COVID WHO Tedros

About COVID WHO Tedros

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO since 2017, led the global response to COVID 19. Tedros declared the COVID PHEIC on January 30, 2020, and the pandemic on March 11, 2020. Critics argued he was too slow to declare the PHEIC and too quick to praise Chinas early response. His praise in late January 2020 of Chinas transparency drew criticism in light of reports that local authorities had suppressed early warnings from Wuhan doctors. Tedros faced pressure from both the US and China. President Trump announced US withdrawal from the WHO in July 2020, accusing it of being too deferential to China. President Biden reversed the withdrawal on his first day in office, and President Trump ordered a renewed withdrawal in January 2025. Tedros navigated between great power tensions while managing an unprecedented global health emergency. After the pandemic, Tedros advocated for the Pandemic Treaty and strengthened IHR. He was re elected unopposed in 2022. Tedros is the first WHO Director General from Africa. His leadership during COVID was both praised and criticized.