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Chinese Physician Elected Head of WHO
Margaret Chan of China succeeds physician Lee Jong-wook, who died last May from a brain hemorrhage, at the World Health Organization in Geneva.
(By Martial Trezzini -- Keystone Via Associated Press)
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Some observers speculated that the move by China's main rival in East Asia may involve Japan's ongoing effort to gain a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. China has a seat on the council and in recent years has resisted efforts to open it to new permanent members.
In her acceptance speech to the World Health Assembly, composed of the health ministers of WHO's member countries, Chan emphasized her commitment to the world's needy and to two groups in particular.
"I want us to be judged by the impact we have on the health of the people of Africa and the health of women. Improvements in the health of the people of Africa and the health of women are key indicators of the performance of WHO," she said. "This is a health organization for the whole world. . . . But we must focus our attention on the people in greatest need."
At a news conference later, she was asked about the significance of her nationality and the fact that Beijing was less than forthcoming with information in both the bird flu and SARS outbreaks.
"Being a Chinese national, of all people I hope I will have better access to various senior levels of the government," she said.
In the 1997 bird flu outbreak, Chan ordered the culling of every chicken in Hong Kong. This was a crucial step -- the final toll was only 18 cases of human illness and 6 deaths -- but a traumatic one, as it involved the largely public killing of 1.4 million birds in less than a week.
The government subsequently provided financial assistance to the 300 farmers and 1,000 vendors, as well as truck drivers and other workers whose livelihoods were interrupted by the months-long ban on poultry sales. Such compensation is viewed as an essential part of the global effort to encourage people and governments to report unexpected illnesses in domestic animals, rather than cover them up.
In an interview in 2005, Chan recalled another insight from the time.
"Many people see the media as an enemy. The lesson I learned was the media is an ally," she said. "They are asking the questions on behalf of the community. They are not personalizing the issue."
That became even clearer during SARS outbreak, which was far more dangerous and socially disruptive.
Chan was the face of Hong Kong's response to SARS, appearing before television cameras nearly every day for more than two months. She provided information about the epidemiology and biology of the newly discovered SARS coronavirus and offered advice on subjects such as when wearing a face mask might be worthwhile.
Behind the scenes, she pressured Beijing authorities, who initially hid the extent of the outbreak, to be more forthcoming. This created resentment. When Lee attempted to make her assistant director-general after his election as WHO chief in 2003, China opposed the appointment and she was given a lesser job.
Chan received undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Western Ontario. She also studied at the National University of Singapore and Harvard Business School. She is married to a physician and they have a grown son, who is a lawyer.
