WHO cuts field to five candidates for top job

GENEVA, Nov 6 (Reuters) The World Health Organisation's (WHO) executive board today cut to five the number of candidates to take over as chief of the United Nations health agency, diplomats said.

As expected, Hong Kong's former health director Margaret Chan, Shigeru Omi of Japan, who heads the agency's Western Pacific regional office and Mexico's Health Minister Julio Frenk were amongst the remaining group from the initial 11 candidates.

The other two were Kuwait's Kazem Behbehani, a WHO official, and Spain's Health Minister Elena Salgado.

The five will each be interviewed individually tomorrow before the 34-state executive board meets the following day to choose one name to recommend to the World Health Assembly, the 193-state WHO's top decision-making body.

The assembly meets on Thursday.

Reuters AKJ GC2130