Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

President Jimmy Carter’s resolute and humble leadership saved millions of lives.

I hope his legacy will serve as a guide for the world and generations to come.

https://theatlantavoice.com/president-carter-river-blindness/

I had the great privilege to work closely with President Carter for two decades to promote health for all, especially the world's poorest. I have come to Washington D.C. to pay tribute to the lasting legacies left by this humble giant who protected millions from the threats of disease and war.

The President’s example, as a leader, humanitarian and human, can guide us through today's unclear and challenging times.

https://www.statnews.com/2025/01/08/jimmy-carter-legacy-who-director-general-tedros-guinea-worm-river-blindness/

Today, WHO and partners supported medical evacuation of four patients and five companions to Jordan, and six children patients and five companions to the USA where they will receive specialised health care.

Over 12,000 people in Gaza still need medical evacuations. We continue to urge Israel to:
1) Increase the approval rate for medical evacuations;
2) Expedite the process of approvals for medical evacuations;
3) Allow all possible corridors and border crossings to be used for safe medical evacuations.

With a New Year upon us, our leaders must bring desperately needed peace to the world, and health and safety to all.
 
In 2025, let’s turn the page on conflict, chart a new path to secure a healthy and prosperous future for all.
 
#HappyNewYear

Today we managed to evacuate our UNHAS colleague who was injured in yesterday’s attack on Sana’a airport in #Yemen. We are now in #Jordan, where he will receive further medical treatment.

Deepest gratitude to the UNHAS team for their service and swift evacuation from #Yemen, where we were on a UN mission to negotiate for the release of detained colleagues. Attacks on civilians and humanitarians must stop, everywhere. #NotATarget

Our mission to negotiate the release of UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release.

As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged.

We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.

My UN and WHO colleagues and I are safe.

Our heartfelt condolences to the families whose loved ones lost their lives in the attack.

2024 has been a complex and challenging year. Here is WHO’s take on key moments in health and science over the past 12 months: https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/who-looks-back-at-2024/

As the year comes to an end, we express our ceaseless gratitude and admiration for health workers and carers everywhere.

I congratulate the people and government of Rwanda and President Paul Kagame on successfully ending the #Marburg virus disease outbreak.

I salute especially the health workers who put themselves in harm’s way to save their colleagues, and I honour the memory of those we have lost.

WHO remains committed to supporting Rwanda in its journey towards a healthier and safer future for all its people.

WHO and partners reached Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern #Gaza two days ago, amid hostilities and explosions in the vicinity of the hospital during the mission. The team delivered 5000 liters of fuel, food and medicines, and transferred 3 patients and 6 companions to Al-Shifa Hospital.

In the last week, four WHO missions to Kamal Adwan have been arbitrarily denied, including the re-deployment of the international emergency medical team, which had self-evacuated from the hospital on 6 December due to hostilities. This has left the hospital without specialized personnel for surgical and maternal care.

Hostilities around the hospital continue and recent attacks have further damaged the oxygen supply, generators, and broken windows and doors of the patients' rooms.

The conditions in the hospital are simply appalling.

We urge for the protection of health care and for this hell to stop! Ceasefire!

Every drowning death is one death too many, and millions of people remain at risk. The new WHO report on #DrowningPrevention contains crucial data for policy-making and recommendations for urgent action to save lives: bit.ly/3ZyOAam

While the climate crisis is multi-faceted, from the perspective of WHO, it is fundamentally a health crisis.

I was privileged to appear before the International Court of Justice today and present the evidence on the health impacts of climate change that my colleagues have collected for over 25 years: https://bit.ly/3Bq1uzq
 
Mitigation is not yet on pace to be effective to avoid the most catastrophic impacts.
 
Only rapid and equitable #ClimateAction, including the phase out of fossil fuels, can protect the health of both people and the planet — for a healthier world now, and for the future we leave our children.

Full WHO testimony: https://x.com/drtedros/status/1867570995336556621?s=46&t=BffO9hoLsgnerA7oEU29iQ