Nakajima, Hiroshi

▪ 1995

      In January 1988 the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO), reviewed the credentials of various candidates before recommending that Hiroshi Nakajima be elected WHO's fourth director general. Four months later the general assembly of WHO approved the recommendation and on July 21 Nakajima became the first Japanese to head a United Nations agency.

      Nakajima was born in Chiba City on May 16, 1928. He studied at Tokyo Medical College and the University of Paris, where he specialized in neuro-psychopharmacology. After joining WHO in 1973, he spent several years at the organization's headquarters in Geneva. From 1979 to 1988 he was assigned to the Philippines, where he carried out WHO's health programs as director of its Western Pacific region. As his second term in Manila was drawing to a close, WHO was preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary and choose a replacement for Halfdan Mahler of Denmark, whose third five-year term as director general was due to expire in May 1988. WHO's executive board reviewed Nakajima's record of service and concluded that he had the qualifications to succeed Mahler.

      Some months after assuming office, Nakajima returned to Japan to ask for greater cooperation and assistance. He also urged the government to be more aggressive in promoting WHO's health programs. Nakajima launched campaigns to fight infectious diseases, especially AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and dengue fever. He also put great emphasis on preventive medicine in the form of vaccinations for children. His enthusiasm for such programs derived in part from his visits to remote areas in Africa and elsewhere.

      Nakajima's election to a second term seemed to be taken for granted until June 1992, when Muhammad Abdelmoumene, an Algerian neurosurgeon, announced his candidacy for director general. (He had been second in command at WHO until Nakajima fired him). Abdelmoumene's chief support came from the U.S., France, and other European countries. An unexpectedly bitter battle ensued. While Japan lobbied hard in support of Nakajima, his critics charged that he lacked management skills, leadership qualities, and an ability to formulate and enunciate ideas. Nakajima was also accused of bypassing budgetary procedures in allocating WHO funds. Critics claimed that, because of such "problems," WHO was in disarray and morale was low in regional offices and research agencies. At the same time, some Western media accused Japan of threatening to slash imports from less developed countries that did not support Nakajima's reelection. Japan vehemently denied this and all the other charges. In January 1993 WHO's executive board recommended (18-13) that Nakajima be given a second term. When the World Health Assembly convened in May 1993, Japan and its Third World allies prevailed. Nakajima was reelected by a vote of 93-58. In August 1994 he traveled to Japan for the 10th international conference on AIDS. Among the 10,000 public health officials, researchers, patients, and journalists in attendance were representatives of WHO, who had prepared extensive data on the current status of AIDS around the world.

      (TAKUJI MIWA)

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