Indonesia’s candidate for WHO chief calls on US to rejoin agency

Jakarta, October 6 - Indonesia's nominee to head the World Health Organization, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, has called on the United States to rejoin the global health agency following its departure in January. The 52-year-old banker, with experience at IBM and Indonesia's Mandiri Bank, is one of six candidates vying for the role of WHO's director-general, alongside contenders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Botswana, and Belgium.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the current director-general from Ethiopia, stepped down amid criticism from the US over the organization's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Budi, who is personally acquainted with US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., emphasized that it is scientifically impossible for countries to go it alone in a pandemic. During his tenure as Health Minister of Indonesia, which began in 2020, he spearheaded a vast COVID-19 vaccination campaign for the country's 280 million population. He is also overseeing a free health screening program.

Unlike other candidates, Budi has no background in the health sector or affiliation with the WHO. Instead, he highlighted his previous fundraising successes, which could aid the WHO in rallying development banks, such as the Asian Development Bank or World Bank, to assist nations in crafting and executing their own national health plans.

Many member states argue that while they receive financial support from donors and global health institutions, they are often forced to adhere to directives originating from the WHO's headquarters in Geneva.

Budi stated that the overwhelming majority of member states are demanding reform, urging the WHO to prioritize its core mandate: establishing norms and standards grounded in scientific evidence. He stressed that regaining the trust of member states is more crucial than restoring the agency's budget, which he believes has been mismanaged. The WHO will announce all nominations for the director-general role later this month, with voting slated for May of next year.