New WHO director-general takes office
Dr Lee Jong-wook has taken over as director-general of the WHO, with a pledge to focus the organisation on HIV/AIDS, on achieving results in countries, and on helping to tackle the widespread human resources crisis in the health sector.
Dr Lee Jong-wook has taken over as director-general of the WHO, with a pledge to focus the organisation on HIV/AIDS, on achieving results in countries, and on helping to tackle the widespread human resources crisis in the health sector.
'Our work together in the coming years will be guided by three principles,' he said in his inaugural address to WHO staff. 'We must do the right things. We must do them in the right places. And we must do them the right way.'
HIV/AIDS will be given a renewed emphasis as one of WHO's priority programmes, particularly focusing on the target of providing 3m people in developing countries with antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2005 (the 'Three by Five' goal). A global plan for achieving this goal is to be drawn up by World AIDS Day on 1 December.
Much work has already been done around the world on understanding AIDS, developing treatment protocols, and advocating for increased political commitment and funding. What is required now is a new drive to get highly effective treatments to the people who need them. This means working with countries to build health systems that will provide antiretroviral drugs and other care.
Dr Lee has pledged to ensure that all of WHO's work has the clear and explicit aim of achieving results in countries. The proportion of resources devoted to WHO headquarters has crept steadily upwards. While much good work has been done in Geneva, Dr Lee emphasised that the focus of all WHO's work must be on the men, women and children who suffer and die because they lack access to even the most basic health care. Many countries face a real human resources crisis in the health sector, and Dr Lee pledged to work closely with countries and with communities to build the health work force and to develop innovative methods of training, deployment and supervision of health care workers to address this crisis.
'The shortage of skilled health personnel slows progress towards health goals such as 'Three by Five' and the Millennium target on maternal mortality,' Dr Lee said. 'Our co-operation with countries on this issue must intensify.'
Under his leadership, Dr Lee said, WHO will become more driven by team-building and information-sharing. "As we work more collaboratively, we will also work more efficiently.'