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Dr. Margaret Chan

Director-General of World Health Organization
In office 4 January 2007 – 30 June 2012
Preceded by	Anders Nordström
Born	1947 Hong Kong
Spouse	David Chan [1]

Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun OBE, JP, MSc., MD, FFPHM (Traditional Chinese: 陳馮富珍, Simplified Chinese: 陈冯富珍, born 1947 in Hong Kong) is the Director-General elect of the World Health Organization (WHO). Chan was elected by the Executive Board of the WHO on 8 November 2006, and was endorsed in a special meeting of the World Health Assembly on the following day. Chan has previously served as Director of Health in the Hong Kong Government (1994-2003), Representative of the WHO Director-General for Pandemic Influenza, and WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (400x613, 107 KB) WHO official media photo (size reduced). ... Flag of World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 2012 (MMXII) will be a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anders Nordström is a Swedish physician who is currently serving as Acting Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a puisne judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. ... MD or md may stand for: Air Madagascar IATA code make dir (Microsoft DOS) or meta device (UNIX) in computing Managing Director, or CEO Maryland state code McDonnell Douglas aircraft McDonalds, a fast food restaurant Medicinæ Doctor, Doctor of Medicine (academic degree) Mendelevium (Md), symbol for the chemical element... Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets. ... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiÇŽntǐzì; also Simplified Chinese: 简化字; Traditional Chinese: 簡化字; pinyin: jiÇŽnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Flag of World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by its 192 member states. ... The Department of Health is a government department of Hong Kong. ... On July 1, 1997, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) resumed its exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, ending more than 150 years of British colonial control. ...

Qualifications

Margaret Chan earned her Bachelor of Arts in Home Economics^[2] and her M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1973 and 1977, respectively, as well as her Master's degree of Public Health at the National University of Singapore. She also attended Harvard University Business School^[3] in 1991 to study management development. In 1997, she was given the distinction for the Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom and was also awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.^[4] A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... Family and consumer sciences, or home economics, is an academic discipline concerning consumer science, nutrition, cooking, parenting, interior decoration, textiles, gardening, and other subjects related to home management. ... Doctor of Medicine (M.D., from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor) is an academic degree. ... The University of Western Ontario (Western or UWO) is a coeducational, non-denominational, research-intensive university located in London, Ontario. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate (or graduate) course of one to three years in duration. ... The National University of Singapore (Abbreviation: NUS; Simplified Chinese: 新加坡国立大学; pinyin: Xīnjiāpō Guólì Dàxué; Abbreviated 国大; Malay: Universiti Nasional Singapura; Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் ேதசிய பல்கலைக்கலகம்) is Singapores oldest university, and remains the largest in the country in terms of student enrolment and curriculum offered. ... Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University, and is one of the worlds leading management schools. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The...

She joined the Hong Kong Government in December 1978 as a Medical Officer. In November 1989, she was promoted to Assistant Director of the Department of Health. In April 1992, she was promoted to Deputy Director and, in June 1994, was named the first female in Hong Kong to head the Department of Health. She left the Hong Kong Government in August 2003 after 25 years of service to join the World Health Organization. On July 1, 1997, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) resumed its exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, ending more than 150 years of British colonial control. ... Flag of World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ...

As Hong Kong Director of Health

Her profile was raised by her handling, in those positions, of the 1997 H5N1 avian influenza outbreak and the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. After the first victim of the H5N1, Chan first tried to reassure the Hong Kong people with her infamous statements like, "I ate chicken last night" ^[5] or "I eat chicken everyday, don't panic, everyone".^[6][7][8] When many more H5N1 cases appeared, she was criticised for misleading the public. ^[9] In the end, she was credited for help bringing the epidemic under control by the slaughtering of 1.5 million chickens in the region in the face of stiff political opposition.^[10] Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as A(H5N1) or H5N1, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus that is capable of causing illness in many animal species, including humans. ... Avian influenza (also known as bird flu, avian flu, influenzavirus A flu, type A flu, or genus A flu) is a flu (influenza) due to a type of influenza virus that is hosted by birds, but may infect several species of mammals. ... Sars may refer to any of the following: Severe acute respiratory syndrome, commonly abbreviated as SARS Michael Sars, a Norwegian biologist, father of Georg Sars Georg Sars, a Norwegian biologist, son of Michael Sars Special Administrative Regions, commonly abbreviated as SARs Sars, Perm Krai, an urban settlement in Perm Krai...

There are currently concerns in Hong Kong about her ability to lead the WHO after her poor job of bringing SARS under control in Hong Kong. She believed misleading information shared by the mainland authority and did not act swiftly, leading to the death of 299 people during the SARS outbreak. Her actions were criticised by the Legislative Council and many SARS victims and their relatives. ^[11] Who can refer to: WHO, World Health Organization The Who, a British rock band The Guess Who, a Canadian rock band who (pronoun), an English language interrogative pronoun. ... Sars may refer to any of the following: Severe acute respiratory syndrome, commonly abbreviated as SARS Michael Sars, a Norwegian biologist, father of Georg Sars Georg Sars, a Norwegian biologist, son of Michael Sars Special Administrative Regions, commonly abbreviated as SARs Sars, Perm Krai, an urban settlement in Perm Krai... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The following points summarize the assessment of Dr Margaret Chan's performance as Director of Health (D of H) during the SARS outbreak based on Chapter 15 (sections 15.14 to 15.19) "Conclusions and Recommendations" of the "Report of the Select Committee to inquire into the handling of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak by the Government and the Hospital Authority July 2004" by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. ^[12][13]

