Electing a new WHO boss: An opportunity for Indonesia and the world
Faced with an existential budget crisis and a fractured world order, the WHO needs an executive turnaround more than another doctor - and Indonesia’s Budi Gunadi Sadikin may be the outsider built for the job.
The World Health Organization (WHO) faces an urgent need for a new executive leader amid a global budget crisis and a fractured geopolitical landscape. Indonesia-born healthcare professional Budi Gunadi Sadikin has emerged as a potential candidate to turn around the organization. The incoming director general will have to navigate mounting challenges, including extreme weather events, persistent pandemic threats, falling immunization rates, and the urgent goal of meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A staggering US$4.2 billion funding gap exists in the 2026-2027 program budget, adding to the agency's woes. The United States' withdrawal from the WHO in January 2025 has already led to a 25 percent reduction in staff over the past year. The WHO's new leader must also address a post-war multilateral order, declining development assistance, and a growing anti-science backlash, all while integrating artificial intelligence across all aspects of society.
Four candidates have officially declared their intention to run for the position, with profiles suggesting a mix of medical expertise and leadership qualities, but with more details yet to emerge as the nominations deadline approaches on September 24.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
