Director-General of the World Health Organization

Chief executive officer of the World Health Organization

Director-General of the World Health Organization

Logo of the World Health Organization

Flag of the World Health Organization

Incumbent
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

since 1 July 2017

World Health Organization Secretariat
Style| Honourable
Status| Head of World Health
Member of| World Health Organization
Reports to| World Health Assembly
Nominator| Executive Board
Appointer| World Health Assembly
Term length| 5 years, renewable
Formation| 7 April 1948; 76 years ago (1948-04-07)
First holder| Brock Chisholm
Deputy| Deputy Director-General

The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) is the chief executive officer of the World Health Organization and the principal advisor to the United Nations on matters pertaining global health. The director general is elected by and answers to the World Health Assembly (WHA).[1] The current director-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was appointed on 1 July 2017,[2] and re-appointed on 24 May 2022.[3] The Director-General also leads the World Health Organization Secretariat and is also the ex-officio Secretary of the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization Executive Board, and of all commissions and committees, and conferences convened by the Organization.[4]

## Selection process

[edit]

Candidates for Director-General can be proposed by Member States, then nominated by the executive board and appointed by the World Health Assembly.[5]

The appointment process begins more than one year prior to the May vote, when the World Health Organization sends out a letter informing Member States that the nomination process has begun. The nomination period ends in mid-September, and candidates are announced at the end of October. If there are multiple candidates, the executive board of the World Health Organization — a panel of members from 34 member countries representing the various World Health Organization regions — interviews the nominees.[6]

The term of the Director-General lasts for five years. Office holders can be and have been appointed for multiple subsequent terms, such as Marcolino Gomes Candau who served for four consecutive terms. The Director-General is typically appointed in May, when the World Health Assembly meets.[citation needed]

## List of Directors-General of the World Health Organization

[edit]

Denotes service as acting director

No.[7] | Image  | Nationality  | Name  | Tenure

|
|
|
|

1 |  |  Canada | Brock Chisholm | 1948–1953
2 |  |  Brazil | Marcolino Gomes Candau | 1953–1973
3 |  |  Denmark | Halfdan T. Mahler | 1973–1988
4 |  |  Japan | Hiroshi Nakajima
中嶋 宏 | 1988–1998
5 |  |  Norway | Gro Harlem Brundtland | 21 July 1998 – 28 January 2003
6 |  |  South Korea | Lee Jong-wook
이종욱 | 28 January 2003 – 23 May 2006
– |  |  Sweden | Anders Nordström* | 23 May 2006 – 9 November 2006
7 |  |  Hong Kong | Margaret Chan
陳馮富珍 | 9 November 2006 – 30 June 2017
8 |  |  Ethiopia | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
ቴዎድሮስ አድሓኖም ገብረኢየሱስ | 2017–Incumbent
*Appointed acting Director-General following the death of Lee Jong-wook while in office

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "WHO Governance". WHO.
2. ^ "World Health Assembly elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as new WHO Director-General". WHO.
3. ^ "Tedros re-elected to lead the World Health Organization". UN News. 24 May 2022.
4. ^ Constitution of the World Health Organization Basic Documents, 45th edition, Supplement, October 2006 Archived 21 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "World Health Organization Director-General selection: frequently asked questions". WHO. Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
6. ^ Branswell, Helen (3 May 2021). "WHO's Tedros plans to seek reelection, setting up referendum on his leadership". STAT News.
7. ^ "Former Directors-General". who.int. WHO. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2012.

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Directors-General of the World Health Organization

* Chisholm
* Gomes
* Mahler
* Nakajima
* Brundtland
* Lee1
* Nordström2
* Chan
* Tedros

1 Died in office in 2006. 2 Acting Director-General.
*[No.]: Number
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