GENEVA - The head of the World Health Organization has pledged to make her agency more efficient amid demands for it to do more with less funding.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan says proposed reforms would see the agency become more streamlined and deliver "measurable results" at country level.

Chan acknowledged to an extraordinary meeting of the Geneva-based organization's governing board Tuesday that parts of the WHO had become rigid and unresponsive.

The Hong Kong-born physician -- who is expected to run for a second five-year term -- urged WHO's 34 board members to safeguard the agency's role as global health guardian despite growing competition and budget constraints.

Earlier this year WHO cut its biennial budget for 2012-2013 by $1 billion to just under $4 billion.