Dr Margaret Chan, the new Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), says she would like to be judged by WHO's impact on the health of people in Africa and women worldwide.

Dr Chan said "What matters most to me is people. And two specific groups of people in particular. I want us to be judged by the impact we have on the health of the people of Africa, and the health of women. Improvements in the health of the people of Africa and the health of women are key indicators of the performance of WHO. All regions, all countries, all people are equally important. This is a health organization for the whole world. Our work must touch on the lives of everyone, everywhere. But we must focus our attention on the people in greatest need."

After being nominated by the WHO Executive Board, Dr. Chan was appointed by the World Health Assembly yesterday. Dr. Chan had previously been Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases and Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza.

Talking about her predecessor, Dr Lee Jong-wook, who died in May this year, Dr Chan said "We are all here because of the untimely death of Dr Lee Jong-wook. We are also all here because of many millions of untimely deaths. I know Dr Lee would have wanted me to make this point. He will always be remembered for his 3by5 initiative. That was all about preventing untimely deaths on the grandest scale possible."

Dr. Chan wants to focus on six key issues:

1. Health development
2. Security
3. Capacity
4. Information and knowledge
5. Partnership
6. Performance

On security, Dr. Chan said "Health security brings benefits at both the global and community levels. New diseases are global threats to health that also bring shocks to economies and societies. Defence against these threats enhances our collective security."

Dr. Chan also stressed the importance of robust systems to provide healthcare to those who need it "All the donated drugs in the world won't do any good without an infrastructure for their delivery. You cannot deliver health care if the staff you trained at home are working abroad," she said.

Dr. Margaret Chan - Mini Biography

Born - People's Republic of China

Medical Degree - University of Western Ontario, Canada

1978 - Hong Kong Department of Health

1994 - Director of Health of Hong Kong. She launched new services to prevent the spread of disease and promote better health. Introduced new initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance and response. Effectively managed outbreaks of SARS and Avian Influenza (bird flu).

2003 - Director, Department for Protection of the Human Environment, WHO.

2005 - Director, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response (WHO, Representative of the Director General for Pandemic Influenza (WHO). In September she became Assistant Director-General for the Communicable Disease cluster (WHO).

4 January, 2007 - She will take up the post of Director-General, WHO. Her term will finish on June 2012.

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