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WHA to confirm Jong-Wook Lee as new Director-General
Newsdesk WHA to confirm Jong-Wook Lee as new Director-General
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from the University of Hawaii, Lee started his career with WHO as a consultant to the leprosy control team for the south Pacific in 1983. He moved up the ladder to be Director of Disease Prevention and Control in WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office in 1990 for 4 years, before taking over as Director of the Global Programme on Vaccines at WHO’s headquarters between 1994–1998. During that time Lee promoted the polioeradication campaign and forged closer ties with industry, boosting programme funding from US$15 million to nearly US$70 million. After a short spell as Brundtland’s special representative, Lee was moved in December 2000 to head StopTB, steering the efforts of WHO’s tuberculosis department and the wider StopTB Partnership. The StopTB Partnership groups agencies such as the World Bank, high-burden countries, academic institutions, nongovernmental organisations such as the International Union Against Tuberculosis, and Lung Diseases, and industry representatives. With its goal of reducing by 2010 the global burden of tuberculosis prevalence and mortality to one half of 2000 levels—partly through the expansion of DOTS (directly-observed therapy, short course), and more available drugs—Stop TB has gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic and efficient WHO partnerships. Lee won praise for steering StopTB, with a staff of around 80 and a budget of US$110 million without trying to stamp WHO’s control on partners with widely differing agendas. “He has given us the flexibility to operate the partnership without interference”, said Jacob Kumaresan, Executive Secretary of the partnership. “It allowed the partnership to go forward without too much bureaucratic interference and that’s really great” WHO/P Virot
The World Health Assembly (WHA; who announced last year she would May 19–28), in a step that is usually a not stand for re-election. mere formality, is expected to confirm There are some misgivings that Jong-Wook Lee, head of StopTB, as compared with Brundtland, a WHO Director-General following consummate politician, Lee may lack his nomination by WHA’s executive the stature necessary to deal with board. heads of state to try to keep health on Lee, a 57-year-old South Korean the global agenda. On especially infectious-disease specialist, said that sensitive issues such as access to the fight against poverty-related essential medicines he has remained diseases and HIV/AIDS— especially in Africa—would be his top priorities once elected. The future DirectorGeneral also said he intends to shift more staff and resources to the country and regional level, setting a target of 75% by 2005 and 80% by the end of his 5-year term in 2008. The current level of fieldbased staff is 67%. “I believe in a WHO that is more decentralised and devotes more of its resources to work in the countries and field where they can have a greater impact”, Lee told a press Handing over the reigns of power conference. He suggested moving guarded on whether he will try to give specific technical programmes to WHO a louder voice in the World the regions with the highest burden Trade Organization. However, his of disease—for instance the leprosy technical credentials are beyond programme to India, guinea-worm reproach and his managerial style has eradication to the Eastern won widespread praise among WHO Mediterranean, and traditional staff and health professionals who medicine to Western Pacific regions. have worked with him. “In the Lee’s nomination by the 3210 years that we have worked together, member executive board on January I have known Dr Lee to be a 28 came as a surprise to many. He thoughtful and effective manager and defeated his more favoured rival, a professional dedicated to wide UNAIDS Executive Director Peter consultation and consensus-building”, Piot, by 17:15 in the seventh round of said Nils Daulaire, President and voting. Mozambique’s Prime Minister CEO of the Global Health Council, Pascoal Mocumbi—regarded by many an alliance of advocacy groups, as the front-runner—was eliminated companies, and government bodies. in an earlier round, as were Mexican Even though the USA—WHO’s Health Minister Julio Frenk Mora and largest single donor—would have Egypt’s former Health Minister Ismail preferred Frenk Mora, American Sallam. Clever campaigning by Lee ambassador Kevin E Moley said that and his government and solid Asian Lee was “eminently qualified” to lead support on the executive board—the the health agency. other continental blocs were divided— Educated at Seoul National combined to ensure that the South University College of Medicine, and Korean will take over the top slot from with a Master of Public Health degree incumbent Gro Harlem Brundtland,
Clare Kapp
THE LANCET Infectious Diseases Vol 3 March 2003
http://infection.thelancet.com
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.
