Dr Margaret Chan, OBE, JP
The Hong Kong-born director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Margaret Chan is one of the world's most visionary and experienced public health crisis managers. As a former director of health in Hong Kong, her leadership in combating the threat of H5N1 avian influenza in 1997 and SARS in 2003 made her the top choice to become director-general at WHO in 2006, and she is now in her second elected term. Prior to her current appointment she directed WHO’s Department for Protection of the Human Environment, which encompassed physical, chemical, biological, social and psychosocial factors. She joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978 and during her nine-year tenure as director of health she introduced new initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance and response, enhance training for public health professionals, and establish better local and international collaboration.
