Dr. Hanan H. Balkhy | د. حنان حسن بلخي

I am standing for Director-General because I believe in WHO’s purpose, and in its capacity to serve every country better. Today, I am sharing my platform, shaped by my experience in clinical medicine, national leadership and WHO, and sharpened through listening to Member States across all six Regional Committees and on many country visits. Those conversations have reinforced my conviction: the @WHO must combine independent science with practical country action and responsible stewardship. My platform offers a WHO the world can count on - built on Trust, driven by Impact and measured by Value. An Organization whose advice countries can trust; that helps them prepare before crises and emerge stronger; and that advances universal health coverage so people receive quality care without financial hardship. This platform sets out nine commitments and six delivery tests against which I ask you to judge my leadership. It is a commitment to listen, make clear choices and take responsibility for results. I invite your counsel, your engagement and your support. Together, we can turn our shared ambition for WHO into better health for the people we serve. Thank you! lnkd.in/p/dsWCPT5A

Multilateralism is the one place where countries meet on equal footing, imperfect as it is. As an Executive Board member, Poland has a leading voice in shaping @WHO's work and in building collaboration with other health leaders. During my visit to Warsaw, I had in-depth discussions with H.E. Vice Minister of Health Katarzyna Kacperczyk and Director Katarzyna Drążek-Laskowska on how negotiations work inside WHO, including the Pandemic treaty and PABS, and why Member States want more transparency and inclusiveness. We also discussed the impact of social media and digital life on children's and youth mental health. Trust is built by listening to these concerns early. Thank you both for hosting Amb. @AlshahwanEnass and me at @MZ_GOV_PL and for your time and counsel.

In Warsaw, I listened to the views of government officials, parliamentarians, public health and research leaders, on what the next stage of WHO should look like. Some of Poland's health priorities were front and centre: noncommunicable diseases, mental health, and healthy ageing. These are areas where a WHO that delivers for countries can make a real difference. My deepest appreciation for Ambassador @alshahwanenass for hosting the dialogue at the @KSAembassyPL. Thank you for your support!

WHO’s credibility is paramount, and it needs strong support from countries like Poland. I was honoured to meet with Adam Krzywosądzki, Director of the Department of Global Affairs, and his team at @PolandMFA. We spoke about the concrete changes and efficiencies Member States expect, the health needs created by conflict across the world, and the role of @WHO in such challenging contexts. I shared why I am the hybrid candidate in this election: someone who built a career outside WHO and now leads from the inside. That combination can deliver results and strengthen trust in the Organization. Alongside Ambassador @AlshahwanEnass of @KSAembassyPL, we extended our condolences to the people and the government of Poland for the tragic events in Kraków over the weekend.

Norway has been a very important partner for @WHO for a long time. I discussed with Minister @AsmundAukrust how WHO can be more focused, less fragmented and more accountable, from reform and UN80 to our humanitarian and emergency work. I shared my vision for a WHO that is more trusted, impactful and valuable. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your team for welcoming me to the @NorwayMFA.

In my conversations with Caribbean countries, the message was consistent: to understand our needs better, visit the region. The Minister of Health of Antigua and Barbuda went further: he invited me to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. I said I would come. And I am glad I did. This was my first chance to present the campaign platform that grew out of my listening tour across all six @WHO regional committees, where the conversations informed my views and sharpened my ideas. Here, I met with more than a dozen leaders from the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and the Pacific. The engagement was real and candid, and it keeps strengthening my vision for a WHO the world can count on, built on trust, driven by impact, measured by value. Thank you, Antigua and Barbuda, for the warmest of welcomes. I can’t wait to be back in the region!

One of the most recurring topics in my conversations with Member States is equitable access to medicines and the need for pooled procurement. I heard it again from Ambassador Vulindlela Kunene and Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs Zandie Dlamini of the Government of Eswatini @EswatiniGovern1 at #CHOGM2026. We also spoke about supporting countries to build permanent regulatory frameworks, so they can assess and regulate products themselves instead of depending on WHO. That is the WHO I want: one that supports countries when they ask, and steps back when they are ready.

A WHO the world can count on starts with constant engagement with Member States. That was the spirit of my conversation with H.E. Jeremiah Nyamane Mamabolo, High Commissioner of South Africa to the United Kingdom @SAHCLondon during our exchange in #CHOGM2026. I shared in detail what my candidacy for Director-General is about: a @WHO that is built on trust, driven by impact and measured by value. Trusted for its independent science, ready before crises strike, and delivering care without financial hardship. Thank you for the conversation!

Detecting threats early saves lives, and Uganda's disease surveillance is among the strongest in Africa. Hon. Norbert Mao, Uganda's Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, made that point when we met at #CHOGM2026. We spoke about the Uganda Virus Research Institute @uvriug, Uganda's interest in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and the role it plays in African health and humanitarian cooperation. Being ready for the next epidemic is exactly what Impact means in my platform. Thank you Minister for your time and your advice 🇺🇬

I'm a woman of my word. One month ago, I met Antigua and Barbuda's Minister of Health, Michael Joseph, at @PAHOWHO's Directing Council. He invited me to visit his country during #CHOGM2026, and I said I would. Here I am in the Eastern Caribbean, grateful for his hospitality and openness as we continued the conversation we started. Minister Joseph described in greater detail how much small island states rely on PAHO for strategy and programmes, how the @OECSCommission leads on health in the Eastern Caribbean, and why countries need to pool resources and support each other. We also spoke about health in all policies. Thank you, Minister Joseph, for your time and advice! I will never forget Antigua and Barbuda's welcome.

