Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Saudi Arabia’s candidate for Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has noted Bahrain's health model as a blueprint for global health system transformation. Balkhy's campaign emphasizes country-led initiatives and innovative approaches, with Bahrain's integrated primary healthcare system serving as a key example. Bahrain's strategy, which includes advanced digital technology and community-led health programs, offers a vital model for regional and international health system improvements. The approach demonstrates how strong primary care and technological integration can drive significant progress in public health.
Bahrain's Health System Blueprint
Dr. Hanan Balkhy is currently the WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, a role from which she has observed regional health developments. Bahrain, for example, hosts the Eastern Mediterranean Region’s first WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Development. Manama also achieved the distinction of becoming the region’s first designated Healthy Capital in 2021, and the kingdom has since expanded the Healthy Cities framework across all four of its governorates.
Dr. Balkhy emphasized her commitment to evidence-based decision-making for the global health body. "Trust cannot be demanded. It has to be earned – and re-earned – with every decision, and with two audiences at once: member states and the public," Dr. Balkhy stated. She added that "When we issue guidance, assess a health threat or recommend action, governments, health professionals and the public should be able to see the best available scientific evidence behind that decision and understand why it was taken."
Dr. Balkhy is running for the top WHO position based on her extensive experience. "I am running because I have spent more than three decades building institutions, leading through crises, bringing countries together and delivering results," Dr. Balkhy said, noting, "That is the experience I would bring to WHO." She also reiterated her vision for a "country-led" WHO, where "countries lead, WHO listens and enables."
She advocates for proactive health strategies. "The biggest mistake we can make is to begin preparing for an emergency only after it has arrived," Dr. Balkhy warned. She seeks "UHC delivered, not just declared" and stressed the interconnectedness of global health. "Health threats do not respect borders, political divisions or levels of income. No country can protect its people alone," Dr. Balkhy observed. "That is why I am running: to help build a WHO the world can count on – built on trust, driven by impact, and measured by value."
A Vision for Global Health Leadership
Dr. Hanan Balkhy is campaigning for the position of WHO Director-General in the upcoming 2027 election, drawing on her extensive background in global health. Her vision for the organization emphasizes a "country-led" approach, where "countries lead, WHO listens and enables," as she stated. Balkhy noted her commitment to evidence-based decision-making for the global health body, noting, "Trust cannot be demanded. It has to be earned – and re-earned – with every decision, and with two audiences at once: member states and the public." She added, "When we issue guidance, assess a health threat or recommend action, governments, health professionals and the public should be able to see the best available scientific evidence behind that decision and understand why it was taken."
Balkhy's career includes managing the MERS-CoV outbreak in the Middle East, an experience she cites as foundational. She also previously served as the WHO’s first Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). She stressed the importance of proactive health strategies, warning, "The biggest mistake we can make is to begin preparing for an emergency only after it has arrived." Her campaign advocates for "UHC delivered, not just declared" and shows the interconnectedness of global health challenges. "Health threats do not respect borders, political divisions or levels of income. No country can protect its people alone," Balkhy observed, adding, "That is why I am running: to help build a WHO the world can count on – built on trust, driven by impact, and measured by value."
Balkhy framed her candidacy as a culmination of over three decades of work. "I am running because I have spent more than three decades building institutions, leading through crises, bringing countries together and delivering results," she said, emphasizing, "That is the experience I would bring to WHO." She also expressed hope that her journey could inspire others. "If that journey tells a young woman somewhere in the Arab world that there should be no ceiling on what she can contribute to medicine or global health, that is something I would be very proud of," Balkhy concluded.
Transforming WHO's Role
If elected Director-General, Dr. Hanan Balkhy has pledged to restructure the WHO’s relationship with its 194 member states, asserting that "countries lead, WHO listens and enables." This foundational principle underpins her vision for the organization. Dr. Balkhy stated that her priority in the first 100 days would be to systematically listen to every member state. She intends to align the three levels of the organization—country, regional, and headquarters—behind clearly agreed national priorities.
Dr. Balkhy emphasized her extensive experience as a qualification for the role. "I am running because I have spent more than three decades building institutions, leading through crises, bringing countries together and delivering results," Dr. Balkhy said, noting, "That is the experience I would bring to WHO." She also expressed hope that her career path could serve as an inspiration. "If that journey tells a young woman somewhere in the Arab world that there should be no ceiling on what she can contribute to medicine or global health, that is something I would be very proud of," she added. The election for the WHO Director-General position is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, 2026.