• During the SARS outbreak, Dr. Margaret Chan was the chief adviser to the Government on public health matters and was vested with statutory authority to enforce measures for the control and prevention of infectious diseases. (section 15.14) Dr. Margaret Chan was responsible for providing public health advice to The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr. Yeoh Eng-Kiong. Dr. Chan was also responsible for "the control and prevention of infectious diseases, including outbreak investigation and control; disease surveillance; contact tracing; enforcement of public health legislation; liaison with the healthcare community; public education; liaison with the Mainland authorities and the international health community; and the provision of pathology laboratory services." (section 15.15) The report concluded that Dr. Chan should be held responsible for "not attaching sufficient importance to “soft intelligence” on the AP epidemic in Guangdong in January and early February 2003. In addition, Dr. Chan did not appear to have taken full account of the heavy passenger flow between Guangdong and Hong Kong when formulating policies on infectious disease surveillance and control." (section 15.16)

• Furthermore, the report concluded that Dr. Leung Pak-yin, the Deputy Director of Health, "raised the question of whether DH should send a team or an official to Guangdong in February 2003 to learn more about the AP epidemic there with Dr. Chan but the matter was not taken up further." And the report has concluded with the view that Chan "should have explored other avenues to obtain more information on the AP epidemic in Guangdong." (section 15.17) The report also concluded that Chan "as the chief public health adviser, should be held responsible for not initiating action to amend the law on or immediately after 15 March 2003." (section 15.18)

• Finally, the Select Committee finds "the performance of Chan not satisfactory in the handling of the SARS outbreak" based on the aspects stated in sections 15.14 to 15.18.

The following are samples of Hong Kong Legislators' responses to the SARS outbreak report with respect to Dr. Margaret Chan's performance (Legislative Council official translation), ^[14]

• Legislator Dr Yeung Sum (in Cantonese) stated that the "position of the Democratic Party is that the investigation findings warrant ... the condemnation of former Director of Health Dr. Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun." Dr. Yeung stated that Dr. Chan was "vested with statutory authority to enforce measures for the control and prevention of infectious diseases. But Dr. Margaret Chan failed to discharge her duties." Yeung also said that Chan failed to "initiate actions to amend the law and add the disease to the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance for the isolation of SARS patients."

• Legislator Dr. Tang Siu-Tong (鄧兆棠) (in Cantonese) stated that "Dr Margaret Chan ... should bear the greatest culpability for the SARS incident. Given that the DH is responsible for infectious disease prevention and control in Hong Kong, the D of H must therefore be held responsible for her negligence of duty in performing these two tasks during the SARS outbreak."

• Legislator Mr. Leung Yiu Chung (in Cantonese) emphasized the importance in condemning Dr Chan even she was no longer in Hong Kong. Mr. Leung stated that, "The work of the WHO affects not only Hong Kong, but the whole world. If we cannot say clearly what is wrong with her, then we are just being irresponsible. For what she is doing may have a greater impact."

• Legislator Mr. Michael Mak (麥國風) (in Cantonese) criticized Dr Chan that, "she did not offer any apology in public over the SARS incident, to our great regret. She has left Hong Kong to work in the World Health Organization, holding an important position there. Since SARS has made such serious devastations in Hong Kong, I do not know why Dr Margaret Chan does not offer us an apology in public."

Dr the Honourable Yeung Sum (楊森) (born November 22, 1947 in Guangzhou, Guangdong with family root in Zhencheng, Guangdong) is the second Chairman (2002-2004) of the Democratic Party (DP), a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. ... The Honourable Leung Yiu Chung is member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong since 1995, except for a period between 1997 and 1998. ... Flag of World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ...

As Director-General elect of WHO

Dr Chan considers the "improvements in the health of the people of Africa and the health of women" to be the key performance indicator of WHO and she wants to focus WHO's attention on "the people in greatest need."^[15]

Sources and notes

The London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The Canadian Press (CP) is a Canadian news agency established in 1917 as a vehicle to permit Canadian newspapers of the day to exchange their news and information. ... Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... The English edition of Asiaweek was a news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Time Inc. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Cover of the first issue Ta Kung Pao (Chinese: 大公報; formerly LImpartial) is the oldest active Chinese language newspaper in China. ... The Standard,29 September 2004 Mr. ... Asia Times Online is an Internet-only publication that reports and examines geopolitical, political, economic and business issues, looking at these from an Asian perspective. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, invariably known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of £4 billion. ... The Standard,29 September 2004 Mr. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: Lìfǎ Huì; formerly 立法局, Lìfǎ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Standard,29 September 2004 Mr. ...

Further reading

• Dr Chan's CV (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China)
• Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, HK Government introduction
• China's Margaret Chan says to work tirelessly for world health (Peoples' Daily Online)
• Bird flu expert set to lead WHO (BBC NEWS)
• WHO Board Nominates Margaret Chan As Director General (Wall Street Journal Online)
• Who's Next at WHO? (Time online's blog)

External links

• WHO website:
  • Director-General Elect: Dr Margaret Chan
  • Director-General election (2006)