E-drug: Dr Jong Wook Lee WHO DG
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WHO Press Release (28 January 2003)
Dr Jong Wook Lee was nominated today by the World Health
Organization's Executive Board for the post of Director-General of
the agency. The Director-General is WHO's chief technical and
administrative 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
preventable diseases of children. After heading the WHO Global
Programme for Vaccines and Immunizations and serving as a Senior
Policy Advisor, he became, in 2000, Director of the Stop TB
programme, a coalition of more than 250 international partners
including WHO member states, donors, non-governmental organizations,
industry and foundations.
Dr Lee speaks English, Korean and Japanese, and reads French and Chinese.
Currently chaired by Professor Kyaw Myint, the 32-member WHO
Executive Board yesterday heard oral presentations of each
candidate's vision of the future priorities and challenges for the
Organization and
questioned the applicants. Today, it voted on the five short-listed candidates.
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
management; 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.
This 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.
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