Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom has been joined by five other candidates in the race to succeed Margaret Chan as head of the UN’s World Health Organization.
Nominations closed on Thursday.
Mr Tedros has the backing of the African Union, and Ethiopia is putting him forward in an effort to raise the diplomatic profile of the country.
When he formally launched his candidacy in May he said:
The fresh view we can bring from our continent and the perspective of a developing country can help improve the global health situation… It’s time for a director-general who has lived some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today, as I have lived in Africa.”
Ethiopia’s foreign minister is up against four European candidates and one from Asia.
After a short listing process WHO member states will vote next May.
Ms Chan is due to step down at the end of June 2017.
