Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told Reuters that the United States should return to the WHO after Washington formally withdrew from the organisation at the beginning of the year. President Donald Trump had accused the agency of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, allegations the WHO has rejected.
Budi is one of six candidates seeking to replace current WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The other candidates come from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Botswana and Belgium, with the organisation expected to announce the full list later this month and members scheduled to vote next May.
The Indonesian candidate enters the race as an outsider. Unlike the other candidates, Budi has no formal background in medicine or public health. His career includes senior positions in banking and technology, while his experience as Indonesia's health minister includes overseeing the country's COVID-19 vaccination campaign and a national health-screening programme.
He is instead presenting fundraising and institutional reform as central elements of his campaign. Budi argues that the WHO could work more closely with development institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to help countries finance and implement national health programmes.
He also wants the organisation to refocus on its core role of establishing science-based health standards. His comments reflect wider concerns among member states about the effectiveness, funding and governance of global health institutions.
The loss of US funding has increased pressure on the WHO's finances and international operations. Budi argues that restoring American participation would strengthen the agency's ability to coordinate responses to future pandemics and rebuild trust among member states.
For global health policymakers, the leadership contest comes as international cooperation faces renewed strain. The experience of COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of cross-border surveillance, research, vaccination and emergency response, while political disagreements have complicated efforts to maintain a unified global system.
The next WHO leadership will therefore face a dual challenge: rebuilding confidence in the institution while ensuring that governments remain willing to cooperate when the next major health emergency emerges.
