WHO names seven candidates for its next director-general

The nominees are Qatar's Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Saudi Arabia's Hanan Balkhy, Belgium's Hans Henri P. Kluge, Spain's Maria P. Neira, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, China's Li Song and Armenian pediatric oncologist Gevorg Tamamyan, who was nominated by Botswana, Anadolu Agency reported. Balkhy and Kluge are WHO regional directors for the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe.

The candidates will appear at a public forum in Geneva on November 18-19. The WHO Executive Board will narrow the field to five in early 2027 and nominate up to three, and the World Health Assembly is scheduled to make the appointment in May 2027.

Why it matters: The next director-general will lead the UN health agency, including its response to outbreaks such as the current Ebola epidemic.