China's Margaret Chan Confirmed As New WHO Chief
-World Health Organization member countries approved Margaret Chan, a Chinese infectious diseases expert, as the U.N. agency's new chief.
Chan's candidacy was approved in a special session of the World Health Assembly, which is comprised of WHO's 192 member countries. She was nominated Wednesday for the world's top health post by the WHO's executive board, a governing body comprised of representatives of 34 member countries.
The confirmation vote is a landmark for China, which nominated a candidate for the first time and which has been criticized by the international health community for failing to disclose critical health information in a timely way. Chan has pledged not to favor Chinese political interests over those of international public health.
Dr. Chan, who had been the agency's top communicable diseases official, will assume her new role Jan. 4. Her term is expected to run five and a half years, ending June 30, 2012.
陈冯富珍正式当选WHO总干事
世界卫生组织(World Health Organization)成员国批准陈冯富珍(Margaret Chan)出任该组织总干事。
对陈冯富珍的提名是在世界卫生大会(World Health Assembly)的一个特别会议上获得通过的。世界卫生组织执行委员会在周三提名陈冯富珍为该组织总干事。
陈冯富珍当选对于中国具有里程碑意义，她是首位被中国提名出任WHO总干事的人选。由于未能及时披露重大的健康卫生信息，中国一直受到世界卫生组织的批评。中国已承诺不会把中国政治利益凌驾于国际公共健康安全利益之上。
陈冯富珍将从明年1月4日起就任WHO总干事一职，她的五年半任期将于2012年6月30日到期。
