Not Supported By His Own Country, Tedros Adhanom Re-elected AS Head Of WHO

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Wikimedia Commons / Women Deliver)

JAKARTA - World Health Organization (WHO) member states re-elect Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as Director-General with a strong majority for another five years, the president of the World Health Assembly said on Tuesday.

The election by secret ballot, announced by Djibouti's Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh at a major annual meeting, was seen as a formality as Tedros was the only candidate running.

Ministers and delegates took turns shaking hands and hugging Tedros, the former health minister of Ethiopian origin, who has led the UN agency through turbulent times dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to the assembly immediately after his re-election, Tedros said the WHO's focus was on emergency preparedness and an improvement of the agency.

"This pandemic is very unprecedented and there are many lessons that we have to learn and we learn. But, at the same time we cannot just stop for a moment, learn and implement," he said.

The newly re-elected WHO chief wept as he spoke about the current Ukraine crisis, as well as the death of his younger brother from childhood illness amid war and poverty decades ago.

"When I visit Ukraine when I see mainly children. Those are images from more than 50 years ago that come to my mind, very visible, very disturbing. Smells, sounds and images of war. That's what I don't' want to happen to anyone," he said.

Several countries including Germany and the United States were quick to offer their congratulations. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach tweeted that Tedros got 155 out of 160 votes, calling it a spectacular result. "Congratulations, fully deserved."

It is known taat Germany recently overtook the United States as the main donor of the UN health agency.

However, Tedros' candidacy for a second term has not received support from his native Ethiopia due to friction over the Tigray conflict. Ethiopia's envoy to the assembly made clear that Botswana's statement congratulating Tedros did not represent the 47 countries of the African group.

"A well-established method of working for African groups is working by consensus. I would like to point out that there is no consensus. Therefore, Botswana's respected representatives cannot make statements on behalf of the African group."