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New health chief focuses on HIV/AIDS

    JOHANNESBURG

    The recently elected head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has put the HIV/AIDS pandemic at the top of his agenda, the BBC reported on Thursday.

    Dr Jong-wook Lee, who will be replacing the current WHO chief Gro Harlem Brundtland in July, said he aims to ensure that more people have access to antiretroviral therapy.

    "HIV/AIDS is a big problem... 27 million people are infected in Africa alone. But my view is that there is good international will to do something real and practical," Dr Lee said.

    The former head of the WHO's "Stop Tuberculosis" campaign said he was hopeful that HIV/AIDS drugs would become affordable enough for developing countries.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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