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WHO Leadership Race Reaches Five Prospective Candidates, Including Indonesia’s Health Minister

The WHO lists five prospective candidates for its next director-general, including Indonesia’s Budi Gunadi Sadikin, with selection stages continuing into 2027.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Geneva, 25 September 2026 – The race to lead the World Health Organization has reached five publicly listed prospective candidates following the 24 September deadline for member states to submit proposals. The organisation’s candidate page, last updated on Thursday, names Indonesia’s health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin alongside nominees from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Spain. The list is prospective: formal publication and subsequent selection stages remain ahead.

Indonesia’s inclusion gives Southeast Asia a direct stake in a leadership contest that will shape responses to disease outbreaks, health-system financing and access to medicines. Budi, nominated by Indonesia, is joined by Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari of Qatar, Hanan Balkhy of Saudi Arabia, Hans Henri P. Kluge of Belgium and María P. Neira of Spain. The nominating governments and names appear on the organisation’s own candidate page, which is a firmer basis than unconfirmed reports about late entries.

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  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.