Former Qatar health minister Hanan Al-Kuwari nominated for WHO chief
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Qatar’s former minister of public health, Dr Hanan Al-Kuwari, has been nominated to become the next director-general of the World Health Organization.
The next director-general will take over from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after his term ends on August 15, 2027.
The International Media Office said Al-Kuwari would draw on her extensive public health experience to bring countries and communities together, strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes worldwide.
Four prospective candidates
Al-Kuwari is one of four prospective candidates identified for the position.
The other candidates are:
Dr Hanan Balkhy of Saudi Arabia
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge of Belgium
Budi Gunadi Sadikin of Indonesia
The deadline for WHO member states to submit nominations is September 24, 2026.
How the WHO chief is selected
The selection process began on April 24, 2026, when Tedros invited WHO member states to propose candidates for the post.
The WHO Executive Board will consider the candidates during its 160th session in 2027.
It will nominate up to three people for consideration by the World Health Assembly.
The assembly, which includes all WHO member states and serves as the organisation’s highest decision-making body, will appoint the new director-general during its 80th meeting in May 2027.
The successful candidate will begin the role on August 16, 2027.
The appointment carries a five-year term. A director-general may be reappointed once and can therefore serve for a maximum of two terms.
Role of the director-general
The WHO director-general is the organisation’s chief technical and administrative officer.
The officeholder leads the agency’s work on international health issues, oversees its operations and represents the WHO internationally.
The director-general also works with member states as they develop and carry out measures intended to improve public health.