Health News
Margaret Chan nominated for second term as WHO chief
Jan 18, 2012, 14:17 GMT
Geneva - World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan on Wednesday was chosen as the sole nominee to head the Geneva-based agency for another five years.
The executive board of the WHO designated the Chinese physician and public health expert to be formally approved by the organization's member states in May.
Chan has said that she plans to focus on upgrading national medical systems as a way to improve health and fight poverty, among other topics.
She also seeks to help countries in preparing for international pandemics.
That project was an outcome of the WHO's controversial handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, which turned out to be less severe than anticipated.
A review committee found last year that the organization had managed the situation well overall, but said it had given inconsistent explanations about the seriousness of the pandemic and that the WHO should help countries upgrade their ability to deal with health crises.
Chan was born in 1947 in Hong Kong. She led the city's health department before joining the WHO as a senior official in 2003.
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