Director-General of the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is led by a Director-General (DGWHO), who is appointed by and responsible to the World Health Assembly (WHA).[1] The current Director-General is Tedros Adhanom, who was appointed on 1 July 2017.[2]

Director-General of the World Health Organization
Incumbent
Tedros Adhanom
since 1 July 2017
Reports tothe World Health Assembly
Term length5 years, renewable
DeputyDeputy Director-General

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.[3]

The term of the DGWHO lasts for five years. Officeholders can be and have been appointed for multiple subsequent terms, such as Marcolino Gomes Candau who served for four consecutive terms. The DGWHO is typically appointed in May, when the WHA meets.

List of Directors-General
Directors-General of the WHO[4]
Name and nationality Years of tenure
Brock Chisholm1948–1953
Marcolino Gomes Candau1953–1973
Halfdan T. Mahler1973–1988
Hiroshi Nakajima1988–1998
Gro Harlem Brundtland1998–2004
Lee Jong-wook2004–2006
Anders Nordström*2006–2007
Margaret Chan2007–2017
Tedros Adhanom2017–present
*Appointed acting Director-General following the death of Lee Jong-wook while in office

References
  1. "WHO Governance". WHO.
  2. "World Health Assembly elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as new WHO Director-General". WHO.
  3. "World Health Organization Director-General selection: frequently asked questions". WHO. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  4. "Former Directors-General". who.int. WHO. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
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