Margaret Chan
Margaret Chan
Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun, OBE, JPis a Hong Kong Chinese and Canadian physician, who serves as the Director-General of the World Health Organizationfor 2006–17. Chan was elected by the Executive Board of 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, representative of the WHO Director-General for Pandemic Influenza and WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionPublic Servant
CountryChina
actions animals drastic reduce risk taking
We are taking very drastic actions to reduce the risk of avian influenza to animals and birds,
affected agreed cases countries delay donate human million mortality reduce reported spread
They have agreed to donate another 2 million courses, that is 20 million doses, for use by affected countries who reported human cases to reduce morbidity and mortality and to delay the spread of the infection.
addressing assistance current harmonize health plus reduce
The International Health Partnership Plus is addressing the need to harmonize development assistance and reduce the current waste, duplication, and high transaction costs.
allow buying economic emergency health host measures mortality pandemic public reduce social time vaccine
Buying time will allow us to fast-track pandemic vaccine production. It will allow governments to put in place a host of emergency public health measures that will reduce mortality and morbidity, and social and economic disruption.
history likely next suspect time
When is the next time? We don't have a time frame. I suspect it will likely to be November, if history is anything to go by.
achieved cases confirmed downward efforts indeed past result shown situation
During the past week, indeed new confirmed cases have shown a downward trend. The situation has stabilized, ... Our estimation is that this is a result achieved through concerted efforts from all quarters.
additional countries gave health impetus learned revise sars sort
SARS was a very important event... And many countries have learned from SARS... The SARS event sort of gave them additional impetus and the sense of urgency for them to really revise the International Health Regulations.
available based current decided following information level pandemic phase raise several
Based on assessment of all available information and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5.
concern events justify recent weeks
Concern has mounted progressively, and events in recent weeks justify that concern.
countries importance improved prompt responding since understand
Countries have improved since SARS. They understand the importance of responding and being as prompt and transparent as possible.
community country handle pandemic understand work
We must understand that when one country is not safe, the world is not safe. Pandemic influenza, by nature, will go around the world, so it is important for us to work as an international community to get a better handle on the issue.
community everybody health public time together
That was a time when we were really working together as an international community of academics, politicians, public health experts. Everybody really was so focused,
close country developing follow health ministry national nearly negotiate office offices partners plans priorities staff strategies strengthen
WHO has a country office in nearly every developing country, usually located close to the Ministry of Health. Staff in these offices need to do much more to help ministries of health strengthen their national health plans and strategies and then negotiate with development partners to support these priorities and follow these plans.
coming government message strong
I think this is a very strong message coming from the U.S. government,