Selection of Dr. Margaret Chan as Director-General of the World Health Organization

The United States congratulates Dr. Margaret Chan on her appointment as the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Chan demonstrated her leadership abilities as the Director of Health in Hong Kong, where she dealt with the first outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in 1997 and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003. She brought these same skills to bear upon the threat of an influenza pandemic in her role as coordinator for pandemic influenza activities for the WHO.

The World Health Organization plays a critical role in the coordination of international efforts to combat disease and improve the quality of life for individuals around the globe. The United States looks forward to working with Dr. Chan and the WHO Secretariat to address the global burden of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, polio, and other public health threats, to expand and enhance public health capacity worldwide, to implement the principles embodied in the International Health Regulations and to address emerging threats such as pandemic influenza.