door sessions, the World Health Organization’s Executive Board at last announced its three director general nominees set to face election in May. Ethiopia’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Pakistan’s Sania Nishtar, and Britain’s David Nabarro made the cut, with the results released in Geneva on Wednesday evening…” (Ravelo, 1/25).

POLITICO: Three candidates from three continents vie to be next global health chief
“…Two other candidates, both of them European — Italy’s Flavia Bustreo and France’s Philippe Douste-Blazy — were eliminated after just one round of voting at the WHO’s annual board meeting. All the candidates were interviewed in a closed-door, day-long session with country representatives gathered in Geneva…” (Huet, 1/26).

Reuters: WHO seeks new leader to rebuild damaged reputation
“…The next WHO chief will replace Margaret Chan, who took over its reins 10 years ago and came under fire for the agency’s sluggish reaction to the Ebola epidemic, which spread across one of the world’s poorest regions, killing thousands of people. Chan’s second five-year term ends on June 30…” (Nebehay, 1/25).

STAT: World Health Organization names nominees to lead global agency
“…Tedros — a former health and foreign affairs minister from Ethiopia, he is known by his first name — has the support of the African Union, potentially a bloc of 54 votes at the World Health Assembly. His is the only non-physician among the candidates; he has a PhD in community health. Nabarro has spent much of his career in first the WHO and then the United Nations. He is currently the special adviser to the U.N. secretary general on sustainable development and climate change. Nishtar is a former health minister from Pakistan with extensive experience both nationally and internationally in the civil society sector” (Branswell, 1/25).