CHINA / Taiwan, HK, Macao

HK Margaret Chan to run for WHO chief
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-25 20:33

China announced Tuesday that it has decided to recommend Margaret Chan from Hong Kong to run for Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Chan currently serves as WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases. The election for new director-general will be in November this year.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Chan has profound medical knowledge and rich experience in public health management and has thorough understanding of WHO rules as well as challenges and opportunities for the global health system.

"We believe Madam Margaret Chan would help the organization play a more active role in the health sector on the world stage if she were elected WHO Director-General."

Spokesman Liu said China has been an active player in international cooperation on health.

"China attaches great importance to the key role of the WHO and hopes to make greater contributions to the development of world health affairs," he said.

A resume posted on the WHO website said that Chan obtained her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978 and was appointed Director of Health in 1994, the first female director of Hong Kong.

During her nine-year tenure as Hong Kong's health director, Chan worked hard to build up the core competencies of Hong Kong in public health, particularly, in the combat of emerging and re-emerging communicable diseases.

In 2003, Chan joined the WHO and worked as WHO's Director of the Department of Protection of the Human Environment.

In June 2005, she was appointed Director of Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza, a job that has put her on the front line in the struggle against bird flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The WHO Executive Board decided in May on a November timetable for electing a new director-general for the organization. The decision follows the sudden death of Dr LEE Jong-wook, WHO Director-General, on 22 May. Lee was from the Republic of Korea.


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