Dr. Margaret Chan, a Hong Kong native, has been at the helm of the World Health Organization (WHO) now for almost a year. The Associated Press (no by-line) has an interesting sketch of her, which includes her penchant for using song as an ice-breaking device in contentious settings. We brought you Ed Hammond's report that she burst into "Getting to know you" at a critical point in the recent tense summit over sharing of bird flu virus in Geneva. AP also reports this event, but remember you heard it here first. IN any event, here is some more of their limning of Chan:
Since the karaoke-loving Chan took over the UN health agency in January, she has slowly been reshaping the organization, shuffling top directors and identifying priorities she wants to be judged on, such as women's health and Africa.Under WHO's last chief, Dr. Lee Jong-Wook, some critics accused the agency of being unduly influenced by several large member countries, most notably the United States.
While public health remains politically charged, Chan has brought a charismatic and cooperative management style that many say is essential in today's crowded global health arena.
The 60-year-old Hong Kong native started out as a schoolteacher before jumping into medicine. As director of Hong Kong's health department, she headed the city's response to containing the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome before joining WHO the following year. (AP via International Herald Tribune)
WHO is now sixty years old and the world has changed much since its founding in 1948 (see our posts on the old site here, here, here, here and here). Even through the 1970s, when I worked for WHO, they were essentially the only game in town when it came to global health. That is no longer true, with large and powerful NGOs like the Gates Foundation and the Clinton initiative weighing in along with dozens or hundreds of smaller organizations. It needs to find its footing in this new world and under the previous Director General it was struggling. Chan is trying a new tack and is at least saying the right things:
For WHO to remain relevant, Chan said the agency has to continually prove its worth. "Leadership has to be earned," she said. "WHO has to choose wisely what to invest in," she said, acknowledging that other agencies may be better at certain things, like fundraising or advocacy.
Some of Chan's staff bristled when she recommended that they let others assume some of WHO's traditional work, like asking UNICEF to help with public health education.
But Chan insisted that allows WHO to focus on its strengths, like providing scientific expertise to its 193 member states. "You should not reinvent the wheel," she said. "We have too many other things to do."
On the other hand, strong member states and their constituents like Big Pharma continue to have a strong say over WHO, whatever Chan's personal inclinations. And despite her claim to know China, its system and its leadership, we have yet to see much change in China's attitude toward openness and information sharing. China still does what it wants, just as the US does.
It's too early to judge Chan's success or lack of success at WHO. I am not an automatic WHO basher (far from it), although there hasn't been much to praise in recent years. As an intergovernmental agency still saddled with an anarchic system of independent sovereign nation states that is incompatible with the needs of public health WHO has an extremely difficult job. It also has both an enormously dedicated cadre of committed public health professionals (many of whom risk their lives daily) working alongside an entrenched international bureaucracy not inclined to adapt to a new world.
Margaret Chan sang "Getting to know you" and this sketch helps us a bit get to know her. It implies her next song will be, "I did it my way." That could be either good or bad, depending on what her way is and who likes it or doesn't. It could very well prompt an encore, "So long, it's been good to know you."
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The amount of horsepower this woman carries is enormous when it comes to how resources are used. On one hand it was kind of funny, right up until the time Indonesia left and no samples were relased. Rather than than telling Supari who has forced her way onto the world stage by extortion to cool her rhetoric, she allowed the rift to become deeper.
The UN Charter allows for any nation to make a declaration that it is within their national security to prevent something from happening. That declaration may or may not be actionable by the UN but once made they cant put it on a time clock. The declaring nation at that point in time could take action against any situation or nation they believe to be acting in detriment to theirs.
Margaret and Siti are on notice. If there is a sudden surge in cases then watch how fast things get nastier than they are now.
"The Fool on the Hill" might be the more relevant title.
Life without music would be pretty hard to dance to, know what I mean?
Without, of course, consideration of the politics which make for dancers with two left feet.
Randolph,
superstar, why don't you join some right wing neoconservative group, and put you fascist ideas into action?
I already did Herman and for over 13 years. You have to understand that there are things happening on the other side of the planet you are not aware of. There are 30,000 Chinese nationals in NW Indon as it is. There are Chinese warships in the area... big ones and nuke tipped at that. They arent there to enjoy the waterskiing championship. Its one of the farthest sorties ever by their navy. Why?
You also are probably unaware that I paraphrased something that is in the UN Charter and its under making of war. They could simply say they were acting their national interests and do so by a lead up of rhetoric and then an introduction of a resolution. Kind of like what GWB did in Iraq. In other words they would give them ample warning and opportunity but they have enough nukes and chemicals on even 5 of their cruisers to do Indonesia in an afternoon.
Again, what would YOU do to stop or slow a spread of H2H BF crawling across Indonesia? Lets hope its slightly more than Indonesia has.
Remember Herman, when the talking starts to get loud and they dont do anything but ignore the dragon who is breathing fire they take their lives into their own hands. If that dragon stops talking then it will be time to worry. Pray that this doesnt escalate beyond talking. The only thing that would escalate it from both points would be a sudden surge in cases. Indon isnt doing anything but stealing the money sent in. Thats over with. Fascists by the way dont generally make payoffs. Politicians do. 2 billion dollars went in and we end up with MORE bird flu and cases.
But take heart seer Herman. Since Supari returned from Geneva there hasnt been one pip of information coming out about bird flu. That means its gone, finished and everything is just okay. In fact I believe that its much worse, they are also about to deluge us with the truth but not one damned sample. Bio-fascism on their part. I call it extortion.
But do keep siding with them and see how it works out.
It would make my day to actually see/hear this. Is there a video clip online of our karaoke songstress? It would make my day even more to see her sing "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher, "Alone" by Heart, or "Party All The Time" by Eddie Murphy -- but alas, some things are just not to be.