World Health Organization Africa (Brazzaville)

Brazzaville — As part of the process for the election of the next World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa, a virtual live candidates' forum will be held on Wednesday 2 April 2025 from 09:30 to 16:00 Brazzaville time. The virtual forum, agreed by WHO Member States in the Region, is among the measures adopted to strengthen the transparency of the electoral process. It will be presided by Honourable Louise Mapleh Kpoto, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia and current First Vice-Chairperson of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa.

The forum is a platform provided to the candidates to detail their experience and expertise, and to present their vision of what they hope to achieve during their tenure to deliver on the core mandates of WHO in the African Region.

The five candidates (in country alphabetical order) are:

i)  Dr Michel N'da Konan Yao, proposed by Cote d'Ivoire

ii) Dr Mohamed Lamine Dramé, proposed by Guinea.

iii) Professor Janabi Mohamed Yakub, proposed by United Republic of Tanzania

iv) Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa, proposed by Togo

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, also known as WHO/AFRO, serves as one of the six regional offices of the WHO. It is responsible for coordinating international public health efforts across 47 Member States in the African Region. The Regional Office is situated at Cité du Djoué, P.O. Box 06, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

The Regional Office plays a pivotal role in formulating regional health policies, providing technical support, and coordinating responses to health emergencies within the African continent. It collaborates closely with Member States and development partners to enhance the health and well-being of populations in the region. As of April 2025, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu serves as the Acting Regional Director for Africa.