The World Health Organization (WHO)on Wednesday said it is going to pick a new chief to head its Western Pacific regional office, replacing the outgoing Dr. Shigeru Omi of Japan, who will retire after serving 10 years on the post.
The contenders for the top WHO regional post are Dr. Tee Ah Sian of Malaysia, Dr. Shin Young-Soo of the Republic of Korea and Dr. Viliami Ta'u Tangi of Tonga, the WHO said in a press release.
Dr. Shin, 64, is currently professor at the College of Medicineof the Seoul National University. Dr. Tangi, 60, is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health and Chief Surgeon in the Kingdom of Tonga. Dr. Tee, 60, is currently WHO's Director for Combating Communicable Diseases in the Western Pacific.
The candidacies will be submitted to the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, WHO's governing body in the region, when it meets in Manila from 22 to 26 September 2008 to review WHO's work in the region.
Dr. Shigeru Omi, 59, joined the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila in 1990 as the Responsible Officer for the Expanded Programme on Immunization. He assumed the position of WHO Regional Director post in 1999 and was reelected in 2004.
He was remembered for efforts to tackle severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) during his first term and programs to harness the spread of the (H5N1) avian influenza virus during his second term. He will officially resign from the post at the end of January 2009.
Source:Xinhua
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