Dr. Lee Jong-wook, World Health Org head, 61
Posted: Monday, May 22nd, 2006 7:41 pmGENEVA, Switzerland (AP) — Dr. Lee Jong-wook, who spearheaded the World Health Organization’s successive battles against SARS and bird flu, died Monday after undergoing emergency surgery for a blood clot in his brain, officials said. He was 61. …
Lee, who took over as director-general of WHO in 2003 as the agency battled the SARS outbreak in Asia, worked for WHO for 23 years, including time served in regional posts. He was the first South Korean to head a U.N. agency, after winning praise for his low-key but efficient management style as head of the agency’s tuberculosis program.
TIME magazine named Lee one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2004. … Read full obituary
