The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially announced the candidacy of Dr. María Neira to lead the World Health Organization (WHO), following the deadline to apply for succeeding the current director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, which closed this Thursday. The news was advanced by the specialist outlet Health Policy Watch, which notes that Neira’s candidacy features a focus on primary prevention and on health risks linked to climate change.
Before Neira’s nomination, a coalition formed by more than 100 civil society groups had urged the Spanish government to back her bid, arguing that her technical experience is essential to address extreme heat waves and the environmental health risks in vulnerable communities.
The coalition had been promoted by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and Dr. Carlos Ferreyra of Climate, Life and Health International. In this way, Neira becomes the fifth candidate to lead the WHO, alongside Dr. Hans Kluge, from Belgium; Dr. Hanan Balkhy, from Saudi Arabia; Dr. Hanan Al-Kuwari, from Qatar; and Dr. Budi Gunadi Sadikin, from Indonesia.
A graduate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Oviedo, with a Master’s in Public Health from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris (France), she specialized in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at René Descartes University and, subsequently, in Nutrition at the Conservatoire National d’Arts et Métiers, also in Paris. In her career, her role as Director of the Department of Public Health and the Environment at the World Health Organization (WHO) stands out, a position she held for two decades.
After the deadline for candidacy submissions closed this Thursday, applicants will appear before the member states at the first live candidates’ forum, which will be held in November. Later, in early 2027, the WHO Executive Board will select a reduced list of up to three finalists, before the World Health Assembly casts the decisive vote in May.
