Indonesia’s WHO Chief Candidate Calls for US to Rejoin Agency
Indonesia’s candidate to become the next World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, has called for the United States to rejoin the global health agency, arguing that countries cannot effectively prepare for the next pandemic by acting alone.
In an interview with Reuters, Budi said many WHO member states believe the US should return to the organization. His comments come as the WHO faces a leadership transition, a funding challenge following the US withdrawal and growing calls for institutional reform.
The issue is significant beyond global health policy. The future of WHO financing, international pandemic preparedness and cooperation between major economies could influence healthcare systems, pharmaceutical supply chains and the global response to future health emergencies.
Why Indonesia’s WHO Candidate Wants the US Back
Budi, who has served as Indonesia’s health minister since 2020, said it was effectively impossible for countries to handle a future pandemic independently.
He also pointed to his relationship with US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying the two can communicate easily. Budi argued that rebuilding cooperation with Washington would be important for global health coordination.
The United States formally began the process of withdrawing from WHO under President Donald Trump in 2025. The White House cited concerns over WHO's handling of COVID-19, the organization's need for reforms and what it described as an unfair financial burden on the US.
WHO has rejected the criticism over its pandemic response and said in January 2026 that it hoped the United States would eventually return to active participation.
For the next WHO chief, therefore, relations with Washington could become one of the most important diplomatic challenges.
WHO Is Already Facing a Funding Problem
The US withdrawal is not simply a political disagreement. It has direct financial consequences.
The United States was one of WHO’s most important sources of funding. WHO documents show that the organization had already been preparing for a major reduction in US contributions, while other countries were also cutting development assistance. WHO said in late 2025 that the combination of the US withdrawal and other funding reductions created a roughly $500 million funding gap for the 2026–27 biennium.
The organization has attempted to make its finances more predictable by increasing mandatory contributions from member states. In 2025, WHO members approved another 20% increase in assessed contributions as part of the organization's $4.2 billion 2026–27 budget.
That gives the next director-general an unusually difficult balancing act: maintaining WHO's global responsibilities while making the organization less dependent on a small number of major donors.
Budi's comments suggest that he sees international financial cooperation as part of the solution.
Budi Wants WHO to Focus on Its Core Role
Budi's campaign is not limited to bringing the United States back.
He told Reuters that WHO should concentrate more heavily on its core mandate of setting science-based health norms and standards. He also said almost all member states were calling for reform.
This is an important part of his pitch because Budi is an unusual candidate in the WHO race.
Unlike the other candidates, he does not come from a traditional medical or public-health career. Before entering government, he worked in banking, including at Indonesia's Bank Mandiri, and also had experience at IBM.
His supporters can therefore point to management, financing and fundraising experience rather than conventional public-health credentials.
That could become particularly relevant as WHO attempts to operate with tighter finances.
Indonesia’s COVID Experience Is Central to His Campaign
Budi became Indonesia's health minister in 2020 and played a major role in the country's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which had to serve a population of roughly 280 million people.
He also oversees Indonesia's ongoing free health-screening program.
That experience gives him a practical argument for leading a global organization dealing with pandemic preparedness.
His campaign is also closely connected to Indonesia's broader diplomatic ambitions. President Prabowo Subianto personally nominated Budi for the WHO leadership race, according to the minister.
Indonesia has also presented his candidacy as a way to increase the voice of developing countries in major international institutions.
Six Candidates Are Competing for the WHO’s Top Job
Budi is one of six prospective candidates in the race to succeed current WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The candidates listed by WHO include:
Budi Gunadi Sadikin — Indonesia
Hanan Mohammed Al-Kuwari — Qatar
Hanan Balkhy — Saudi Arabia
Hans Henri P. Kluge — Belgium
Maria P. Neira — Spain
Gevorg Tamamyan — Botswana
WHO's current prospective-candidate list confirms Budi's nomination by Indonesia and the other candidates' respective nominations.
The final selection process will take place over several stages. WHO says the nomination deadline was September 24, 2026. The official candidate announcement is scheduled for on or after October 29, followed by a candidates' forum in November. The Executive Board is expected to shortlist and nominate up to three candidates in January 2027.
The World Health Assembly is then expected to appoint the next director-general in May 2027. Tedros' current term ends on August 15, 2027.
That means Budi's comments on US relations are likely to remain part of a much broader debate over what the WHO should become under its next leader.
Why the US-Indonesia- WHO Relationship Matters for Business
For investors and businesses, the story is not directly about a particular stock. Its significance lies in the global healthcare ecosystem.
A stronger WHO could help coordinate responses to future outbreaks, establish international standards and improve preparedness. That matters for pharmaceutical companies, vaccine manufacturers, diagnostic businesses, medical-device producers and healthcare systems.
A fragmented global health system could create the opposite problem: countries adopting different approaches to disease surveillance, medical standards, vaccine procurement and emergency responses.
The US is particularly important because of its scientific, pharmaceutical and financial influence. A return to WHO could therefore strengthen the organization's resources and technical network, although that outcome would depend on the conditions attached to any future US re-engagement.
At the same time, Budi's emphasis on development banks such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank points toward a broader financing model in which international institutions help countries build and execute their own health plans.
What to Watch Next
The immediate focus will shift to the formal WHO election process.
Investors and business readers should watch:
The official publication of the six candidates
The November candidates' forum
The Executive Board's January 2027 shortlist
The candidates' positions on WHO reform and financing
US signals regarding future engagement with WHO
How other major donors respond to WHO's funding needs
Progress on global pandemic preparedness and health financing
The biggest question is whether the next WHO leader can restore trust among member states while keeping the organization financially sustainable.
Bottom Line
Indonesia's Budi Gunadi Sadikin is making US re-engagement with WHO and institutional reform central themes of his campaign to become the agency's next director-general. His argument is straightforward: a future pandemic will require cooperation among major countries, and the WHO cannot effectively coordinate global health if one of its most important former participants remains outside the organization.
The leadership election is still in its early stages, so Budi's candidacy is far from assured. But his position highlights the central challenge facing the next WHO chief: rebuilding trust, securing sustainable funding and maintaining international cooperation at a time when global health institutions are under increasing political and financial pressure.
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