Five Questions with HE Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

(Planet Earth Institute)–This week, as part of PEI’s interview series with the shortlisted candidates for Director General of the World Health Organization, PEI had the chance speak to HE Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopia’s candidate. Dr. Tedros spoke articulately about his desire of achieving universal health care, his experience addressing a chronic shortage of health workers when he was Minister of Health in Ethiopia, and the need to strengthen health systems, among other issues.

1) Why do you want to be Director General of the World Health Organization, and how does Africa feature in your world view?

HE Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: I want to be Director General of the WHO for three reasons. First, I have a deep-rooted passion for global health. I envision a world where everyone can lead healthy and productive lives regardless of who they are or where they live. Second, I believe in the power and potential of the WHO to drive change and push toward the goal of achieving universal health care. Third, I am uniquely qualified with the required technical, diplomatic and political skills, a track record of addressing the greatest health challenges of our time at their roots, and driving change and getting results, both nationally and internationally through reforming bureaucracies.

I am inspired by the energy, progress and potential of Africa just as I am inspired by the progress we have made in other regions. I have witnessed this first hand as Chair of the Executive Council of the African Union. Here, I facilitated the drafting of Agenda 2063, a global, strategic framework aimed at accelerating Africa’s economic, political and social development through regional cooperation and solidarity. This framework offers an enormous opportunity to put universal health care front and center in the political agenda in Africa and improve the lives of Africans.

Our efforts to advance universal health care can build on the tremendous progress made and experiences gained in the last two decades tackling HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and child and maternal mortality. We also need to strengthen primary health care systems with integrated community engagement to address communicable and non- communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, and injuries. These efforts will help not only to deliver evidence-based health promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services, but also to enhance prevention, detection, and response and recovery efforts for health emergencies such as the Ebola crisis. I believe I have the political acumen and technical competence to lead and assist in this process – and it’s the progress I’ve seen in Africa and other regions that continues to inspire me to want to do more.

Read “Five Questions with HE Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus” at Planet Earth Institute
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