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Dr. Tewodros Adhanoms

candidature to the WHO

Profile
Support fromnations

Updates

Eritrea crime against

humanity, Stephen KEshi
dead

Tedros Adhanom
He was born 1965) is an Ethiopian academic, public health authority
and politician who has served in the government of Ethiopia as Minister
of Foreign Affairs since 2012. Previously he was Minister of Health from
2005 to 2012.

Tedros joined the Ministry of Health in 1986, after graduating from the
University of Asmara.[1] An internationally recognized malaria
researcher,[1] as Minister of Health, Tedros received praise for a
number of innovative and system-wide health reforms that
substantially improved access to health services and key outcomes.[2]
Amongst them were hiring and training roughly 40,000 female health
extension workers, cutting infant mortality from 123 deaths per 1,000
live births in 2006 to 88 in 2011, and increasing the hiring of health
cadres including medical doctors and midwives.[3] In July 2009, he was
elected Board Chair of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and

Malaria for a 2-year term.[4]

In November 2012, Tedros was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs

by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. In January 2016 the twenty
Sixth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union has
endorsed his candidature for the next election of the Director General
of the World Health Organisation as a sole African candidate.

Tedros got a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Immunology of

Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical
Medicine.[1] He subsequently received a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD)
in Community Health from the University of Nottingham in 2000, with
his doctoral dissertation being "The effects of dams on malaria
transmission in Tigray Region, northern Ethiopia, and appropriate
control measures"

Career path

Head of the Tigray Regional Health Bureau

In 2001, Tedros was appointed head of the Tigray Regional Health
Bureau.[1] As head of the bureau, Tedros was credited with making a
22.3% reduction in AIDS prevalence in the region, and a 68.5%
reduction in meningitis cases. He oversaw a campaign to improve ICT
access that installed computers and internet connectivity to most of
the region's hospitals and clinics, whereas they had not been

connected before.[7] Health care staffing was increased by 50%.[7]

Immunization for measles was raised to 98% of all children and total
immunisation for all children under 12 months was raised to 74%.

The percentage of government funding for the Tigray Regional Health

Bureau was increased to 65%, with foreign donors' percentage falling
to 35%. Overall, 68.5% of the population was provided with health care
services within 10 km.

Minister of Health
Tedros was appointed Minister of Health in October 2005 by Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi. Despite the many challenges faced by the
health ministry in terms of poverty, poor infrastructure, and a declining
global economic situation, progress in health indicators was considered
"impressive" in Ethiopia.[2][3][9] During the period 2005-2008, the
Ethiopian Ministry of Health built 4,000 health centres, trained and
deployed more than 30,000 health extension workers, and developed a
new cadre of hospital management professionals.[9] Furthermore, in
2010, Ethiopia was chosen by the US State Department as one of the
US Global Health Initiative Plus countries, where the US will support
innovative global health efforts.

Upon assuming office in 2005, Tedros inherited a ministry with a strong

vision but little capability to meet that vision.[9] The Ministry was
somewhat beholden to a donor community that was focused on
HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and malaria programs when Tedros first
assumed his leadership position with a diagonal, systems-based reform

agenda. With little economic surplus, the country lacked capacity to

build its own health systems, and much of the Ethiopian human
resources for health had fled the country- for example, there are more
Ethiopian doctors in the Chicago metropolitan area than in Ethiopia.[9]
[10] Tedros designed the health workforce "flooding" reform strategy
that has resulted in the training and deployment of thousands of
doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technologists and health
officers. He is particularly recognized for his innovative efforts that
improve the working environment and motivation of medica doctors.

As Minister of Health, Tedros was able to form a close relationship with

most global health key players including former American president Bill
Clinton and the Clinton Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation .[9] This ground for the Clinton -Ministry of Health
Partnership was built on engagement of equal partners. Tedros brought
to the partnership the leadership to sustain focus on the selected
agenda, the political clout to facilitate enabling legislation as needed,
and first-hand knowledge of what was needed. President Clinton and
the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) brought to the partnership a
commitment to assist Tedros priorities and their network, which
provided sources money, expertise, and credibility.[9] As a result,
Tedros was able to restructure and reform the Ministry in order to
better meet its goals.

Global Health Initiatives

During his time as Minister of Health of Ethiopia Tedros has been very
active in global health initiatives and left a print of his influence in the

wider area of the global health architecture. Ethiopia was the first
country to sign compact with the International Health Partnership. He
has served as Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (2007-2009),
Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS (2009-2010) and the Global
Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (2009-2011) and Co-Chair
of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (2005-2009).
He also served as member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunization (GAVI) Board as well as the Institute of Health Metrics
and Evaluation (IHME) and the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board.
He was also member of several academic and global health think tanks
including the Aspen Institute [1] and Harvard School of Public Health
[2]]. He has also served as vice-president of the 60th World Health
Assembly that was held on 14-23 May 2007.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and its
reform
Tedros was elected as Board Chair of the Global Fund in July 2009 for a
two years term. In a profile published in April 2010, the Lancet
reported that Tedros was a household name at the Global Fund
Secretariat before his election as Board Chair where his leadership
was regularly cited at the Global Fund that resulted in Ethiopia to be
named as an exemplary high-performing country.

In his acceptance speech he said The honor of this overwhelming vote

of support belongs to my country, Ethiopia, which I am very privileged
to represent. I am deeply humbled by this election and recognize well
the weight of the responsibilities that come with it. The Global Fund
faces big challenges ahead. But I am also optimistic about the great

opportunities we now have for ensuring that this unique and innovative
organization continues to be a success over the coming years.

