| China's Margaret Chan elected WHO chief(11/10/06) | ||||||||||
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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Nov.9 formally approved China's Dr. Margaret Chan as its new chief, to succeed Dr. Lee Jong-wook of South Korea who died suddenly in May.
The WHO's top decision-making World Health Assembly, composed of all 193 member states, agreed by voting that Dr. Chan will be the next director-general, confirming a nomination a day earlier by the 34-nation governing Executive Board. At a special session of the Assembly, 150 member countries voted in favor of Chan, with 2 against and 2 abstentions. Other member countries did not vote for various reasons, diplomatic sources said. A new director-general nominee needs a two-thirds majority of real votes to get the Assembly approval for the post. Chan, 59, will take office in January 2007 for a five-year term. The UN agency has been led by Acting Director-General Dr. Anders Nordstrom of Sweden since May. Chan is the first Chinese national that has been elected to head a UN specialized body. The former Hong Kong health chief joined the WHO in 2003, and she had been the UN agency's assistant director-general for communicable diseases before announcing to campaign for the top post of director-general in July. Her bid for the job had been fully supported by the Chinese central government as well as the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, without which she could not have won the election, Chan told reporters following her nomination on Wednesday. The Chinese government said it had recommended Chan to head the WHO because of her solid professional background, strong leadership, and tremendous experience in public health. Chan had overcome Mexico's Health Minister Julio Frenk, WHO senior official Shigeru Omi of Japan, Spain's Health Minister Elena Salgado and another WHO official, Kuwait's Kazem Behbehani, to win the Executive Board nomination. Six other candidates from different regions were eliminated in initial voting by the 34-nation governing body. The WHO was established in 1948 with the objective of helping all peoples attain the highest possible level of health. The profile of the organization has risen dramatically in recent years as the world struggles to deal with such health challenges as a threatened flu pandemic, AIDS, chronic illnesses and dilapidated healthcare in poor countries.
Int'l community welcomes incoming WHO director-general BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The international community on Thursday welcomed the election of Margaret Chan as the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). French President Jacques Chirac extended congratulations on Thursday to the election of Chan as the next WHO chief. Chan has devoted herself to the advancement of health, the fight against such epidemic diseases as SARS and bird flu, Chirac said in his message of congratulations. New WHO chief says to focus on Africa, women
"The people of Africa carry an enormous and disproportionate burden of ill health and premature death," Chan said. "The health of African people must therefore be a key indicator of the performance of WHO," she said in a speech to the top decision-making World Health Assembly that had just approved her as the new chief. Chan added that the health of women must be the other indicator of the organization's work. "I do not mean just maternal health. Women do much more than have babies," she said. "Their activities in households and communities, coupled with their low status, make them especially vulnerable to health problems - from indoor air pollution and multiple infectious diseases to violence," she told the Assembly meeting. "Reducing health problems in women and empowering them will result in a dramatic increase in health-promoting behaviors - right where it counts most," she stressed. Chan also mentioned other challenges of world health, including infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, etc.. Chan, from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will take office in January 2007 for a five-year term. She is the first Chinese national that has been elected to head a UN specialized body. Chirac congratulates incoming WHO director-general PARIS, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- French President Jacques Chirac congratulated on Thursday the election of Margaret Chan as the next director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). Chan has devoted herself to the advancement of health, the fight against such epidemic diseases as SARS and bird flu, Chirac said in his letter of congratulation. Full Story>> Chinese government congratulates Margaret Chan confirmed as new WHO chief BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese government on Thursday congratulates Margaret Chan confirmed as new chief of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is the first time Chinese national has been elected to head a specialized U.N. body, Jiang Yu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said. The Chinese government fully supports Margaret Chan as the director-general of the WHO, Jiang said, noting that governments of Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions also actively supported. Full Story>> WHO opens special session to confirm Margaret Chan as new chief GENEVA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) opened a special session on Thursday, during which China's Margaret Chan will be formally approved as the organization's next director-general. The special session of the UN agency's top decision-making body kicked off at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, also known as the UN headquarters in Europe. Full Story>>
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