Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, and diplomat who has served as the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2017. He is the first person from the WHO African Region to lead the organization and the first Director-General to be elected by the World Health Assembly in a vote open to all member states. Born in the city of Asmara, Ethiopia (now in Eritrea), Tedros pursued his higher education in biology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Asmara in 1986. He subsequently continued his academic studies abroad, earning a Master of Science in the immunology of infectious diseases from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, in 1992. He later completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in community health from the University of Nottingham in 2000, with research focusing on the impact of dams on malaria transmission in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Following his education, Tedros returned to Ethiopia to engage in public health work, beginning his career as a field-level malariologist. He steadily advanced through the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, serving as head of the Tigray Regional Health Bureau and later as Minister of State for Health. In 2005, he was appointed Minister of Health, a position he held until 2012. During his tenure as health minister, he was credited with implementing comprehensive reforms aimed at strengthening Ethiopia's health system. Key among these initiatives was the expansion of primary health care through the deployment of approximately 40,000 female health extension workers, an effort that significantly increased access to services in remote regions and contributed to substantial reductions in child and maternal mortality. Between 2012 and 2016, Tedros served as Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he utilized his position to elevate health diplomacy on the international stage. His background in global health advocacy included leadership roles such as Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (2009–2011), Chair of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and Co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. In May 2017, Tedros was elected Director-General of the WHO, assuming office on 1 July 2017. His leadership has been defined by his focus on universal health coverage, emergency preparedness, and systemic organizational reform. In May 2022, he was re-elected for a second five-year term. During his tenure, he has led the organization through several critical global health crises, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the 2022–2023 mpox outbreak and the ongoing response to the Ebola virus epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Throughout his career, Tedros has received numerous honors and recognitions for his contributions to global health, including the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award in 2011. While widely recognized for his advocacy for health equity, his leadership has also navigated complex geopolitical challenges and controversies, including scrutiny regarding the WHO's response during global health emergencies and questions concerning his previous roles in Ethiopian governance. He continues to advocate for the principle that health is a fundamental human right, emphasizing the necessity of robust global cooperation to address persistent and emerging infectious disease threats.