WHO Director General passes away

“With the death of Lee Jong-wook, the world has lost a champion of health, development and poverty eradication. Dr Lee has made a valuable contribution to global cooperation in the field of health for many years, and he will be deeply missed,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

“I know Dr Lee as a close friend and colleague from my time in the World Health Organisation. A man of great knowledge and long experience, he was instrumental in implementing Gro Harlem Brundtland’s WHO reforms. He was a committed, jovial, hard-working man with a firm conviction of the importance of health in the fight against poverty,” said Mr Støre.

“It was with deep sorrow that I received the news of Dr Lee’s sudden death,” said Gro Harlem Brundtland. “Dr Lee was a dedicated and inspiring colleague when I was in the WHO, and we have remained in touch ever since. His death is a painful loss for the WHO and the whole UN family. My thoughts go to his wife and son, and to all his colleagues in the WHO.”

Lee Jong-wook, originally from Korea, worked in the WHO for 20 years. He was a close colleague of Gro Harlem Brundtland and Jonas Gahr Støre during the former’s tenure as Director-General of the WHO (1998-2003). Dr Lee succeeded Dr Brundtland as Director-General in 2003. He died in Geneva, where the world’s health leaders are gathered today to discuss the global health situation.