WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan appears as one of the world's 50 most powerful global figures in Newsweek's "The New Global Elite," the cover story for a special Dec.29–Jan. 5 issue of the magazine.  

"With the global spread of diseases more of a threat than ever, Chan represents the world's first line of defense," writes Newsweek. "The well-liked leader of the WHO is known for her interest in women's issues and African health, but her background is in emerging diseases. As Hong Kong's director of health, she handled the avian flu and SARS .... One admirer calls her 'the James Brown of global health' for her work ethic. In her circles, she's certainly a rock star."

Newsweek terms its list the "first ever list of the world's 50 most powerful people [which] lays out a roadmap for how the world works today." Compiled by Newsweek correspondents around the world, the "highly subjective list" represents the "most powerful people who will figure in the era over which President-Elect Barack Obama will preside," says Newsweek. The list is based not on wealth, social class, or educational credentials, but on "merit" and global influence.

Others on the list of "New Global Elites" include Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin,  Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Carlos Slim Helú, Warren Buffet, the Dalai Lama, Pope Benedict XVI, Osama bin Laden, and Oprah Winfrey.
 
Read it in Newsweek's web site.