U.N. Health Agency Picks New Leader

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 29, 2003

U.N. Health Agency Picks New Leader

A little-known tuberculosis expert from South Korea was selected Tuesday as director-general of the World Health Organization, promising more help for those worst hit by AIDS and other scourges.

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Jong-wook Lee from S. Korea elected new director-general of WHO

A little-known tuberculosis expert from South Korea was selected Tuesday as director-general of the World Health Organization, promising more help for those worst hit by AIDS and other scourges.

Jong-wook Lee, head of WHO's Stop TB program, defeated several higher-profile candidates including Mozambique's prime minister, Mexico's health minister and the head of the U.N. AIDS agency.

Lee, 57, singled out the fight against AIDS as a top priority and said he would focus on Africa.

Lee, the only WHO insider in the race, won 17 votes in a secret ballot of WHO's 32-member executive committee, beating UNAIDS chief Peter Piot's 15 in the seventh round of voting.

Lee benefited from a smooth and well-funded campaign backed by the South Korean government, and from a solid block of Asian support on the executive board even picking up the vote of North Korea, which is a member this year.

Lee will become the first South Korean to head a U.N. agency. He replaces former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who is stepping down in July after five years as director of WHO.

As director-general, Lee will oversee a budget of more than $1 billion. In addition to tackling infectious diseases and poverty-related ailments, he will have to wrestle with choppy new topics like advances in biotechnology and cloning.

Lee started work for WHO 19 years ago on leprosy programs in the South Pacific and on vaccine development. As head of the anti-TB program for two years, he has gained a reputation as an efficient administrator.

The executive board's decision is subject to approval by the full 192-nation World Health Assembly in May, but that step is normally automatic.

Source: Agencies

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