WHO Boss' Re-Nomination Poses Global Security Threat, American Economist Warns

Tedros is \"likely to betray the world again,\" according to Steinman.
Tedros Adhanom. \n\nPhoto Credit: This image was originally posted to Flickr by Women Deliver at https:\/\/flickr.com\/photos\/45488291@N06\/27101455410 and licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

David Steinman, the American economist who reported World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom to the International Criminal Court, responded today to news that the WHO chief will run unopposed for a second term by warning it will increase the risk of another pandemic.

Mr. Steinman, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after 27 years as senior adviser to Ethiopia's democracy movement and the author of a historical novel about the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front dictatorship Tedros previously served, asserted that Tedros has an under-recognized history of covering up serious threats to public safety out of loyalty to political allies. Examples cited by Mr. Steinman were attempts by Tedros to conceal a famine, a massacre by security forces, the failure of government poverty reduction programs, and the persecution of journalists when he was Ethiopian foreign minister 2012 to 2016.

That behavioral pattern suggests suspicions that Tedros deliberately downplayed the Covid-19 outbreak for China are probably accurate, according to Mr. Steinman.

"The odds of another pandemic during the next director-general's term are roughly one in six—the same as Russian Roulette," he said. "Tedros' modus operandi suggests he's likely to betray the world again if the circumstances are similar."

The WHO election for the global health agency's top position is May 22, 2022. Nominations end September 23. Candidates are usually announced at the end of October. However, Reuters reported last Friday that Tedros will run without competition.

The Ethiopian government, which nominated Tedros last time, is unlikely to do so again because of the WHO boss' affiliation with the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front at war with the regime. In the absence of a competing candidate, Tedros may simply be re-appointed.

"The World Health Assembly representatives share blame for the pandemic by installing Tedros the first time. It's unconscionable they will vote for him again without even considering the heightened danger to their own people," Mr. Steinman said. "This obviously corrupt process puts the whole world at higher risk of another catastrophe. Another candidate should step forward while there's still time."

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Contact: Ms. Mahlet Shenkute   pr@gpethiopia.org      Twitter: https://twitter.com/gpethiopia