Vatican: Doctors with Africa,’ an Italian non-governmental organisation has expressed satisfaction with the election of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as new World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General.

“On the eve of Africa Day, (25 May)” declared Fr. Dante Carraro the Director of  College For Aspiring and Missionary Doctors (CUAMM), “this appointment strongly highlights the centrality of Africa when it comes to the health of the world,” he said.

On Tuesday this week, member states of WHO elected Ethiopian national Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as its new Director-General.

According to WHO, before his election, Dr Ghebreyesus served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as Minister of Health. He was also chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board.

During his tenure as health minister, Dr Ghebreyesus is credited with leading a comprehensive and successful reform of Ethiopia’s health system, including the expansion of the country’s health infrastructure. He is said to have spearheaded the creation of 3500 health centres, 16 000 health posts and expanded the health workforce by 38 000 health extension workers. He also initiated financing mechanisms to expand health insurance coverage.

In a statement to Vatican Radio, CUAMM said having worked closely with Dr Ghebreyesus in Ethiopia; the organisation is confident that he is the right person for the job.

“To Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, we offer hearty congratulations and wish him well in his new position –this from all of us at CUAMM both those in Africa and in those in Italy.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus takes over from Dr Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun, a Chinese-Canadian physician.

“Doctors with Africa,” CUAMM  is based in Italy. The NGO is composed of volunteer medical personnel and collaborators. It is a medical mission started by the Italian Catholic Diocese of Padua, 65 years ago. The NGO is considered a leading medical organisation that focusses mainly on working with sub-Saharan Africa and is to be found in 7 African countries, namely, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The late Fr Luigi Mazzucato is credited as the man behind CUAMM’s success and longevity.

CUAMM says its mission is to improve the wellbeing and health of vulnerable communities in Africa.