The director-general of the World Health Organization is the chief executive officer of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the principal advisor to the United Nations on matters pertaining to global health. The director general is elected by and answers to the World Health Assembly (WHA). The current director-general is Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was appointed on 1 July 2017, and re-appointed on 24 May 2022. 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.Constitution of the World Health Organization Basic Documents, 45th edition, Supplement, October 2006 __TOC__
Selection process Candidates for director-general can be proposed by Member States, then nominated by the executive board and appointed by the World Health Assembly.
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.
The term of the director-general lasts for five years. A director-general can be re-appointed only once. The director-general is typically appointed in May, when the World Health Assembly meets.
List of directors-general of the World Health Organization
ImageNationality Name Tenure1 Canada Brock Chisholm 1948–19532 Brazil Marcolino Gomes Candau 1953–19733 Denmark Halfdan T. Mahler 1973–19884 Japan Hiroshi Nakajima 1988–19985 Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland 21 July 1998 – 28 January 20036 South Korea Lee Jong-wook 28 January 2003 – 23 May 2006 – Sweden Anders Nordström* 23 May 2006 – 9 November 20067 Hong Kong Margaret Chan 9 November 2006 – 30 June 20178 Ethiopia Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus 1 July 2017 – Incumbent*Appointed acting Director-General following the death of Lee Jong-wook while in office
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