H.E. DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS — Together for a healthier world at the World Health Organization.

In May of 2017, the member states of the World Health Organization will vote to elect its new leader — a Director General who will replace current DG Margaret Chan starting in July. Three candidates out of a field of 6 from across the world are currently left in the race. Here’s why Dr. Tedros, the former Health Minister from Ethiopia is not only the most qualified, but the best prepared to take the role. When he wins, Dr. Tedros will be the first African in the WHO’s 70 year history to take the helm of the world’s chief health agency:

Over three decades, Dr. Tedros has developed a unique mix of political leadership and hands-on public health experience. He has been a distinguished leader who has saved and improved lives in Africa and around the world. He has first-hand experience improving health outcomes in a country and region hardest hit by many of the world’s biggest health challenges. As Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, his comprehensive agenda of reform dramatically transformed the country’s health system, positively improving the lives of millions of Ethiopians. His global leadership on malaria, HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health has also been immensely impactful.

It is through Dr. Tedros’ inclusive, engaging and decisive leadership — as well as his community and hands-on experience — that he has been able to bring health care closer to communities, respond to health outbreaks and emergencies, improve the health and well-being of women and children, invest in people, and spearhead innovative reforms to finance infrastructure and data systems.

Access to Healthcare

Dr. Tedros learned and demonstrated what it takes to increase access to health care with limited resources and community engagement, using primary health care as a platform. Under his leadership, Ethiopia invested in critical health infrastructure, expanded the health workforce and initiated pioneering financing mechanisms. These reforms helped expand health care access to tens of millions of Ethiopians, setting Ethiopia on a path to sustain and build on this success.

• Heath Service Delivery: Dr. Tedros invested in the creation of 3,500 health centres and 16,000 health posts to improve access to basic health care across the country. This decision played a key role in reducing child mortality by two-thirds, HIV infections by 90%, malaria mortality by 75% and mortality from tuberculosis by 64%.

• Health Extension Programme: Dr. Tedros oversaw the training and deployment of 38,000 health extension workers as civil servants, which created a community-based and community-driven system with women at the core. The work of these health extension workers is complemented through the engagement of nearly 3 million women — called the health development army –who facilitate uptake of critical health services and locally-tailored behaviour change campaigns at the local level. This innovative Health Extension Programme has been replicated in more than a dozen countries across the continent.

• Health workforce: Dr. Tedros prioritised training and skill building, leading to seven-fold increase in the number of health professionals from 16,500 to 115,000; and an increase in training capacity from three medical schools training 120 doctors per year, to 33 schools training 3,000 per year. In addition, Dr. Tedros was a pioneer of task shifting. For example, the task shifting of caesarean sections to the non-physician category of health workers played a critical role in addressing maternal mortality in Ethiopia.

• Health information system: Dr. Tedros was instrumental in transforming Ethiopia’s health information system and health data collection and use capacities. Under his leadership, the Ministry of Health developed an integrated, household-based health information management system that documents the health history of each family member. This resulted in significant improvements in data collection, monitoring and evaluation.

• Health system financing and governance: Dr. Tedros laid the foundation for the introduction of health insurance schemes in Ethiopia that provide people in both the formal and informal sectors with full coverage of health services at any domestic facility without cost ceiling. Beyond this, Ethiopia was the first country sign a global compact with the International Health Partnership that increased country ownership and encouraged more effective donor harmonisation. Dr. Tedros also helped establish the pooled MDG Health Fund and facilitated the allocation of ear-marked and disease-specific funding to address the pressing needs of the broader health system.

• Access to essential medicines: Recognizing the urgent need to address Ethiopia’s inadequate pharmaceutical services and recurrent stock-outs of essential medicines, Dr. Tedros helped to establish Ethiopia’s Pharmaceutical Supply Fund Agency, which instituted transparent and accountable business processes and helped to ensure the availability of a reliable supply of affordable, quality-assured medicines.

Today, thanks to Dr. Tedros’ leadership, Ethiopia stands as a global model for effective health system reform and governance, and as an inspirational story of successful African-led development.

International Health Initiatives

Dr. Tedros undoubtedly understands the value of partnerships and the power of relationships, and he has shown impressive leadership at countless international organisations. Key successes include:

• Board Chair, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Dr. Tedros helped to successfully transform the Global Fund’s operations. Under his chairmanship, the organisation secured a record- breaking US$11.69 billion in pledges during its third replenishment.
• Board Chair, Roll Back Malaria Partnership: During his two terms, Dr. Tedros mobilised a record US$3 billion to support malaria programmes around the world. Under his leadership, the partnership created the Global Malaria Action Plan, expanding the organisation’s reach beyond Africa to Asia and Latin America.
• Board Co-Chair, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health: While co-chairing an alliance of more than 700 organisations in 75 countries, Dr. Tedros helped raise the profile of maternal and child health among global audiences and mobilise greater resources.
• Chair, UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board: Dr. Tedros helped dramatically increase country ownership for HIV prevention.

Global Health Diplomacy

As Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012–2016, Dr. Tedros used his proven political, diplomatic and negotiation skills to continue championing global health priorities both nationally and internationally. Notably, he was instrumental in the African Union (AU)’s response to the Ebola epidemic, helping to shift the focus towards greater country ownership and to create a platform for countries to engage. Ethiopia played a significant role in the response effort, sending 200 health workers to join the AU team.

Dr. Tedros also clearly demonstrated his skills as a consensus builder when he successfully helped bring together 193 UN Member States to agree to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2015. This agenda is a historic milestone, forging a global partnership to finance and achieve the SDGs, including those related to health.

In 2012, under his leadership as Minister of Health, the Government of Ethiopia also partnered with the Governments of India and the United States on the historic Child Survival Call to Action to end preventable child and maternal deaths, targets of which are now enshrined in the SDGs.

Education, Research and Scholarship

Dr. Tedros holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Health from the University of Nottingham and a Master of Science (MSc) in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the University of London (UK).

Dr. Tedros is a globally recognised health scholar and researcher and has first-hand experience in research, operations and leadership in dealing with emergency responses to epidemics. Dr. Tedros believes human capital is central in any organisation or health system and has been a champion of human resources for health. In fact, he co-edited the widely acclaimed book “The Labor Market for Health Workers in Africa: A New Look at the Crisis,” which challenged established views on the migration of doctors from Africa. He has also contributed several book chapters on important topics, including how to manage health partnerships through country ownership.

In 1999, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene recognised him as the Young Investigator of the Year for his community-based research on malaria incidence among children living near dams in northern Ethiopia, which was published in the British Medical Journal. Beyond this, Dr. Tedros has published numerous other peer-reviewed articles in prominent scientific publications. In 2011, Dr. Tedros became the first non-American recipient of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award, in recognition of his contributions to the field of public health. Dr. Tedros was named as one of the ’50 People Who Will Change the World’ by the UK Wired Magazine in 2012 and as one of the ‘100 Most influential Africans’ by New African Magazine in 2015. In 2016, he received the Award for Perseverance from Women Deliver, in recognition of his contributions to women’s health.

Dr. Tedros’ candidacy for WHO Director-General is officially endorsed by the African Union. He would be the first WHO Director-General from Africa in the organisation’s nearly 70-year history.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is former minister for health, Ethiopia, and is a candidate for the upcoming election of the next Director General of the World Health Organization. The election will take place May 23rd at the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

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