During his tenure Dr Tedros has guided the Global Fund to address
significant challenges and to make important decisions that has led to
the development of a comprehensive reform agenda and a more
efficient and effective Global Fund. The Board has acknowledged his
outstanding leadership role in its decision point at the end of his tenure
saying " He has served the Global Fund with high degree of
commitment and Passion. He has led with commitment and
determination a comprhensive reform agenda".

Updates
UN says Eritrea commits crimes against humanity.
Eritrea's government is guilty of committing crimes against humanity
since independence a quarter-century ago with up to 400,000 people
"enslaved", the UN said on Wednesday
The crimes committed since 1991 to the present day include
imprisonment, enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killings, and rape
and murder, said the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) on
human rights.
The forced labour of military conscripts is also a major problem in the
country, the UN said.

"We probably think that there are 300,000 to 400,000 people who have
been enslaved," chief UN investigator Mike Smith told journalists in
Geneva.
The governement also operates a shoot-to-kill policy to stop people
fleeing the country, according to evidence collected by the UN inquiry.
About 5,000 Eritreans risk their lives each month to flee the nation
where forcible army conscription can last decades.
END

Nigeria football legend Stephen Keshi dies aged 54

Stephen Keshi, a winner of the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and
coach with the Super Eagles, has died aged 54.
The football legend passed away early on Wednesday after a
suspected heart attack in Benin City, Southern Nigeria, according to his
brother and manager Emmanuel Ado.
"Our son, brother, father, father-in-law, brother-in-law, has gone to be
with his wife of 35 years, Mrs. Kate Keshi, who passed on the 9th of
December 2015," said Ado in a statement.
"Since her death, Keshi has been in mourning. He came back to Nigeria
to be with her. He had planned to fly back (to the US) today, before he
suffered a cardiac arrest. He has found rest. We thank God for his life."
Keshi played in five different African Cup of Nations tournaments
captaining the Super Eagles team to their second continental success
in 1994 in Tunisia.
Nigera gears up football final

He was instrumental as Nigeria made their maiden appearance at the

1994 FIFA World Cup in the US where they reached the second round
before losing to Italy.
He played professionally in Ivory Coast, Belgium, France, the US and
Malaysia. He also managed the national teams of Togo and Mali.
Appointed coach of the Nigerian team in November 2011, he handled
the Super Eagles over four spells, leading them to the 2013 African
Cup of Nations title in South Africa becoming only the second man to
win it as a player and a coach as well as the last 16 at the 2014 World
Cup in Brazil.
There is pride in his achievements, sadness at his death and
disappointment at the timing of his exit.
Car bomb targets police station in Turkey's Mardin
Three people have been killed and several others wounded in a car
bomb attack on a police station in the country's southeastern province
of Mardin.
Hospital sources said more than 20 people, including police officers
and civilians, were wounded in Wednesday's attack in the town of
Midyat, a region where government forces are battling Kurkish
separatists.
In televised comments, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said: "One police
officer and two citizens have been confirmed dead so far."
According to images posted on Twitter, glass from blown-out windows
littered the streets and plumes of black smoke could be seen rising
from the building.
Turkey has been hit by a series of similar attacks in recent months.

Rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, have targeted police

and military personnel since July, when a fragile peace process
between the rebels and the government collapsed.
Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Gaziantep, said there's
been an increase in attacks since the Turkish army launched operations
against PKK fighters in the area.
In May, three people were killed in a car bombing by Kurdish rebels
against a gendarmerie station in Midyat and, in April, a soldier was
killed and six others wounded in a car bomb attack against their
outpost in Mardin.
Wednesday's attack comes a day after a car bomb hit a police vehicle
in Istanbul, killing 11 people during the morning rush hour.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) has
also been blamed for a series of deadly bombings in Turkey, which is
part of the US-led coalition bombing its positions.
LISA Pathfinder gravity measuring spacecraft exceeds
Two months into an experimental mission to test advanced gravity
sensing technology, the European Space Agency says the results have
exceed their expectations.

The craft, called LISA Pathfinder, is parked in space 1.5 million

kilometres from Earth, midway between our planet and the Sun, where
the gravitational pull of both objects is cancelled by the other.

Onboard are two small identical cubes of solid gold-platinum alloy freefalling through space at the same speed as the craft, while a laser
measures their relative motion with unprecedented accuracy;
movements as small as 1 part in ten millionths of a billionth of Earth's
gravity.

The technology is a frist step toward developeing a space-based

onservatory to detect gravitational waves.

"We now know gravitational waves are detectable - they exist - and
now, thanks to Lisa Pathfinder, we know that we have sufficient
sensitivety to observe them from space, and therefore a new window
to the universe has been opened," Fabio Favata from ESA's Directorate
of Science told a briefing on the mission.

Gravitational wave-test spacecraft launched

Most of our knowledge about the Universe is based upon our

observation of electromagnetic waves including visible light, infrared,
X-rays and gamma rays.

But 100 years ago Albert Einstein, in his theory of general relativity,
predicted another form of wave existed, and these gravitational waves
have a profound effect on the Universe.

"When a gravitational wave is produced, for example when two

massive back holes at the centre of galaxies smash into each other, it
creates these ripples in space-time," Paul McNamara, LISA Pathfinder's
project scientist told Al Jazeera when the craft launched last year.

"But because it is stiff, the ripples are not very big so we have to have
a very precise instrument which allows us to pick up the minuscule
changes in space-time itself."