The Latest: Ethiopian candidate picked as next WHO chief

Delegates, health ministers and other high-level envoys were deciding Tuesday between Tedros and Britain's Dr. David Nabarro, a U.N. veteran, to be the U.N. health agency's next director-general.

The two remaining candidates are Britain's Dr. David Nabarro, a U.N. veteran who has led past responses to pandemic flu and Ebola and Ethiopia's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former health minister.

Pakistan's candidate to be the next director-general of the World Health Organization, cardiologist Dr. Sania Nishtar, said she decided to go into public health after being told the hospital where she worked would start using recycled catheters for patients who couldn't pay.

In her remarks Tuesday to the World Health Assembly, who will soon vote to choose the U.N. health agency's next leader, Nishtar cited her past experience leading non-governmental organizations, saying that would help her bridge the numerous polarizing situations in public health.

Like the other two candidates, Nishtar promised to make WHO accountable, saying she was credited for bringing transparency to public health when she was a minister in Pakistan.

The president of this year's World Health Assembly opened this afternoon's proceedings by calling for a minute of silence to remember the victims of the Manchester bombing attack.

First to speak was Ethiopia's candidate to lead the World Health Organization, former minister of health Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Health ministers, diplomats and other high-level envoys are set to choose the next director-general of the World Health Organization among three finalists.

The U.N. agency's chief has considerable power to set global medical priorities and declare health emergencies, such as outbreaks of the Zika or Ebola viruses.