President Ramos-Horta receives WHO Director-General candidate Hanan Balkhy
DÍLI, 10 September 2026 (TATOLI) — President José Ramos-Horta on Wednesday received Hanan H. Balkhy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s candidate for Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), during her inaugural visit to Timor-Leste.
Balkhy is in Dili to participate in a meeting of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia.
During their meeting, President Ramos-Horta and Hanan Balkhy reviewed Timor-Leste’s development progress and aspirations, highlighting significant milestones achieved across national public health sectors.
Hanan Balkhy shared her strategic vision for reforming the WHO, focusing on organizational efficiency, restoring institutional trust, and ensuring deliverable, impact-driven health outcomes for all member nations.
Addressing the critical lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hanan Balkhy stressed the urgent need to bridge global inequities in health.
She emphasized her commitment to expanding timely and equitable access to essential diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines for underserved populations, expressing her dedication to partnering closely with Timor-Leste and the wider region to build resilient and robust healthcare systems.
TATOLI
