Dr. Chan is the director-general of the World Health Organization. She was appointed to this position on July 1, 2012. Prior to her appointment, she was the inaugural chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR)
As CEO of the Hong Kong SAR, she was responsible for the SAR government’s overall administration, budgeting, personnel management, information technology systems, community services delivery and public health programs. Dr. Chan also served on various government committees on health-related matters including the advisory committee on immunization and the National Committee on Immunization of Hong Kong SAR.
She has extensive experience in health care reform and national health policy development. Dr. Chan has been a member of WHO's regional expert group for Asia since 2002 and leads an expert working group that provides technical support for WHO’s new strategy on noncommunicable diseases to countries in Asia and other regions in need of assistance in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) control and prevention.
She is a senior advisor to WHO’s NCD work and leads a team that provides technical support for WHO’s new strategy on NCDs to countries around the world in need of assistance in NCD control and prevention.
New diseases like SARS and bird flu cause anxiety in the community. People get worried, some to the extent that it even affects their health. You feel very sad, and yet you must carry on and maintain your cool in very trying and difficult moments. You have to tough it out.Margaret Chan
Tobacco is the only industry that produces products to make huge profits and at the same time damage the health and kill their consumers.Margaret Chan
