Margaret Chan appointed as WHO head for 2nd term

GENEVA - The World Health Assembly on Wednesday afternoon appointed Margaret Chan as the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) for a second term from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2017.

The 65th session of the WHO's top decision-making World Health Assembly, composed of delegates from all 194 members, voted to agree with the nomination of Chan made by the WHO Executive Board on January 18.

Chan, 65, from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, was first elected as WHO Director-General on November 9, 2006 and her current term runs through June 2012.

Since she took office in January 2007, Chan has been working on WHO reforms, and improving the organization's leadership and management in world public health. She has also effectively handled public health emergencies including the outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1), and has made efforts in fulfilling the United Nations Millenium Development Goals in health sector. Her performance has been recognized by the WHO members.

Chan said universal health coverage was the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer and it was "the anchor for the work of WHO as we move forward" in a keynote speech to the assembly on Monday.

The former Hong Kong health chief joined WHO in 2003 as Director of the Department for Protection of the Human Environment.

In June 2005, she was appointed Director of Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza.

In September 2005, she was named Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases.