Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

[AlaskaDenise]

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->GENEVA - Bird flu expert Dr. Margaret Chan won the nomination Wednesday to become the world's top health official, preparing her to become the first Chinese national appointed to a top U.N. post, delegates said.

The victory for China, who had nominated and backed Chan, indicated the massive nation's interest in playing a bigger role in global affairs.

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<!-- end body-content -->

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

Her photo from Washington Post...

[T. Modesto,PhD]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

from what I have read this is an exceptional choice. Know we will need an expert with avian influenza for this position. It certainly says a great deal about the position of WHO right now.
T

[GaudiaRay]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

How can anyone who is a Chinese citizen, and therefore who is under Chinese "Law" and "Regulations" be allowed by the world's citizenry to hold any political office which requires full disclosure?

The announcement by Xinhua News Agency REQUIRES all news coming out of China, including that of bird flu, to be without proactive speculation. The news can only be reported as "fact", whatever that is. This "leader" will not be in a position, legally, to state an opinion or a concern as that will, without question, defame someone working as a researcher in this area, which researcher has failed to do something and that failure being the topic of Chan's words.

The world will await total silence on the leading edge outbreaks of infection in China because it would be and will be defamatory to announce that any appearance of a disease which has characteristics of H5N1 infection might be H5N1, until "full testing" has been completed, weeks or months later, which will be long after the facts useful for planning are long passed.

For example, China has released sequences which are YEARS OLD. They withhold the most recent human sequences for H5N1. Yet, nobody has a right, per the new rules, to comment on the fact that there is today NONDISCLOSURE. Mrs. Chan would be a criminal if she commented on that fact, yet she is "in charge" of WHO.

New regulations reinforce Xinhua news agency's control over foreign news agencies
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/english/2006/09/200609120956.shtml

[Blue]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

How can anyone who is a Chinese citizen, and therefore who is under Chinese "Law" and "Regulations" be allowed by the world's citizenry to hold any political office which requires full disclosure?

The announcement by Xinhua News Agency REQUIRES all news coming out of China, including that of bird flu, to be without proactive speculation. The news can only be reported as "fact", whatever that is. This "leader" will not be in a position, legally, to state an opinion or a concern as that will, without question, defame someone working as a researcher in this area, which researcher has failed to do something and that failure being the topic of Chan's words.

The world will await total silence on the leading edge outbreaks of infection in China because it would be and will be defamatory to announce that any appearance of a disease which has characteristics of H5N1 infection might be H5N1, until "full testing" has been completed, weeks or months later, which will be long after the facts useful for planning are long passed.

For example, China has released sequences which are YEARS OLD. They withhold the most recent human sequences for H5N1. Yet, nobody has a right, per the new rules, to comment on the fact that there is today NONDISCLOSURE. Mrs. Chan would be a criminal if she commented on that fact, yet she is "in charge" of WHO.

New regulations reinforce Xinhua news agency's control over foreign news agencies
http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/english/2006/09/200609120956.shtml

Tried to pull up your source, but was not able to. Can you provide a link?

[GaudiaRay]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

Tried to pull up your source, but was not able to. Can you provide a link?

SnowyOwl's posts to be found here:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10238

[HenryN]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

Tried to pull up your source, but was not able to. Can you provide a link?

http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/eng...09120956.shtml

[colormyquilt]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

I concur with GaudiaRay.

Silence is the voice of complicity. (unknown source)

[Mingus]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

http://www.who.int/dg/adg/chan/en/
Margaret Chan

Assistant Director-General - Communicable Diseases
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=111 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=iright> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Dr Margaret Chan, from the People's Republic of China, obtained her Medical Degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978, where her career in public health began.
In 1994, Dr Chan was appointed to Director of Health of Hong Kong. In her nine-year tenure as director, she launched new preventive and promotive health care services. She also introduced new initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance and response, enhance training for public health professionals, and to establish better local and international collaboration. She has effectively managed outbreaks of avian influenza and of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
In 2003, Dr Chan became WHO's Director of the Department of Protection of the Human Environment. In June 2005, she was appointed as Director, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza. She now continues in the role as Representative along with the duties as Assistant Director-General for the Communicable Diseases cluster.
In July 2006, Dr Chan took a leave of absence from WHO, in relation to her candidacy for the position of WHO Director-General. The position of Director-General will be decided upon by the World Health Assembly on 9 November. Until that decision is

http://margaretchan.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=760 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=760 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=132 background=images/cffz005.jpg bgColor=#ffffff></TD><TD width=628 bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center height=18></TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #d2d0d2 1px solid" vAlign=top height=296>

<META name=TRSWCM.ContStart>On 25 July 2006, the Government of the People's Republic of China announced the nomination of Dr Margaret CHAN as the candidate for the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Margaret Chan, currently the Representative of the WHO Director-General for Pandemic Influenza and Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases, is one of the world's most experienced public health crisis managers. Dr Chan has profound knowledge and understanding on the current global health issues as well as visions of the future development of WHO. She has devoted her entire professional life to the cause of public health. Prior to her engagement in the WHO, Dr Chan has served the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for more than 20 years and was the first female Director of Department of Health in Hong Kong, China.

Dr Chan has a strong record of achievement and excellence in the work of public health which is internationally recognised and appreciated. Her strong commitment and global perspective in public health will help enhancing the role of WHO in the field of international health work.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

She's from Hong-Kong, not from continental china.

