During one of his routine press conferences, the Director-General of the World Health Organization addressed the racist abuse and threats he had recently faced. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that he had endured “personal attacks” and “racist comments” for as long as three months, with the abuse even involving derogatory terms based on his race.

He appeared resolute in the face of this mistreatment, stating that he was unfazed by the death threats he had received and that he took pride in his racial identity. It was evident that he held strong feelings on the matter, but it seemed as though he was carefully managing the depth of his emotions. There might be much more he wishes to express in a different context or time. Nevertheless, despite his restraint, his comments received criticism from certain quarters, with allegations that he was playing the ‘race card’ to divert attention from criticisms of his organisation’s performance in this ongoing crisis.