Lee Jong-wook
Authors: Michael Day
Journal: BMJ (2006)

​AsAs director general of the World Health Organization Dr Lee Jong-wook continued the revival of the agency begun by his predecessor, Gro Harlem Brundtland. Having taken over from the formidable Norwegian in 2003, Dr Lee continued to push health to the top of the global political agenda, winning plaudits for his style, which was based on action not words.




Figure 1



Credit: P VIROT/WHO




He entered office as the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome was subsiding, and it was bird flu—a pandemic that has yet to emerge—that was to dominate much of his time as leader of WHO. However, in the long term it is likely to be his bold, if ultimately unattainable, pledges on HIV treatment that will be remembered.

Apart from his expertise in public health Dr Lee was a consummate politician—a characteristic that raised a few eyebrows at the time of his candidature. A number of health experts remarked that Dr Lee had acted more like a politician than a scientist in his extensive lobbying for the top job. As part of his strategy to get elected he persuaded more than 50 members of the US Congress to write to the US government backing his candidacy. He also remarked in an interview later that year that “you can't make it to this position without being a politician.”

Conversely, some commentators thought that this poor public speaker with a modest demeanour would be out of his depth on the world stage. But he was soon able to build personal contacts with George Bush, Jacques Chirac, and China's president, Hu Jintao. This July he had been due to address the G8 summit in St Petersburg at the personal invitation of Vladimir Putin. Dr Lee understood that the steps he had publicly avowed he would take against infectious diseases and tobacco related illness—from which his father had died—would not be possible without the support of world leaders.

He declared that tuberculosis, polio, malaria, and above all, AIDS, would be key battlegrounds during his leadership. He introduced the “3 by 5” campaign, in which WHO pledged that three million HIV patients—most of whom were in the developing world—would have access to antiretroviral treatment by 2005. WHO fell far short of this goal; nevertheless the number of people receiving antiretrovirals in Africa rose eightfold between 2003 and 2005, and Dr Lee had shown that large scale treatment of HIV was feasible in poor countries. In addition, under his leadership WHO pressured drug companies into lowering prices, pushed for the approval of generic versions of patented drugs, and helped build the infrastructure needed to deliver HIV treatment in poorer countries.

Despite the labyrinthine internal politics that he had to navigate as WHO's leader, Dr Lee was equally prepared to stand his ground within his organisation. He directed funds away from the WHO gravy train in Geneva to the poorer parts of the world where they were needed. One of the results was a one day strike earlier this year—the first in the organisation's 53 year history—as hundreds protested against feared job losses.

He also led by example. At his behest WHO's car fleet was transformed into one comprising smaller, environmentally friendly vehicles, including one for himself. He liked to live modestly and took quiet pleasure from the voluntary work of his Japanese born wife, Reiko, who has spent six months each year since 2000 working with a charity that helps people in shantytowns outside Lima, Peru.

Dr Lee was no stranger to sacrifice. As a child during the Korean War he once walked 400 km with his mother and brothers during the winter months in search of his exiled father. His father and one brother subsequently entered politics, but Dr Lee said his mother advised him to pursue a career in medicine, as it would provide financial security.

He qualified at Seoul National University's College of Medicine and later studied at the University of Hawaii's School of Public Health. He became a specialist in tropical diseases and began his WHO career in 1983 as a consultant on leprosy.

As director of WHO's global programme for vaccines and immunisations and executive secretary of the children's vaccine initiative from 1994 to 1998, he worked towards the global eradication of poliomyelitis and other vaccine preventable diseases. WHO's seemingly eternal pledge to imminently eradicate polio remained elusive during Dr Lee's time at WHO, although this was largely due to local political and security problems beyond the control of WHO officials. He worked as a policy adviser to the then director general, Gro Harlem Brundtland, before going on to win plaudits as head of the organisation's Stop TB public-private partnership of 250 governments, nongovernmental organisation, and companies.

Fluent in Korean and English and conversant in French and Japanese, Dr Lee enjoyed classical music, theatre, and literature. He was also a fan of sports and outdoor activities, including scuba diving and tennis, as well as the Alpine pursuits of mountain biking and skiing.

Dr Lee fell ill on Saturday 20 May at a luncheon marking the start of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, complaining of a severe headache and vomiting. He was taken to Cantonal Hospital in Geneva, where surgeons removed a subdural haematoma from his brain. He died two days later. His death was announced on Monday morning at the official opening of the assembly. More than 1000 colleagues and staff crowded into a hall at WHO headquarters to pay tribute to him.

He is survived by his wife and son.

Lee Jong-wook, public health specialist and director general of the World Health Organization; b 1945; q Seoul National University 1976; MD, MPH; d 22 May 2006.