Hiroshi Nakajima

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For the Japanese Olympic fencer, see Hiroshi Nakajima (fencer).
Hiroshi Nakajima
中嶋 宏
Nakajima in 1995
4th Director-General of the World Health Organization
In office
1988–1998
Secretary GeneralJavier Pérez de Cuéllar (1982–1991)
Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992–1996)
Kofi Annan (1997–1998)
Preceded byHalfdan T. Mahler
Succeeded byGro Harlem Brundtland
Personal details
Born(1928-05-16)May 16, 1928
Poitiers, France
Alma materTokyo Medical University (MD)
International University of Health and Welfare (PhD)
Signature

Hiroshi Nakajima (中嶋 宏, Nakajima Hiroshi, May 16, 1928 – January 26, 2013) was a Japanese doctor known chiefly for his tenure as Director-General of the World Health Organization.[1]

Early life and education

He was born in

Chiba, Japan
, on 16 May 1928.

In 1955 Nakajima received his M.D. from Tokyo Medical University, Japan.[1] He then studied in Paris.[2]

At some point after 1967, he obtained a PhD in medical sciences in Japan.[3]

Professional life

Before 1974: France and Japan

From 1956 or 1958 to 1967 Nakajima worked at the

Hoffmann-La Roche.[4][3]

Early work at WHO

Nakajima joined

essential drugs
, as Secretary of the first Expert Committee on the subject.

In 1978[3] or 1979,[4] the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific nominated and elected Nakajima as Regional Director, an office he held for two consecutive terms until 1988 when he was elected Director-General of WHO.

1988–1993: First term as Director-General of WHO

In January 1988 the WHO executive board selected Nakajima to become Director-General in a 17-to-14 vote over Carlyle Guerra de Macedo of Brazil.[4]

During his leadership at WHO he notoriously had a conflict with then head of the WHO's Global Programme on AIDS (GPA),

PBS Frontline documentary "The age of AIDS".[11]

During his tenure, Nakajima was also accused of being a poor communicator and administrator.[12]

During his first term in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched.[3]

1993–1998: Second term as Director-General of WHO

In May 1993, Nakajima was re-elected in a 93-to-58 vote to a second term of office as Director-General. His re-election was opposed by all major donor countries to the WHO including the United States. There was controversy surrounding this re-election because the WHO awarded contracts to executive board members prior to the vote by the executive board in January.[13] An audit was conducted that concluded in March and cleared Nakajima of misusing WHO's finances.[14] Nakajima ran against Mohammed Abdelmoumene,[12] an Algerian neurologist and Nakajima's deputy who had been fired by Nakajima in August 1992 for "disloyalty".[15]

In 1997, Nakajima announced that he was not seeking another re-election and that his term of office would end in July 1998. He was replaced by Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway, whose candidacy was supported by the United States and the European Union.[16]

Death

Nakajima died after a short illness[1] in Poitiers, France, on January 26, 2013.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Martin, Douglas (January 28, 2013). "Hiroshi Nakajima, Leader of W.H.O., Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Japanese Scientist Will Head World Health Organization". The New York Times. January 15, 1988. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  3. ^
    S2CID 5295050
    . Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Paul (May 1, 1988). "Divided World Health Organization Braces for Leadership Change". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  5. ^ "FRONTLINE: Search the age of aids (Mann) | PBS". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-05-02.
  6. ^ Philip J. Hilts (September 4, 1998). "Jonathan Mann, AIDS Pioneer, Is Dead at 51". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016. Eventually, Dr. Mann's zeal on the issue brought him into conflict with the W.H.O. director general, Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, and, in March 1990, Dr. Mann resigned.
  7. Philly.com
    . Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "A Regrettable Resignation". Los Angeles Times. March 20, 1990. Retrieved October 20, 2016. Much of the success was attributed to the energy and flexibility of Mann's highly personal leadership.
  9. ^ "American Chief of AIDS Program Quits in Tiff With WHO Leader". Los Angeles Times. March 16, 1990. Retrieved October 20, 2016. WHO officials said privately that Nakajima wanted to dilute the considerable organizational autonomy that Mann had won for the AIDS program within WHO and that was the basic cause of friction between the two men.
  10. Public Broadcasting Service
    . Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  11. ^ The Age of AIDS PBS.
  12. ^ a b James, Barry (January 22, 1993). "West Decries Re-election of WHO Chief". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Altman, Lawrence K. (May 6, 1993). "Embattled Japanese Doctor Retains W.H.O. Post". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  14. ^ "U.N. Says Inquiry Clears Chief of W.H.O." The New York Times. March 31, 1993. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  15. ^ Kroon, Robert L. (January 20, 1993). "Moral Crisis Looms Over WHO's Director-General". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  16. ^ "New broom at WHO". BBC News. July 21, 1998. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  17. ^ "Former Director-General of WHO dies: health contributions remembered". World Health Organization. January 28, 2013. Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2016.

External links

Positions in intergovernmental organisations
Preceded by Director-General of the World Health Organization
1988–1998 		Succeeded by
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