Tedros WHO Secretary-General Confirmed for Second Term... Term Until 2027

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has led the World Health Organization (WHO) during the COVID-19 pandemic, has succeeded in his reappointment, extending his term until 2027.

On the 24th (local time), WHO announced that Tedros's re-election was confirmed through a vote by 194 member countries at the World Health Assembly, the highest decision-making body. The election was held with Tedros as the sole candidate. Although the voting results were not officially disclosed, Karl Lauterbach, Germany's Minister of Health, tweeted that Tedros received 155 out of 160 valid votes.

Tedros, who previously served as Ethiopia's Minister of Health and Foreign Affairs, was elected in 2017 as the first African to lead the WHO. He faced challenges while leading the WHO through the COVID-19 crisis, which was first reported in China at the end of 2019. In the early stages of the pandemic, he was criticized for allegedly defending China, which was suspected as the virus's origin.

In his speech immediately after re-election, Tedros stated that his second term would focus on preparing for other health emergencies like COVID-19 and reforming the organization. He emphasized, "This pandemic is truly unprecedented and has taught us many lessons," adding that he will continue to learn without stopping.

Addressing the health crisis in Ukraine, which has been thrown into turmoil by Russia's invasion, and raising the COVID-19 vaccination rate to over 70% in impoverished countries including those in Africa are also identified as immediate challenges. Additionally, the recent rapid spread of monkeypox, mainly in Europe and North America, is mentioned as a test of his crisis response capabilities during the second term.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.