The late former Director-General of the World Health Organization Lee Jong-wook received a posthumous honorary doctorate on Wednesday from Seoul National University for his contributions to the development of public health.

“Lee made a tremendous contribution to the development of public health and medicine. He was a true doctor as well as an activist scholar who spread hopes and planted a spirit of sharing in humanity,” said Park Myung-jin, vice president of education at the university, in the degree conferment ceremony.

Lee passed away in May 2006 at his WHO office in Geneva due to a stroke. He was 61.

His wife Reiko Kaburaki accepted the degree at the university.

She had flown to Korea for the ceremony from Peru, where she has volunteered in public health for 10 years.

“Even if he’s not here today, I am glad that Seoul National University presented the honorary degree to my husband,” said Kaburaki.

During his 23 years at the international health agency, leprosy treatment was improved and the child polio and tuberculosis rate dropped.

He was the first Korean to lead the WHO.

Kaburaki reminisced about first meeting Lee while volunteering for leprosy patients in Anyang, 24 kilometers south of Seoul.

“His treatment was much appreciated at that time when the Korean government had very little medical service available to them,” said Kaburaki in a speech.

“My husband decided to study more about leprosy and we moved to Hawaii.”

He earned his master’s degree in epidemiology and public health from the University of Hawaii’s School of Public Health in 1981. After that, he began to work for the WHO as a leprosy consultant in Fiji. Nicknamed “the czar of vaccine,” he contributed to the slashing of the child polio rate through an effective vaccination strategy. He also played a leading role in stemming the spread of tuberculosis as the head of the disease program.

Lee’s family, alumni and officials from his memorial fund, the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, attended the ceremony.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)