Addis Ababa, 19 June 2017 - The Director-General elect of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom paid a familiarization visit to the WHO Ethiopia Country Office in Addis Ababa, on 19 June 2017. 

The WHO Representative to Ethiopia, Dr Akpaka A. Kalu welcomed Dr Tedros to the Country Office and congratulated him on his election as WHO Director General. The staff of the Country Office also gathered at the office lobby to extend their warm welcome.

Dr Tedros expressed his gratitude for the warm reception organized by WHO Ethiopia and used the opportunity to provide a brief update on the outcomes of the high-level bilateral meetings he had held during the last three weeks after his election. In this regard, he mentioned his encounters with senior officials of the European Union Commission; the President of the United States, Donald Trump; the members of the United States Senate and Congress; the daughter of the President United States, Ivanka Trump; the UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres; the President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim; and the UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, among others. On the occasion, Dr Tedros underlined the importance of further strengthening relationships with partners and engaging them in the decisive work undertaken by the organization.   

Dr Tedros encouraged staff to openly express their views and continue to serve the organization with dedication and commitment.  “The most valuable asset of any organization is the staff.  Therefore, ensuring a healthy internal environment is very important as this is what gets reflected in the external face of the organization”, Dr Tedros said. 

The WHO Ethiopia Staff Association Chairperson, Mr. Waltaji Terfa, on behalf of the staff congratulated Dr Tedros on his election and wished him success in leading WHO into the next decade.

During his visit, Dr Tedros held a one-on-one meeting with Dr Kalu where the Country Office’s priorities and key activities were discussed. 

Dr Tedros Adhanom was elected as Director General of WHO on 23 May 2017 during the 70th World Health Assembly held in Geneva on 22–31 May 2017. He will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017.

For more information please contact: 

Mrs. Selam Fesseha
WHO Ethiopia, Communications Officer
fessehas [at] who.int

Mrs. Selamawit Yilma
WHO EPI Communications Officer
yilmas [at] who.int