124
from the University of Hawaii, Lee started his career with WHO as a consultant to the leprosy control team for the south Pacific in 1983. He moved up the ladder to be Director of Disease Prevention and Control in WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office in 1990 for 4 years, before taking over as Director of the Global Programme on Vaccines at WHO’s headquarters between 1994–1998. During that time Lee promoted the polioeradication campaign and forged closer ties with industry, boosting programme funding from US$15 million to nearly US$70 million. After a short spell as Brundtland’s special representative, Lee was moved in December 2000 to head StopTB, steering the efforts of WHO’s tuberculosis department and the wider StopTB Partnership. The StopTB Partnership groups agencies such as the World Bank, high-burden countries, academic institutions, nongovernmental organisations such as the International Union Against Tuberculosis, and Lung Diseases, and industry representatives. With its goal of reducing by 2010 the global burden of tuberculosis prevalence and mortality to one half of 2000 levels—partly through the expansion of DOTS (directly-observed therapy, short course), and more available drugs—Stop TB has gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic and efficient WHO partnerships. Lee won praise for steering StopTB, with a staff of around 80 and a budget of US$110 million without trying to stamp WHO’s control on partners with widely differing agendas. “He has given us the flexibility to operate the partnership without interference”, said Jacob Kumaresan, Executive Secretary of the partnership. “It allowed the partnership to go forward without too much bureaucratic interference and that’s really great” WHO/P Virot
The World Health Assembly (WHA; who announced last year she would May 19–28), in a step that is usually a not stand for re-election. mere formality, is expected to confirm There are some misgivings that Jong-Wook Lee, head of StopTB, as compared with Brundtland, a WHO Director-General following consummate politician, Lee may lack his nomination by WHA’s executive the stature necessary to deal with board. heads of state to try to keep health on Lee, a 57-year-old South Korean the global agenda. On especially infectious-disease specialist, said that sensitive issues such as access to the fight against poverty-related essential medicines he has remained diseases and HIV/AIDS— especially in Africa—would be his top priorities once elected. The future DirectorGeneral also said he intends to shift more staff and resources to the country and regional level, setting a target of 75% by 2005 and 80% by the end of his 5-year term in 2008. The current level of fieldbased staff is 67%. “I believe in a WHO that is more decentralised and devotes more of its resources to work in the countries and field where they can have a greater impact”, Lee told a press Handing over the reigns of power conference. He suggested moving guarded on whether he will try to give specific technical programmes to WHO a louder voice in the World the regions with the highest burden Trade Organization. However, his of disease—for instance the leprosy technical credentials are beyond programme to India, guinea-worm reproach and his managerial style has eradication to the Eastern won widespread praise among WHO Mediterranean, and traditional staff and health professionals who medicine to Western Pacific regions. have worked with him. “In the Lee’s nomination by the 3210 years that we have worked together, member executive board on January I have known Dr Lee to be a 28 came as a surprise to many. He thoughtful and effective manager and defeated his more favoured rival, a professional dedicated to wide UNAIDS Executive Director Peter consultation and consensus-building”, Piot, by 17:15 in the seventh round of said Nils Daulaire, President and voting. Mozambique’s Prime Minister CEO of the Global Health Council, Pascoal Mocumbi—regarded by many an alliance of advocacy groups, as the front-runner—was eliminated companies, and government bodies. in an earlier round, as were Mexican Even though the USA—WHO’s Health Minister Julio Frenk Mora and largest single donor—would have Egypt’s former Health Minister Ismail preferred Frenk Mora, American Sallam. Clever campaigning by Lee ambassador Kevin E Moley said that and his government and solid Asian Lee was “eminently qualified” to lead support on the executive board—the the health agency. other continental blocs were divided— Educated at Seoul National combined to ensure that the South University College of Medicine, and Korean will take over the top slot from with a Master of Public Health degree incumbent Gro Harlem Brundtland,
Clare Kapp
THE LANCET Infectious Diseases Vol 3 March 2003
http://infection.thelancet.com
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet Publishing Group.