HONG KONG: Margaret Chan's nomination as the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) represents a remarkable achievement for the dedicated health veteran and kudos for Hong Kong and the region in general.

It also underscores the importance of Asia as central to the fight to control the most pressing threats to world health the spread of animal-to-human-transmitted diseases especially given that China has been at the centre of two of the most dangerous outbreaks in recent years.

Having a health professional from China heading the WHO will highlight the nation's commitment to solving these problems.

And in Chan, the WHO has picked a unique candidate who has experience in battling not one, but two, outbreaks in her time avian flu in 1997 and again in 2003, and SARS in 2003.

Born in 1947, Chan gained her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario before returning to Hong Kong and joining the Department of Health in 1978.

Over the next two decades, she was involved in developing and implementing a variety of health policies, including health care for low-income groups and controlling outbreaks of cholera and other chronic diseases. She was also involved in administration, allocating resources, risk management and registration and regulation of Chinese medicines.

In 1994, she was made Hong Kong's director of health, a position she held for nine years.

In 1997, the outbreak of avian flu, identified as the H5N1 strain and the first known cases of poultry-to-human transmission of the virus, caused some 68 infections including six deaths and led to the culling of 1.6 million poultry in the territory.

This quick action by Chan is believed to have stopped the disease in its tracks and is widely credited with stopping a pandemic occurring.

In 2003, SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, struck Hong Kong and Chan was again at the frontlines of a fight to avoid another health disaster.

Her handling of the outbreak, which was eventually brought under control later that year, drew a mixed response, with some quarters arguing that she followed protocol too closely rather than respond quickly to protect public health as she had done in 1997.

However, while she attracted some criticism, she was nevertheless handpicked by the WHO, on the strength of her efforts, in 2003, as its director of the department for the protection of the human environment. In June 2005, she was appointed as WHO's director of communicable diseases surveillance and response.

Health officials and commentators acknowledge the inherent political elements in the WHO's existence despite representing the health interests of nearly 200 independent states, the organization does not act without the permission of its members and admit that the job of its director-general is not an easy one.

To handle her role successfully, Chan will need to be able to navigate the complex political, economic and social issues that are intertwined with implementing successful health policies.

Her many years as a creditable health professional and experience battling avian flu and SARS made her an obvious candidate when the WHO began the search for a new leader.

Her skills will be indispensable in the WHO's fight to protect the world's health in the current climate of new health issues, including the ongoing fight against avian flu and other transmitted diseases, AIDS and inadequate health care for many of the world's poor.

One group that is confident she can help achieve these goals comprises Chan's former colleagues in Hong Kong, who have been following her rise to prominence.

In an official statement from the Department of Health, staff have described her as a compassionate, hardworking and dedicated.

"Dr Chan always stressed that we should always be on call and ready to serve. She always reminded us of the importance of our job as frontline officers," say the department staff.

"She also stressed the importance of educating the people and that public knowledge is critical in preventing the outbreak of disease.

"We are very proud to see Dr Chan as the head of the WHO, and believe she will be able to make a great contribution to the world."