Nearly 20 European Union countries nominated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for a second term as head of the World Health Organization (WHO), shortly before the deadline passed on Thursday, AFP reported.

WHO member states had until 1600 GMT to nominate candidates. 

Germany announced on Wednesday that it was proposing Tedros, who appears to be the only candidate in the running.

"Today September 23rd, France and Germany, in coordination with a group of EU states, nominated Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros for the election of the @WHO Director-General to be held in May 2022," the permanent missions of France and Germany at the UN in Geneva both wrote in a tweet.

Other EU nations followed Berlin's lead and backed the Ethiopian former health and foreign minister, diplomatic sources said.

Each country, among them Austria, France, Portugal and Spain, submitted a sealed envelope to the Geneva-based WHO.

The organization will not open the envelopes before October 1. Then, a few weeks later, the list of candidates will be sent to the WHO's 194 member states, before being made public.