Explore the WHO leadership structure. Learn about headquarters, regional offices, governance bodies, and the organisational hierarchy of global health leadership.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sat 10th January 2026
The WHO leadership structure operates through a hierarchical framework with the Director-General at the apex, supported by Deputy Directors-General and Assistant Directors-General, coordinating work across six regional offices (Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific), with the World Health Assembly serving as the supreme decision-making body comprising representatives from all 194 member states—all headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland with 150 field offices worldwide. This structure enables effective global health coordination.
How is the World Health Organization structured? This question matters because understanding WHO's organisational architecture clarifies how global health decisions are made, implemented, and coordinated across nations. WHO's leadership structure provides the governance framework for addressing health challenges worldwide, from pandemic response to health system strengthening.
This guide examines the WHO leadership structure, helping healthcare professionals and policy makers understand how the world's leading health authority is organised and governed.
The centre of global health governance.
"The WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide."
Headquarters elements:
Geneva headquarters provides:
Core functions:
"The seat of the organization was designed by Swiss architect Jean Tschumi and inaugurated in 1966."
Organisational history:
The organisation's chief executive.
"The Director-General outlines the vision and oversees all international health work."
DG responsibilities:
"Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected WHO Director-General at the World Health Assembly on 23 May 2017 and re-elected for a second 5-year term on 24 May 2022."
Leadership details:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director-General | Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus |
| First elected | 23 May 2017 |
| Re-elected | 24 May 2022 |
| Term | Five years |
The Director-General is:
Selection process:
Executive management structure.
"Reporting to the Director-General are the Deputy Directors-General and Assistant Directors-General, who oversee specific areas of focus, such as health emergencies, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, health systems, and policy development."
Leadership tiers:
Specialised executive roles:
Executive positions:
"Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu is Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, leading the Organization's global preparedness for and response to health emergencies."
Emergencies structure:
"As Chief Scientist, Sylvie Briand oversees the work of the Science Division, bringing together experts and networks working in science and innovation from around the world."
Science structure:
Decentralised regional governance.
"WHO Member States are grouped into 6 regions. Each region has a regional office."
Regional organisation:
| Region | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Africa (AFRO) | African continent |
| Americas (AMRO/PAHO) | North and South America |
| South-East Asia (SEARO) | South-East Asian nations |
| Europe (EURO) | European region |
| Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) | Middle East and North Africa |
| Western Pacific (WPRO) | Western Pacific nations |
"Each regional office is considered a separate functional unit of WHO."
Regional functions:
"Each office has a regional committee made up of delegates from the ministries of health of that region's member states."
Committee structure:
"The regional offices work primarily on their region's agenda, which is decided by the regional committee that meets annually. The committee is also responsible for reviewing progress and every 5 years it elects a regional director."
Regional Director role:
Decision-making structures.
"The World Health Assembly (WHA) serves as the supreme decision-making body of the WHO and includes representatives from all member states."
WHA characteristics:
The Assembly determines:
WHA responsibilities:
The EB provides:
Board functions:
"WHO currently has 194 member states."
Membership structure:
Organisational design principles.
"The WHO operates primarily with a hierarchical structure designed to provide a clear chain of command, streamline decision-making processes, and ensure effective coordination of activities across various departments and regions."
Design principles:
This structure provides:
Structural benefits:
Linking structure elements:
Coordination approaches:
Technical and administrative units.
WHO organises work through:
Division structure:
Integrated focus areas:
Cross-cutting elements:
Enabling operations:
Support areas:
Field office network.
WHO operates through:
Country presence:
Country leadership through:
Representative role:
Country-level collaboration:
Partnership elements:
Ongoing transformation.
WHO continues evolving:
Transformation elements:
Key developments include:
Recent reforms:
Continuing evolution toward:
Future focus:
The WHO leadership structure operates hierarchically with the Director-General at the apex, supported by Deputy and Assistant Directors-General. It coordinates through six regional offices covering Africa, Americas, South-East Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific, with the World Health Assembly as the supreme decision-making body.
The WHO is led by the Director-General, currently Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2022. The Director-General outlines vision, oversees international health work, and is supported by Deputy Directors-General, Assistant Directors-General, and specialised executives including the Chief Scientist and Health Emergencies Executive Director.
WHO has six regional offices: Africa (AFRO), Americas (AMRO/PAHO), South-East Asia (SEARO), Europe (EURO), Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO), and Western Pacific (WPRO). Each regional office is a separate functional unit with its own regional committee and director elected every five years.
The World Health Assembly (WHA) is WHO's supreme decision-making body, comprising representatives from all 194 member states. It meets annually to determine policy, approve budgets, adopt programmes, elect the Director-General, and provide overall governance for the organisation.
WHO headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The building was designed by Swiss architect Jean Tschumi and inaugurated in 1966. From Geneva, WHO coordinates work across six regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.
WHO's hierarchical structure provides a clear chain of command from Director-General through Deputy and Assistant Directors-General to programme directors and managers. This design streamlines decision-making, ensures effective coordination across departments and regions, and maintains consistent standards.
Regional directors are elected by their regional committees, which comprise delegates from ministries of health of member states in that region. Elections occur every five years, with regional committees meeting annually to review progress and set regional agendas.