World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been nominated for a second term by its executive board.
Dr Tedros will be the only candidate for the election in May.
No WHO director general has had a rougher ride than him – the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenges of persuading China to share information, the harsh criticism from former US President Donald Trump, who cut funding and took the US out of the WHO claiming it was too close to Beijing.
US President Joe Biden has reversed those decisions, but huge challenges remain – the pandemic still rages, millions remain unvaccinated, there is an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual abuse by WHO staff tackling Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Dr Tedros has been criticised by his native Ethiopia for demanding humanitarian access to Tigray, which has been affected by conflict.
But he clearly wants another five years – perhaps to guide the world to the end of the pandemic, and to steer through reform of the WHO.
