Flavia Bustreo knows the World Health Organization all too well. She has served within its ranks for more than a decade and is the only internal candidate among those vying for the position of director-general of the U.N. health aid agency.
Being part of the organization could give her an advantage that predecessors have also enjoyed. Six out of WHO’s eight previous director-generals, including outgoing Director-General Margaret Chan, were already working for WHO when they were elected to the position. Yet as member states demand more reforms within WHO, inside experience may also be a liability. They could see her as the candidate who would maintain the status quo at an institution that requires change for efficiency and relevance in the ever-growing global health landscape.
This perception does not escape the Italian candidate. In a conversation with Devex, Bustreo reiterated how she’s spent far more years working outside the organization than in it, and how she, too, has several areas in which she’d like to “drive change” at WHO.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
