Gro Harlem Brundtland (left) hands over to Jong-Wook Lee (right)
© 2003 WHO
Serenaded by ministers from around the world for placing health firmly on the political map, Gro Harlem Brundtland made her exit from the World Health Assembly (WHA) stage, saying she was confident that WHO was “stronger and better prepared to rise to new global challenges”.
As he was confirmed as the new director-general of the UN health agency, South Korea's Jong-Wook Lee signalled the end of an era. The communicable diseases expert and former head of Stop TB indicated that he would emphasise practical action on the ground rather than visionary worldwide health statemanship.
“The key to WHO's work in the coming years will be a new commitment to results at country level”, Lee said in his acceptance speech to the WHA. “5 years from now, our operations will be significantly more focused in countries. We will be closer to the ground, working more intensively with national health authorities to respond to their priority health goals. We will focus on achievable objectives in areas where WHO can provide skills and resources”, he said.
As an example of WHO at its best, Lee cited the example of Carlo Urbani, the WHO specialist who treated the earliest cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hanoi and helped mobilise the international community against the disease before succumbing to the infection on March 29 (see Lancet 2003; 361: 1481).
He recalled that shortly before Urbani became ill, his wife worried about the danger. In the presence of Urbani's wife—Giuliana Chiorrini—Lee related the reply: “If I cannot work in such situations, what am I here for—answering emails and pushing paper?”
“Carlo Urbani has given us WHO at its best—not pushing paper, but pushing back the assault of poverty and disease”, said Lee.
The Director-General designate said one of his immediate goals would be to strengthen the global response and surveillance network and set up a US$200 million fund to tackle contagious diseases such as SARS. Longer-term, his priority would be HIV/AIDS to help meet the “three-by-five” target: three million people in developing countries on antiretroviral treatment by 2005.
Lee takes over on July 29 from Brundtland, who announced last August that she that didn't want to stand for a second 5-year term.
“It is not easy to have to say goodbye to a person of the calibre of Dr Brundtland”, said South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, one of dozens of ministers who took to the floor to praise the former Norwegian prime minister.
Tshabalala-Msimang said the Brundtland-initiated report on Macroeconomics and Health and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control would stand as “enduring monuments for generations to come”.
Brundtland leaves lingering doubts about her often abrasive leadership style and reforms—to which Lee alluded by saying he wanted to adopt a more “listening” approach. But the WHA tributes reflected the overwhelming view that Brundtland transformed WHO from a marginalised agency into a real force on the world stage.
In her 1998-2003 report, Brundtland recalled her drive to promote health investments as being crucial to worldwide security, poverty reduction, and economic growth; her initiatives with the private sector such as in Roll Back Malaria, Stop TB, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation; and her action against smoking, diet, and health and other causes of non-communicable diseases.
“A strong foundation has been laid. A lot has been accomplished and WHO has much to be proud of. But more remains to be done”, Brundtland said.
“Dr Brundtland will leave behind shoes that are almost too big to fill”, said Caleb Otto of Palau, on behalf of the Western Pacific region.
Speaking for the Americas region, Dominica's Health Minister, Herbert Sabaroche, described the Norwegian as “our beloved champion female director”.
“You made every effort to define clear strategies that would put health high on the political agenda. In this you succeeded, as health is now central to the debate on development and globalisation. Under your leadership WHO grew stronger and rose to its challenges”, he said.