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To head WHO

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday nominated Margaret Chan, former health chief of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as its next Director-General. Dr. Chan (59) joined the WHO in 2003 and has since been its top official for pandemic influenza and assistant Director-General for communicable diseases. Her challengers included Shigero Omi of Japan who heads WHO's operations in the Western Pacific region, Mexico's Health Minister Julio Frenk, Kazem Behbehani, senior WHO official from Kuwait and Spanish Health Minister Elena Salgado Mendez. The five finalists were selected from an original list of 11candidates, recommended by their respective governments to head the U.N. agency following the sudden death of Dr. Lee Jong-wook in May. Dr. Chan's nomination by the Executive Board needs to be approved by a final voting of the 193 member-states. The voting, widely seen as a procedural step, will be held on Thursday. — Xinhua

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