Hiroshi Nakajima

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Hiroshi Nakajima ( Japanese 中 嶋 宏 , Nakajima Hiroshi ; born May 16, 1928 in Chiba ; † January 26, 2013 in Poitiers ) was a Japanese medic and from 1988 to 1998 Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Nakajima studied at the Tokyo Medical School (Tōkyō Ika Daigaku) ​​and the University of Paris . In the latter, he then specialized in neuropharmacology . In 1974 he joined the WHO as a research assistant, where he was responsible for pharmacological issues. In 1976 he became head of the Drug Policy Department, where he played an important role in developing the concept of essential drugs . From 1978 to 1988 he was director of the West Pacific Regional Office. In 1988 he was elected WHO's fourth director general. The USA and other western states do not support this election. In the run-up to his candidacy for re-election, allegations were made that Japan had bought votes from developing countries on the WHO Executive Board through promises of official posts or the financing of prestige objects. In response, Japan accused the United States of conducting a systematic disinformation campaign. Only after a battle election against the Algerian Mohammed Abdelmoumène was he elected by the World Health Assembly for a second term in May 1993. He did not run for a third election, so that his term of office ended in 1998.

During his tenure as WHO director, Nakajima launched several campaigns to fight infectious diseases , in particular AIDS , malaria , tuberculosis and dengue fever . He attached great importance to the prevention of infections through vaccination measures . His tenure was overshadowed by budget overruns and mismanagement, which damaged the WHO's reputation.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Douglas Martin: Hiroshi Nakajima, Leader of WHO, Dies at 84th New York Times, January 28, 2013, accessed February 1, 2013 .
  2. ↑ Dirk Schütz: Dead fish at the WHO. Zeit Online, April 16, 1993, accessed February 1, 2013 .
personal data
SURNAME Nakajima, Hiroshi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 中 嶋 宏 (Japanese)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Japanese Director General of WHO
DATE OF BIRTH May 16, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Chiba , Japan
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 2013
Place of death Poitiers , France