World Health Organization Head to Visit Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. S.Sbabayeva / The General Director of The World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, will pay a visit to Azerbaijan from 30 Janury to 2 February, The Azerbaijani Health Ministry reports.

"It will be Chan's first visit to Azerbaijan as a member of WHO," the Ministry stated.

During her visit Dr Chan is planning to meet with the country President. Dr Chan will also meet with the Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizadeh and Health Minister Oktai Shiraliyev.

In 1994, Dr Chan was appointed Director of Health of Hong Kong. In her nine-year tenure as director, she launched new services to prevent the spread of disease and promote better health. She also introduced new initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance and response, enhance training for public health professionals, and establish better local and international collaboration. She effectively managed outbreaks of avian influenza and of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

In 2003, Dr Chan joined WHO as Director of the Department for Protection of the Human Environment. In June 2005, she was appointed Director, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response as well as Representative of the Director-General for Pandemic Influenza. In September 2005, she was named Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases.

Dr Chan was appointed to the post of Director-General on 9 November 2006. Her term will run through to June 2012.