PHA-Exchange> Dr Jong Wook Lee to be WHO Director-General

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> WHO Press Release (28 January 2003)
> 
> Dr Jong Wook Lee was nominated today by the World Health Organiza-
> tion's Executive Board for the post of Director-General of the 
> agency. The Director-General is WHO's chief technical and administra-
> tive officer and sets the policy for the Organization's international 
> health work.
> 
> Born on 12 April 1945, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Dr Lee received a 
> Medical Doctor degree (M.D.) from Seoul National University and a 
> Master of Public Health degree from the University of Hawaii.
> 
> He has worked at WHO for 19 years in technical, managerial and policy 
> positions, notably leading the fight against two of the greatest 
> challenges to health and development: tuberculosis and vaccine pre-
> ventable diseases of children. After heading the WHO Global Programme 
> for Vaccines and Immunizations and serving as a Senior Policy Advi-
> sor, he became, in 2000, Director of the Stop TB programme, a coali-
> tion of more than 250 international partners including WHO member 
> states, donors, non-governmental organizations, industry and founda-
> tions.
> 
> Dr Lee speaks English, Korean and Japanese, and reads French and Chi-
> nese.
____________> 
> As specified in a (97th session) Board resolution the nominee should 
> have: a strong technical and public health background and extensive 
> experience in international health; competency in organizational man-
> agement; proven historical evidence for public health leadership; 
> sensitiveness to cultural, social and political differences; a strong 
> commitment to the work of WHO; the good physical condition required 
> of all staff members of the Organization; and sufficient skill in at 
> least one of the official and working languages of the Executive 
> Board and Health Assembly.
> 
> His nomination will be submitted for approval to the 56th World 
> Health Assembly scheduled to meet in Geneva from 19-28 May 2003.
> 
> Dr Lee will succeed Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland whose decision not to 
> stand for a second term was announced in August last year. The new 
> Director-General will take office and start his five-year term on 21 
> July 2003.
>