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WHO's director general dies

BMJ 2006; 332 doi: 10.1136/bmj.332.7552.1234 (Published 25 May 2006)
Cite this as: BMJ 2006;332:1234.1

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  1. Michael Day,
  2. Tessa Richards
  1. London
  2. Geneva

    This week's annual assembly of the World Health Organization has been shaken by the death of its director general, Lee Jong-wook.

    Dr Lee, 61, died in Geneva's Cantonal Hospital on Monday, two days after emergency surgery to treat a blood clot on his brain. Born in South Korea, Dr Lee had worked at WHO for 23 years before becoming its head in 2003.

    News of his death came as the 192 nation body convened its annual assembly. “I am sorry to tell you that Dr Lee Jong-wook, director general of the WHO, died this morning,” Spain's health minister, Elena Salgado, told the opening session of the assembly.

    Ms Salgado, …

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