Sources: China to put forth WHO chief candidate

China plans to put forward a candidate to lead the

World Health Organization, according sources familiar

with the matter.

Song Li, a senior public health official with 20 years' expertise in

maternal and child health policy and international cooperation,

is reportedly being nominated as a possible successor to

incumbent director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

The UN health agency has been forced into a sweeping

restructuring by the loss of its largest donor, the US,

and has been scaling back activities, cutting senior

management roles and eliminating thousands of jobs.

This while China has announced additional funding for

the WHO, but still falls short of what the United States contributed.

There are currently six official candidates representing

Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Qatar, Botswana, Indonesia and Spain.

The WHO will release the complete list of nominees after

final regional committee meetings, expected in early November.

If chosen, Song would be the second Chinese national to head

the WHO after Margaret Chan, Hong Kong's former director of health.