Addis Ababa to host WHO leadership candidate dialogue on November 23
Africa CDC announced a planned November 23, 2026, dialogue in Addis Ababa between African ministers and the six announced candidates for WHO director-general.
In short
- Africa CDC announced a planned November 23, 2026, dialogue in Addis Ababa between African ministers and the six announced candidates for WHO director-general.
African health and finance ministers plan to meet candidates for World Health Organization director-general in Addis Ababa on November 23, 2026, Africa CDC announced on October 7.
The dialogue is scheduled during the Conference on Public Health in Africa. Africa CDC says the six announced candidates will have a platform to explain their priorities and respond to questions about Africa’s health needs, including the continent’s health security and sovereignty agenda.
According to the agency, ministers agreed to organize the dialogue at an Africa High-Level Ministerial Committee meeting in August 2026, following consultations with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
The announcement concerns a planned dialogue with candidates, rather than the selection of a WHO leader. It gives African ministers and communities an opportunity to hear their proposals before that process concludes.
Primary source: [Africa CDC announcement, October 7, 2026](https://africacdc.org/news-item/african-ministers-to-convene-dialogue-with-who-director-general-candidates-in-addis-ababa-on-23-november-2026/).
