Jakarta. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Monday that his candidacy for director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) came at the direct request of President Prabowo Subianto.

Budi said Prabowo saw an opportunity for Indonesia to secure its first top leadership position at an institution within the United Nations system and asked him to enter the race for the WHO’s highest post.

“The president saw an opportunity, so I was asked to run. Since I was given the assignment by the president, I have to do it,” Budi told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Budi said his candidacy also comes at a time when there are growing calls for developing countries, particularly those in the Global South, to have a stronger voice in the leadership of international institutions.

“They represent a larger share of the population and are poorer, so there needs to be representation from the Global South or developing countries in the leadership of global institutions like this,” he said.

Budi argued that greater representation of developing countries such as Indonesia in the leadership of international organizations would help ensure their interests receive greater attention at the global level.

He said Prabowo had specifically entrusted him with advocating for developing countries if he succeeds in the race.

“The president has considerable influence there. He entrusted me with a mission: if possible, represent these developing countries so that they receive greater attention in the global order,” Budi said.

Budi acknowledged that the selection process remains lengthy. The WHO Executive Board is expected to narrow the field to three candidates in January 2027, with the final election scheduled for May.

Budi formally registered as a candidate for WHO director-general last week, bringing the number of publicly announced candidates to four with about a month remaining before the Sept. 24 nomination deadline.

He is so far the only publicly announced candidate without a medical degree.

The other announced candidates are Dr. Hanan Balkhy of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari of Qatar, and Dr. Hans Kluge of Belgium.

The election of the next WHO director-general is scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2027.

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