It’s actually hard to pinpoint some doctors especially due to the fact that the world is currently packed with many influential doctors. Yet, few are at the steering those of global health. One name stands out in recent years: International classification is served by W. H. O director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He is the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, WHO. This position situates him in the centre of the world’s health governance and dynamics.
Early Life and Education
By then Eritrea was an ethnically administered territory of Ethiopia. His youth allow him to witness disease and death from which he has no way of escaping. When Tedros was a child, poor malaria killed his young brother. Thus, the tragedy predetermined his further fate. He went for public health to avoid such incidences in the future.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has first degree in biology taken from Asmara University. He then went further and got a master’s degree in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the University of London. The education of the man resulted in getting a doctorate degree in Community Health from the University of Nottingham. His early education gave him a good background in his subsequent work in world health.
Public service entry in Ethiopia
Before joining WHO,Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has served in Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health as an official. During his term he served in many capacities of significance to the organization. For about a decade he touched this nation and especially during this period the health sector in Ethiopia was revolutionalized.
Dr. Tedros’ goals consisted of the improvement of accessibility of healthcare services for the population. He strengthen the health facilities and human resource capacity in the country. They are over 30,000 health workers that were recruited during his term of leadership. This was achieved by the nation realizing positive health results especially in the issues surrounding the health of mothers and children.
This was not lost on the International Arena as he was enjoying the fruits of his leadership. National and international organizations as well as governments acknowledged him for the same. He also represented the country as minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2016.
The emergence of being director-general of world health organization
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus assumed the position of WHO’s chief in 2017 making him the first African to head the global health body. The post of Director-General is one of the most powerful in the world of healthcare. The WHO addresses the world policies and provides directions to the nations on different health related issues. These are; Disease transitions, healthcare facility, and study.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected at the right time to the helm of the WHO. It was intriguing as international health issues were increasingly becoming complicated. New diseases and increased health disparity along with climate change were challenges which could not be ignored. He promised to increase the level of accountability and transparency of WHO.
One of them was the case of affirmative health care being a right for everyone within the country. He underlined the need for health care availability regardless the income streams of any individual. His tenure, however, was about to face the biggest test: Covid-19 crisis.
Handling the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 can be said to be a turning point of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus leadership at WHO. It began in late 2019 infected several countries within a short time. It nevertheless too assumed the magnitude of a global heath emergency by the WHO at the start of the year 2020.
Pandemic was also led by the Director General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros. This entailed the mobilisation of the control of the virus internationally. He explained that governments should apply the right measures in order to contain the epidemic. And also called for equity when it comes to vaccines as a means for tackling the pandemic.
He was involved in taking many decisions most of which were under a lot of pressure. There were some voice raised against the WHO’s early response to the outbreak. Some questioned the timidity of the organization in making noises: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus justified the actions of WHO. He argued that the organisation worked on the data that was within its reach.
That was one of his major difficulties, for instance, knowing and tackling the political implications. Naturally, the governments around the world had different approaches to the situation. All these tensions had to be managed by the World Health Organisation whilst at the same time fostering collaboration at the international level. He said that virus is our common enemy hence the need for a united front.
Championing Vaccine Equity
Vaccine distribution was at the center of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus efforts during COVID-19 pandemic. The developed nations were able to purchase as many vaccines as possible. However, a large number of low income countries have been able to secured even a small stockpile of H1N1 vaccine. This inequality posed a risk to extending a pandemic.
Also, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus himself always supported the idea of the vaccine equality. He was fighting for policies that would guarantee that low income nations will get vaccines. One of the such efforts was the COVAX program. It was for offering vaccines to provide marginalised countries.
He openly condemned the developed countries for being greedy to stock the vaccines. He also had words to say about vaccine manufacturers that he accused of not supplying enough to the global South. Such a stance on the vaccination process made people focus on the problem of inequality in the world.
Leadership Beyond the Pandemic
Although the pandemic has been important, the outcomes described above, reflect the effect of Dr. Tedros’s leadership that is beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. However he has continued to support efforts toward solving other other important global health threats. He has overseen a shift in the organization’s focus and climate change is a key issue at the WHO. In this aspect, Dr. Tedros has demonstrated how various environmental changes impact on health, with emphasis on the environmental aspect.
He has also urged for more funding for health care systems all over the world. This include enhancing the health care delivery systems in low and middle income countries. He also strongly thinks that much effective systems or mechanism to avert the future pandemics are crucial.
Another important concern for Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is Mental health. He wants to eliminate a particular prejudice that people with mental health conditions should be isolated from the society and should not take up their social roles.
Criticism and Challenges
Like with any other leaders in global organizations, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has not been without controversy. Part of this criticism that has been made has been done by world powers such as United States of America. It was even in mid-2020 that the Trump administration criticised WHO of close-endosuring China. They further pointed out that WHO should have offered a much harsher criticism of Chinese mishandling of COVID-19. As for these accusations, Dr. Tedros shrugged them off. He defended that the WHO has operated that process in accordance to the international guidelines.
Another, was internal and was the next test that Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had to overcome once he became the director general. The WHO organization like most organizations in the world works under the bureaucratic system. More critics are wary that the organization is not very sensitive to emergencies. Some consider that it requires change for it to be effective while others think it requires reform Fortunately, these problems have not gone unnoticed and Dr. Tedros has admitted to them. He has said that he would serve to make this organisation more effective and respond for its practices.
Legacy and Future Impact
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will most be remembered for the way he and his organization has or has not dealt will the Covid-19. His efforts toward vaccine sharing and multilateralism will be rightfully noted. The pandemic, though, has not been the only area of Burnett’s impact in global health policy.
Unlike his predecessors he has done rigorous efforts in campaigning and advocating of health inequality. This is one of his key message to the Canadian people, about the importance of having universal health care coverage. He has also focused all his efforts to ensure that people understand that health and climate change are related.
Even as the director-general of world health organization, he does not cease to do so. That will be crucial in the future as there is a likelihood of other troubles affecting global health. Whether it is another pandemic which nobody knows when it will occur, or impacts of climate change, Dr. Tedros’s voice is going to matter.
Conclusion
Today, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is amongst the most powerful doctors around the globe. This is the story from the Ethiopian health system to the head of the entire world health organization. He has had to deal with great adversities are major times like during the coronavirus outbreak. But, they are still important for him and he continues to advocate for global health equity. He has redesigned the discussion over health care access and vaccines again. I believe that his work will have a long-term impact on giving the public health science. This article of Dr. Tedros gives a clear indication as to how the global cooperation as a trigger to improving the health of the people. It is therefore important, that his voice stay active in the fight against global health inequalities.
