Five candidates in race to succeed Tedros as WHO chief as nominations close

Nominations for the next head of the World Health Organization have closed with five candidates in the running to succeed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as Director-General, the agency's website showed.

The applicants come from five countries. They are Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari of Qatar, a former health minister; Hanan Balkhy of Saudi Arabia, a physician who heads the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean office; Hans Kluge of Belgium, a physician and the WHO's regional director for Europe; Maria Neira of Spain, a physician and epidemiologist who previously served as a WHO director; and Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Indonesia's health minister.

The process now moves to a candidates' forum scheduled for November, where the contenders are expected to set out their positions. The WHO's Executive Board will then shortlist up to three candidates in January 2027.

Tedros has led the global health agency since 2017, a tenure that included the COVID-19 pandemic as well as outbreaks of Ebola and mpox. During his time in office, the agency's then top donor, Washington, ordered an exit in 2025, with President Donald Trump accusing the WHO of mishandling COVID — a claim the organisation denies.