Canadian-educated Chinese bird flu expert nomination to head UN health body: Knowledge Driven Revolution

Canadian-educated bird flu expert Dr. Margaret Chan won the nomination Wednesday to become the world's top health official, a position that would make her the first Chinese national to hold a top UN post, delegates said.

The victory for China, which nominated and backed Chan, demonstrated the Asian giant's interest in playing a bigger role in global affairs.

But a key U.S. official said he was convinced Chan won the nomination for the top job at the World Health Organization on the basis that she would make "a great director general."

"I don't think we elected China," said John Agwunobi, the U.S. assistant secretary for health. "We elected Margaret Chan and Margaret will be a servant of the entire world."

The WHO's executive board chose Chan over four other candidates in a tight race to fill the post vacated by the death last May of Dr. Lee Jong-wook. In the final round of voting she easily defeated Mexico's health minister, Dr. Julio Frenk, by a vote of 24-10.

"This is a moment of personal honour for me and also of deep personal responsibility," Chan told the board. "I will work tirelessly with my eyes on the goal we agreed on together, my ears open for the voices of all and my heart committed to the populations of your countries."

Outside the meeting room WHO employees crowded around a screen showing her speech and applauded.

The board set Chan's term to start Jan. 4 and to last until the end of June 2012, officials said.

Her selection needs approval by a two-thirds majority at a special session of the agency's governing World Health Assembly, comprised of all 193 member countries. The World Health Assembly has never rejected such a nomination from the executive board.

Anders Nordstrom, who has been acting director general since the 61-year-old Lee died of a brain hemorrhage, said Chan was taking over the organization at a time when "we've never had such strong interest and support for health globally and locally."

Dr. Richard Horton, editor of the influential medical journal The Lancet, said he was disappointed that Frenk had lost, but that Chan had "a demonstrable commitment to global health."

"Although Margaret Chan has strong abilities in some areas, like epidemic diseases, she is very much untested in other areas," Horton said.

Chan, who earned her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978 and has spent most of her career in administration.

Critics say the WHO has been largely controlled behind the scenes by the United States, its biggest donor and a country that many contend is intent on promoting the interests of the pharmaceuticals industry and the Bush administration's ideological line on issues like abortion.

Horton, who accused Washington of exercising something "close to a veto role" at the WHO, said Chan "is going to have to take a very strong independent line in her policy-making, listening to all member states not just a few."

China, for its part, has recently been criticized for dragging its feet in reporting outbreaks of bird flu to the WHO and supplying virus samples to the global health community for analysis.

Chan said in preparing for the race last summer, said "you need to leave behind your nationality because you're serving the world."

"If elected, I'm not serving Hong Kong's interests. I'm not serving China's interests. I'm serving the world's interests," she said. "That's a very important message to get clear."

Top pharmaceutical companies, which have clashed with WHO over topics such as patent rights and low-cost drugs, welcomed Chan's nomination.

Her public health experience and personal qualities equip her to provide the organization "with clear direction and appropriate priorities," said Harvey Bale, head of the Geneva-based International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations.

Chan was Hong Kong's health director during the SARS outbreak in 2003. She joined WHO later that year, and took over as the agency's influenza pandemic chief in 2005.

As an assistant director general, she has led WHO's efforts to fight communicable diseases and most immediately to prepare for a possible pandemic should the bird flu virus mutate into a strain easily transmitted among humans.

Appointed Hong Kong's director of public health in 1994 while it was still under British rule, she faced her biggest challenges when the city was hit by bird flu in 1997 and SARS - or severe acute respiratory syndrome - in 2003, killing several hundred people.

The city reported the world's first known human outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in 1997, when 18 people were infected and six died. Chan is credited with heading off a major human health crisis by ordering the slaughter of Hong Kong's entire poultry population - about 1.5 million birds in three days.

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"I don't think we elected China," said John Agwunobi, the U.S. assistant secretary for health. "We elected Margaret Chan and Margaret will be a servant of the entire world." The WHO's executive board chose Chan over four other candidates in a tight race to fill the post vacated by the death last May of Dr. Lee Jong-wook. In the final round of voting she easily defeated Mexico's health minister, Dr. Julio Frenk, by a vote of 24-10. "This is a moment of personal honour for me and also of deep personal responsibility," Chan told the board. "I will work tirelessly with my eyes on the goal we agreed on together, my ears open for the voices of all and my heart committed to the populations of your countries." Outside the meeting room WHO employees crowded around a screen showing her speech and applauded. The board set Chan's term to start Jan. 4 and to last until the end of June 2012, officials said. Her selection needs approval by a two-thirds majority at a special session of the agency's governing World Health Assembly, comprised of all 193 member countries. The World Health Assembly has never rejected such a nomination from the executive board. Anders Nordstrom, who has been acting director general since the 61-year-old Lee died of a brain hemorrhage, said Chan was taking over the organization at a time when "we've never had such strong interest and support for health globally and locally." Dr. Richard Horton, editor of the influential medical journal The Lancet, said he was disappointed that Frenk had lost, but that Chan had "a demonstrable commitment to global health." "Although Margaret Chan has strong abilities in some areas, like epidemic diseases, she is very much untested in other areas," Horton said. Chan, who earned her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978 and has spent most of her career in administration. Critics say the WHO has been largely controlled behind the scenes by the United States, its biggest donor and a country that many contend is intent on promoting the interests of the pharmaceuticals industry and the Bush administration's ideological line on issues like abortion. Horton, who accused Washington of exercising something "close to a veto role" at the WHO, said Chan "is going to have to take a very strong independent line in her policy-making, listening to all member states not just a few." China, for its part, has recently been criticized for dragging its feet in reporting outbreaks of bird flu to the WHO and supplying virus samples to the global health community for analysis. Chan said in preparing for the race last summer, said "you need to leave behind your nationality because you're serving the world." "If elected, I'm not serving Hong Kong's interests. I'm not serving China's interests. I'm serving the world's interests," she said. "That's a very important message to get clear." Top pharmaceutical companies, which have clashed with WHO over topics such as patent rights and low-cost drugs, welcomed Chan's nomination. Her public health experience and personal qualities equip her to provide the organization "with clear direction and appropriate priorities," said Harvey Bale, head of the Geneva-based International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations. Chan was Hong Kong's health director during the SARS outbreak in 2003. She joined WHO later that year, and took over as the agency's influenza pandemic chief in 2005. As an assistant director general, she has led WHO's efforts to fight communicable diseases and most immediately to prepare for a possible pandemic should the bird flu virus mutate into a strain easily transmitted among humans. Appointed Hong Kong's director of public health in 1994 while it was still under British rule, she faced her biggest challenges when the city was hit by bird flu in 1997 and SARS - or severe acute respiratory syndrome - in 2003, killing several hundred people. The city reported the world's first known human outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu virus in 1997, when 18 people were infected and six died. Chan is credited with heading off a major human health crisis by ordering the slaughter of Hong Kong's entire poultry population - about 1.5 million birds in three days. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. 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