Ethiopian civic and political organizations call on the WHO to reject the candidacy of Dr. Tedros Adhanom for the position of Director General

ESAT News (April 19, 2016)

Twenty civic and political organizations wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) calling for the rejection of Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s candidacy for the position of the Director General of the WHO.

In a letter to Ms. Malebona Precious Matsoso Chairman of the Executive Board of WHO, the 20 Ethiopian organizations said “Dr. Adhanom’s nomination as the sole candidate representing Africa is not only an insult to Ethiopia but to all Africans. His candidature must be read in the context of the political, social and economic policies of the government of Ethiopia that he represents.”

“Dr. Adhanom is a member of the inner circle of a ruling party whose leadership style is antithetical to democracy and respect for the rule of law. Lack of free elections in more than two decades, a fact that has been documented by numerous organizations and governments, serves as prima facie evidence of a repressive regime,” the letter said.

The letter also recalled Foreign Minister Dr. Tedros Adhanom’s failure to handle the cholera outbreak in internationally accepted protocols and mismanagement of funds allocated for AIDS, TB and malaria when he was the Minister of Health from 2005 to 2012.

“It is an incontrovertible fact that the Ministry of Health under the under the stewardship of Dr. Tedros Adhanom deliberately failed to contain the crisis and was directly responsible for the death of thousands of Ethiopian citizens. His action was not only gross incompetence but also outright criminality.”

“It defies common sense that such a compromised individual responsible for the tragic and unnecessary loss of so many lives in one country should even be considered as a viable candidate to run the World Health Organization.”

According to the letter in 2010, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), a body commissioned to audit and investigate Countries receiving Funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), conducted an audit of Ethiopia and found “misappropriation of funds and use of donor funds for unsound and politically motivated programs.”

“Dr. Adhanom’s record as a member of the ruling party in Ethiopia and specifically his record as Minister of Health does not meet the exceedingly high standards required for a Director General of the WHO,” noted the letter.

“It is inconceivable that failure at improving the health outcomes of one country and mismanagement of funds obtained from an organization such as the GFATM should result in one’s candidature for the leading health organization of the world,” the letter said.