IF THE best lessons are learned the hard way, Margaret Chan, who was confirmed as the WHO鈥檚 new director general on 9 November, should be a star pupil. As director of health for Hong Kong, she was heavily criticised for her slow response to the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the region.
To her credit, her record on bird flu is more positive: in 1997 she recommended the slaughter of all poultry in Hong Kong to stop the spread of the H5N1 virus and presided over the successful exclusion of the virus in poultry.
Supporters note that her experience with SARS might make her less likely to soft-pedal any similar information emerging from China, the potential epicentre of flu evolution. As a Chinese citizen she may also be more likely to establish good relations with China.
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鈥淐han鈥檚 experience with SARS might make her less likely to soft-pedal on bird flu鈥�
Chan replaces South Korea鈥檚 Jong-wook Lee, who died suddenly in May. Besides flu, Chan will have to deal with AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, the tricky endgame of polio eradication and perennial questions on how to promote healthcare and distribute medicines in poor countries.
