On the 23rd of May 2017, Ethiopia’s former health minister, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was finally elected to replace outgoing Margaret Chan as Director-General of the World Health Organisation outfit after three rounds of voting.

He went up against two other shortlisted candidates – the United Kingdom’s David Nabarro and a Pakistani physician, Dr Sania Nishtar. Dr Nabarro was considered Tedros Adhanom’s main challenger.

At the voting ground, a former health minister tweeted that Dr Tedros got votes that passed the over 66 percent required to be declared the winner.

The voting proceedings took place at the World Health Assembly, which is the decision-making body of WHO during its annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The assembly was attended by all WHO Member States and focused on a health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.

Dr Tedros, a Public Health Specialist, has become the first African to hold the position in nearly seven decades of the WHO’s existence. He is also the first non-physician to take up the office.

Prior to his election as WHO’s next Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia from 2012-2016 and as Minister of Health, Ethiopia from 2005-2012.

He has also served as chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; as chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board, and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

However, during the course of his campaign, notable Africans took to their social media handles to promote Dr Tedros’s candidature.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, issued the continent’s rallying push for the Ethiopian ex-minister in a tweet on Monday, May 22, 2017.

Mr Faki Mahamat alluded to the strength of Africa when it unites, in reference to the fact that the continent was united behind the candidature of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“When Africa speaks with one voice, she wins. Africa is united for Dr Tedros,” the AUC chief’s tweet read.

Also, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, took to Twitter to endorse Dr Tedros, describing him as a talented Ethiopian public servant who saved millions of lives and achieved incredible health gains for his country, adding that the world should be united behind him as Africa is.

The resultant effect of these accolades is part of the benefits that Dr Tedros will hopefully reap in his newly elected position because precedence has shown him as an able leader and reformer in the health sector that has the backing of his continent. It is against this backdrop that Africans will henceforth seek to portray and positively talk about its efforts in building a better nation for her citizens. Though plagued with so many setbacks, the idea of uniting and celebrating a common goal has proven to be worthwhile.

Even though a last-minute attack on the candidacy of Dr Ghebreyesus raised questions about whether wealthy Western powers were prepared to accept African leadership of global health institutions, as he was accused of covering up some epidemic outbreaks in his country during his tenure as a minister, Africans stood firm in her decision.

Having a goal to expand the funding base of the WHO and increase member states’ contribution is no small task for WHO’s next Director-General because Member States have been reluctant to give the UN organisation core funding and much of its income has been tied to specific projects, giving it less flexibility.

Tangerine
Tangerine
Tangerine

Elsewhere on Ventures

Triangle arrow