Seychelles congratulates first African DG of WHO |25 May 2017

Jean-Paul Adam, Minister for Health and head of the Seychelles delegation to the World

Health Assembly being held in Geneva, Switzerland, has warmly congratulated the newly elected director general (DG) of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on his election on Tuesday May 23.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, former Foreign Affairs and Health Minister of Ethiopia, is the first African to ever occupy this post since the WHO was created in 1948.

Minister Adam has also conveyed the congratulations of President Danny Faure to the director general elect.

“Dr Ghebreyesus has all the skills and experience required to lead WHO at this time,” said the minister.

“We are encouraged that he has pledged to ensure that WHO caters for the needs of all its members,” he added.

“WHO must continue to recognise the specific challenges of small island developing states (Sids), at a time when the burden of non-communicable diseases and the challenge of climate change weigh heavily upon us,” further added Minister Adam.

The Seychelles delegation to the World Health Assembly which also includes health principal secretary, Dr Bernard Valentin and senior principal nursing officer Doloresse Pool, have also expressed appreciation to Dr Ghebreyesus for his commitment to continue to ensure that WHO supports its members to achieve the health related sustainable development goals.

Minister Adam underscored Seychelles’ expectation that Dr Ghebreyesus will continue to ensure that Sids will receive the necessary support from WHO to address their vulnerabilities.

The term of office of the current director general, Chinese national Dr Margaret Chan, ends on June 30 this year.

Minister Adam thanked Dr Chan for her monumental contribution to WHO, since she was elected in 2007.

He also hailed the high quality of the two other contestants for the director general post, Dr David Navarro of the United Kingdom and Dr Sania Nishtar of Pakistan.