GPEI Welcomes New Director-General of WHO

The World Health Assembly has elected Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the new Director-General of the World Health Organization

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus waving at the Assembly Hall, after he was elected as the next WHO Director-General. Photo: WHO/L. Cipriani

The Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) have elected Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia as the new Director-General of WHO, at the 70^th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) welcomes the Director-General-elect, and looks forward to working with him to achieve our goal of a polio-free world. As the new head of WHO, Dr Tedros will join the heads of the other core GPEI agencies on the Polio Oversight Board to achieve polio eradication and will oversee the effective transition to a post-polio world.

GPEI gratefully acknowledges the support outgoing Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, has given the polio programme. As Director-General, Dr. Chan has been a driving force in the progress towards eradication.

In her last address as Director-General at the World Health Assembly, Dr Chan named polio eradication as one of the initiatives she most wants to succeed, “…the world has never been so close. We must keep up our efforts to make eradication a reality.”

Dr Tedros will succeed the current Director-General on 1 July, 2017.