Search for next chief of UN health agency narrowed to five candidates

The Executive Board of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today said that it has narrowed to five the list of candidates to replace outgoing Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Included in the short list are Julio Frenk of Mexico, Jong Wook Lee of the Republic of Korea, Pascoal Manuel Mocumbi of Mozambique, Peter Piot of Belgium and Ismail Sallam of Egypt.

Following a round of interviews, the 32 expert-members of the Board will vote on 28 January, the final day of its 111th session, for the candidate who will be nominated to the World Health Assembly for confirmation in May.

The new Director-General will take over from Dr. Brundtland on 21 July.