It gave me immense joy to say hello to WTO DG @NOIweala here in Antigua and Barbuda, between bilaterals in #CHOGM2026. Thank you for the conversation and for inspiring upcoming leaders!

Caribbean countries could not get vaccines fast enough during COVID. Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell @FredMitchell242 of The Bahamas reminded me of that lesson when we met during #CHOGM2026. This is a clear example of why global health initiatives need to be streamlined so they work better for ALL countries. It builds on what I heard first-hand from Health Minister Darville at @PAHOWHO’s Directing Council about the Bahamas’ health priorities, including addressing noncommunicable diseases. Thank you, Minister Mitchell, for your questions and your belief in international organizations. I look forward to building this relationship over time.

Access to medicines and innovative health financing came up during my conversation with Foreign Minister Dr George T. Chaponda of Malawi @ForeignMalawi during #CHOGM2026. It was an honor to discuss my candidacy for @WHO Director-General and my vision of a WHO the world can count on, one that listens to Member States and delivers for the people we serve. Thank you Minister, for your advice.

I’m always in awe of the strong collaboration between @PAHOWHO and Caribbean countries. Foreign Minister Dr Vince Henderson of Dominica put it plainly: nothing in health in the region gets done without that partnership. Dominica’s belief in multilateralism is clear. We spoke about why small states need a WHO that stays close and engaged, and how the Organization can better tell the story of its work in crises so that Member States hear it. Thank you, Minister Henderson, for a great conversation about my candidacy for WHO Director-General during #CHOGM2026.

Health care is everybody’s job, and every ministry has a part in it. I couldn’t agree more with Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Finance II, Dato Dr Amin. We met at #CHOGM2026 in Antigua and Barbuda and discussed health in all policies, health financing, the importance of making an investment case for WHO, and ways to work towards fair access to vaccines and medicines. This is critically important for small countries. Brunei has made great smart investments in digital health, like BruHealth, that enables the population to manage medical appointments, track personal health metrics, and access national public health services. Thank you Minister for your advice!

Diabetes and hypertension weigh on families across the Caribbean, and WHO has to give noncommunicable diseases the attention they demand. That was one of the topics I discussed with Ambassador Anthony Severin of Saint Lucia when we met at #CHOGM2026 in Antigua and Barbuda. He asked for a @WHO that is more responsive and proactive, grounded in strong epidemiology, and conscious of the disparities between Member States. It was an honor to discuss my candidacy for WHO Director-General. Thank you, Ambassador for your time and advice.

H.E. Dr @ChrisFearne, Malta's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, is a surgeon, a former Health Minister and a former President of the World Health Assembly. We first met through our work advancing global action on antimicrobial resistance. which he helped lead. Dr Fearne knows WHO very well, and he made the case that it must be part of people's everyday lives, not just for insiders. We also spoke about how WHO needs to continue efforts for rebuilding trust. It was a privilege to share my vision at #CHOGM2026 as I continue my campaign for the position of WHO Director-General. Thank you, Minister, for your advice!

An honor to discuss my candidacy for WHO Director-General with H.E. Foreign Minister Barry Faure of the Seychelles @SeychellesFAD. Minister Faure made the point that small island states are often where good ideas take root first, because leaders are accessible and countries can move quickly, and what works there can inform others. After listening to the needs of Small Island Developing States for the last two months of campaigning, this resonates. Some of the topics at the top of the list for SIDS are access to medicines through pooled procurement, a health workforce that stays and grows, and preparedness that is ready before the next crisis. Each is part of the pillars of my platform: trust, impact and value. We met in the context of #CHOGM2026 here in Antigua and Barbuda, a perfect place for the discussion. Thank you, Minister, for your time and advice.

“True partnership requires mutual respect, listening, and that the voices of small states are not heard ceremonially but included meaningfully in decision-making. A genuine partnership asks not what can we take, but what can we build together.” These wise words are not mine. They were pronounced by the Right reverend Ernest Flemming, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba during the interfaith service to start the first day of activities at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting #CHOGM2026, in Antigua and Barbuda. 🇦🇬 I was humbled to attend this beautiful service. Thank you for the invitation!

Copenhagen hosted the sixth and last WHO Regional Committee of the year. It was an honor to meet with the member states of the @WHO_Europe region at the #RC76CPH. They shared their concerns, their advice and their aspirations for @WHO. I asked what they expect from the next Director-General, and I'm grateful for their openness and willingness to share. With this RC, the initial listening phase of my campaign comes to a close. Six regions and many country visits have informed my views, and I will be sharing my platform, a document I wrote, very soon. Thank you for your trust and for supporting this journey. Stay tuned for the next stage of my campaign!