China
Chinese expert wins WHO nomination
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Source: CCTV.com | 11-09-2006 09:18
Bird flu expert Dr. Margaret Chan has secured the nomination to become the world's top health official. The position will make her the first Chinese national to hold a top UN post.
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| 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. More >> |
Chan's nomination has to be approved by a two-thirds majority on Thursday at a special session of the agency's governing World Health Assembly, made up of all 193 member countries.
In the past the votes have always followed the recommendation of the executive board.
Margaret Chan said, “If my nomination is confirmed by the Health Assembly tomorrow I intend to take the legacy of Dr Lee and his predecessors forward, as many of you have just expressed. You know my vision for the WHO. The priorities I would like to introduce, my background and my experience.”
Chan, who earned her medical degree at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978 and has spent most of her career in administration.
She took over as the WHO's influenza pandemic chief in 2005, and also has the experience of containing a bird flu outbreak.
" I would work 'tirelessly' for world health", said Margaret Chan
"You can be sure that I will work tirelessly and I will open my ears to all to listen to all voices," Chan told the 34 members of the WHO Executive Board, which had finally nominated her as the new WHO director-general. Full Story >>
Brief introduction of Margaret Chan
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And for nine of those years she was the department's director. During her tenure, she helped control outbreaks of bird flu in 1997 and managed the SARS crisis in 2003. Full Story >>
Editor:Sun Luying
