China’s Margaret Chan nominated as next WHO chief

Source: Xinhuanet | 11-09-2006 09:01

GENEVA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday nominated Dr Margaret Chan, former health chief of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as its next director-general.

The nomination came after four rounds of secret balloting by the UN agency's 34-nation Executive Board, during which four other heavyweight competitors were eliminated.

Chan, 59, joined the WHO in 2003 and has since been the agency's top official for pandemic influenza, as well as the assistant director-general for communicable diseases.

Her challengers in the race included Shigero Omi, a Japanese who heads WHO's operations in the Western Pacific region, Mexico's Health Minister Julio Frenk, Kazem Behbehani, a senior WHO official from Kuwait, and Spanish Health Minister Elena Salgado Mendez.

The five finalists were selected from an original list of 11 candidates, who had been recommended by their respective governments to head the U.N. agency following the sudden death of former WHO Director-General Dr Lee Jong-wook in May.

"I'm deeply honored by your confidence," Chan told the Executive Board after its members finally nominated her as the new WHO chief, adding that she felt a "deep responsibility."

Chan had been leading in all the four rounds of balloting. Japan's Omi, seen as Chan's most powerful rival, was eliminated in the third round.