On April 2, 2025, a virtual candidates’ forum will facilitate the election for the WHO Regional Director for Africa. Chaired by Honourable Louise Mapleh Kpoto, candidates will present their qualifications, with Member States having opportunities to engage through questions. The event underscores WHO’s commitment to transparency in the electoral process.
On April 2, 2025, a virtual candidates’ forum will take place from 09:30 to 16:00 Brazzaville time to facilitate the election of the next World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. This initiative, agreed upon by WHO Member States, aims to enhance transparency in the electoral process and will be chaired by Honourable Louise Mapleh Kpoto, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia.
The forum provides candidates with the opportunity to share their qualifications and express their vision for their potential tenure, aligning with WHO’s core mandates in the African Region. Four candidates will present in alphabetical order: Dr. Michel N’da Konan Yao from Côte d’Ivoire, Dr. Mohamed Lamine Dramé from Guinea, Professor Janabi Mohamed Yakub from the United Republic of Tanzania, and Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa from Togo. Each candidate has a strict 20-minute presentation limit.
Member States attending the forum may submit questions to candidates by indicating their choice via email by March 26, 2025, at 17:00 Brazzaville time. During the forum, tokens representing the Member States will be randomly drawn to facilitate questions directed at the candidates, ensuring that those who nominated a candidate do not pose questions to them.
Each Member State will have one minute to ask a single question, and candidates will be allotted three minutes for their responses. Interviews are timed to last 40 minutes, allowing candidates to finish their answers even if time expires. A clock will be visible to monitor time throughout the interviews. The event will be broadcasted live in English, French, and Portuguese on various WHO Regional Office for Africa social media platforms.
The upcoming WHO Regional Director for Africa candidates’ forum highlights an effort to promote transparency in the election process. The structured format allows candidates to showcase their visions while ensuring engagement from Member States through a regulated question-and-answer session. Such initiatives underline WHO’s commitment to a fair electoral process in the public health sector in the African Region.
Original Source: www.afro.who.int
