Indonesia Health Minister Seeks WHO Top Job, Pitches Outside Funding

Indonesia's Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin is seeking to lead the World Health Organization and says the agency should tap external funding sources rather than rely solely on its own budget, as it faces a severe cash crunch after losing the US, historically its largest donor. "The WHO doesn't have to use WHO money," Budi said in an interview on September 18, 2026, citing the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Gates Foundation, Gavi and the Global Fund as potential financing sources. The 62-year-old, nominated by President Prabowo Subianto, is one of four candidates to succeed Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whose term ends in August 2027. A nuclear physicist and former Bank Mandiri executive, Budi is the only contender without a health or medical background. Nominations close September 24, 2026; member states vote in May.