World Health Chief Dies Moments Before World Health Assembly Meets

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 22, 2006 (ENS) - Dr. Lee Jong-wook, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), died this morning as World Health Assembly members from 192 countries assembled at the Palais des Nations in Geneva for their annual meeting. Dr. Lee underwent surgery Saturday to remove a blot clot on his brain after he suddenly fell ill while attending an official function.

He remained in intensive care. At 0743 this morning, he was declared dead.

Dr. Lee had been in good health. "There was no warning, no nothing. It was a complete shock," said WHO spokesman Iain Simpson.

All of the staff of the World Health Organization extend their most sincere condolences to Dr. Lee's family. "The sudden loss of our leader, colleague and friend, is devastating," the staff said in a statement this morning.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-wook of Korea died today in Geneva. (Photo courtesy WHO)

"He tackled the most difficult problems head on, while upholding the highest principles," said Annan. "He will be very gravely missed, but history will mark Lee Jong-wook's many contributions to public health."

Following Dr. Lee's sudden death, Dr. Anders Nordström, currently WHO's assistant director-general for general management, will serve as acting director-general.

Dr. Nordström was appointed by the director-general as his deputy in November 2003. The appointment stated that Dr. Nordström would not perform the functions of Deputy Director-General unless Dr. Lee were unable to perform the functions of his office.

Under the Rules of Procedure of the World Health Assembly, and in accordance with the decision of the director-general, Dr. Nordström, as senior officer of the Secretariat, now will serve as acting director-general.

Dr. Anders Nordström, currently WHO's assistant director-general for general management, will serve as acting director-general. (Photo courtesy WHO)

Throughout his 23-year career at the World Health Organization, Dr. Lee led the effort to eradicate polio from the Western Pacific and launched a cutting edge Global Drug Facility so people would have access to tuberculosis medicines.

While personally a modest man, his staff characterize Dr. Lee as a "bold leader." When he became director-general in 2003, he announced that WHO would work with partners to achieve "3 by 5" - to ensure three million people with HIV/AIDS would have access to the medicines they needed by the end of 2005.

"3 by 5" transformed the way leaders thought about AIDS medicines for people in poor countries. While the world fell short of the target, the successes and momentum of "3 by 5" demonstrated that universal access to medicines was possible - and had become a moral imperative.

A few days before his death, Dr Lee explained his vision of "universal access" to staff in his office as he worked on his speech to the World Health Assembly.

He said, "There can be no comfort level in the fight against HIV. We must keep up the pressure to get prevention, treatment and care linked and working. A key outcome of "3 by 5" was the commitment to universal access to treatment by 2010. But what does universal access mean? To me, this means that no one should die because they can't get drugs. It means that no one will miss being tested, diagnosed, treated and cared for because there aren't clinics."

Dr. Jong-wook addresses delegates at the 45th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (Photo courtesy WHO)

He talked with the top decision-makers, and he sought out everyday people around the world to ask about their lives. "In his quiet way, he would find a farmer, or a market stall holder, a nurse, or a schoolchild and learn about them. Their personal stories with their photographs were often the anchor for his public statements on global health policy," his staff said today.

Underscoring the recognition of his role, Dr. Lee was invited by President Vladimir Putin to speak at the G8 Summit this July in St. Petersburg, where the fight against infectious disease is one of three major items on the agenda.

Dr. Lee took the fight against infectious diseases, and particularly the threat of pandemic influenza to a new level.

"Forecasts indicate that the political, social and economic costs of such a pandemic will be huge. I cannot emphasize this enough. Failure to take this threat seriously and prepare appropriately will have catastrophic consequences," Dr. Lee said at a meeting of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, DC last September.

"There is a storm brewing that will test us all. We must anticipate it and prepare to the very best of our combined ability," Dr. Lee told the health ministers from throughout the Americas.

Dr. Lee enjoyed lightening his serious work with humor and often included jokes in his speeches to groups of health officials (Photo courtesy UN)

The business of the World Health Assembly, WHO's policymaking body, will continue as scheduled all this week in Geneva after a brief recess this morning. Flags at the United Nations' European headquarters, where the assembly is being held, are flying at half mast.

"I am sorry to tell you that Dr. Lee Jong-wook, director-general of the WHO, died this morning," Spanish Health Minister Elena Salgado, told the opening meeting of the agency's annual assembly.

Issues to be discussed this week include strengthening pandemic-influenza preparedness and response, including application of the International Health Regulations 2005.

Delegates will also consider infant and young child nutrition, HIV/AIDS, polio eradication, sickle-cell anaemia, smallpox eradication and the destruction of variola virus stocks, prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment, international trade and health, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, intellectual property rights, and WHO's work program for the period 2006-2015.

Dr. Lee, a national of the Republic of Korea, started his five year term as director-general of the World Health Organization on July 21, 2003. He has worked for WHO for 23 years, at country and regional levels, and at WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

Born on April 12, 1945, in Seoul, Lee received his degree as a medical doctor from Seoul National University and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Hawaii.

Dr. Lee was 61 years old. He is survived by his wife and son, two brothers and a sister and their families.

Condolences can be sent to: DrLee-tribute@who.int.