Egypt congratulated on Tuesday former Ethiopian health minister and foreign minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his election as the next director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) and said it looks forward to working with him. The foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday that Adhanom's triumph was a "deserved win for Ethiopia and Africa as a whole." Adhanom willl be the first African to lead the Geneva-based United Nations agency. The former health minister and foreign minister prevailed over six candidates who sought to take the helm at the 69-year-old organisation, which works to improve international public health. The ministry said Egypt was among the first countries to support the Ethiopian candidate in the race. "Cairo is looking forward to cooperating with the new director-general to achieve the objectives of the organisation and face the challenge of improving international healthcare," the statement added.