[Mingus]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

________________

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/.../en/index.html

Dr Chan is a well-known public figure because of her record of leadership in fighting disease first in Hong Kong, and more recently at WHO. During her nine-year tenure as Director of Health, Dr Chan confronted the first human outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in 1997 and successfully defeated Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong in 2003. She also introduced primary health care 'from the diaper to the grave' with a focus on health promotion and disease prevention, self-care and healthy lifestyles. In 2003, she joined WHO and rose to the position of Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza as well as Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases. Now 59, Dr Chan obtained her Medical Degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada and a public health degree from the National University of Singapore

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[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

I am sorry to hear they chose Dr. Chan. The SARS fiasco should have been enough to prevent her being suggested as the best choice. She caved under pressure of Chinese officials to deny the disease was present thus allowing the spread of SARS. H5N1 is too big a threat to chance the possible compromise of information again. I hope I am proved wrong.

[Niko]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO



She would be last on my short list!

[GaudiaRay]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

She's from Hong-Kong, not from continental china.

Not to be dumb about this, but HK SAR is CHINA. There's no bones about that.

[GaudiaRay]

Re: Bird flu expert nominated to head WHO

Chan sets out goals for WHO

<!-- Newly elected World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun has pledged to give top priority to the health of women and Africans.

//--> Chester Yung and agencies

Friday, November 10, 2006

Newly elected World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun has pledged to give top priority to the health of women and Africans.The former director of health was elected without opposition with 150 votes in favor, well over the two-thirds majority needed at a special session of the agency's governing World Health Assembly, which is made up of the United Nations agency's 193 member countries, at a closed-door meeting.
Chan is the first Chinese official to lead a major UN body. She replaces South Korea's Lee Jong Wook, who died suddenly on May 22, and will start her 5-year term on January 4.
In outlining her plans for world health, Chan said what matters most to her is people.
"I will work with you tirelessly to make this world a healthier place," Chan told the assembly.
She said she would focus on reducing the burden of diseases, improving health systems and other health issues but added that what she most cared about were women and Africans.
"I want us to be judged by the impact we have on the health of the people of Africa and the health of women," Chan said. "Improvements in the health of the people of Africa and the health of women must therefore be the key indicator of the performance of WHO."
She added: "Our work must touch on the lives of everyone, everywhere. But we must focus our attention on the people in greatest need."
Chan's election had earlier prompted calls for independence and transparency at the top of the global health agency, following concern about China's secrecy in tackling infectious diseases.
Her election may help to consolidate China's relationship with WHO, observers said.
A senior WHO official who requested anonymity told Agence France- Presse Chan's election could encourage Beijing to share medical samples and exchange information with others.
During her campaign, Chan said the agency must "collect timely and accurate information" to deal with health challenges, and she pledged to set up a global health observatory.
Chan was widely criticized in Hong Kong for a lack of transparency during the 2003 crisis surrounding the deadly SARS virus, which originated in southern China.
Three years ago, she joined the WHO, rising to assistant director- general in charge of communicable diseases. She also oversaw the agency's strategy against the growing threat of a new pandemic that could be triggered by new strains of avian influenza.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's top official in Hong Kong, Lu Xinhua, said Thursday Beijing did not use its influence to help Chan.
"We used our sincerity to ask the Third World and developed countries for support. We don't have any kind of political transactions," Lu said in a speech at Hong Kong University.
Chan's nomination came four days after China pledged to double its aid to Africa.
"Our assistance to African countries is a selfless contribution. We earned from our friends the genuine friendship there," Lu said.
President Hu Jintao pledged last Friday to double aid to Africa between this year and 2009.
Lu thanked all the countries that voted for Chan.
Last week, a WHO official in China warned the situation with bird flu there was "quite confusing" and tainted by "conflicting information."
Julie Hall, the agency's coordinator in China, said: "We really don't know how many strains of bird flu there are in China because we have limited amounts of information shared with us by the Ministry of Agriculture and the virus samples we have asked for have not been shared."
Meanwhile, China stressed Chan's election will not help Taiwan win membership of the UN agency
Taiwan was ejected from the WHO in 1972, a year after losing the China seat in the UN to Beijing.
"Our position is very clear, the WHO constitutes sovereign states and Taiwan, as part of China, has no right to participate in this organization," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in response to a question about whether there would be any change on the policy after Chan heads the WHO.
When Chan was preparing her election campaign in August, she was asked for her standpoint on the Taiwan issue. She said the issue has been discussed by the 193-member assembly and they all agreed on the principle of a "one-China policy."
In May, Taiwan denounced the mainland for thwarting its 10th consecutive bid to join the international health organization.
Taiwan said it should join the WHO, as it needed the cooperation of other countries to cope with bird flu and other possible epidemics in the region.
But Jiang said there were already established mechanisms through which Taiwanese health officials could participate in WHO affairs.
The WHO's China representative, Henk Bekedam, welcomed Chan's election, saying she has the right attitude for the job.
"If you deal with challenges in the world, it is important how you approach things. She [Chan] is approaching things with a smile." Bekedam said.
In Hong Kong, Acting Chief Executive Rafael Hui Si-yan said Chan's success is an "honor for the people in Hong Kong."
The election result, Hui said, demonstrated a "professional and international recognition" of Chan.
Chan gained 24 votes in the fourth and final round of voting Wednesday, against 10 for the last challenger, Mexico's Minister of Health Julio Frenk.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=31500&sid=10799187&con_type=1