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/

Peace is the best medicine!

The #Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is welcome and encouraging. Too many lives have been lost and too many families have suffered. We hope all parties will respect the deal and work towards lasting peace.

Health needs in Gaza remain enormous. WHO is ready to scale up its support, alongside partners.

We urge Israel’s cabinet to approve the ceasefire and hostage release deal, and all sides to honour and implement it.

We sincerely hope that this agreement marks the end of the darkest chapter in the history of the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The best medicine is peace.

In 2025, more than 300 million people around the world will require urgent humanitarian and health assistance.

WHO’s appeal to donors is for $1.5 billion to support our lifesaving work for the emergencies we know about, and to react swiftly to new crises: bit.ly/40y8Ryv

Every life saved today lays the groundwork for resilient health systems of tomorrow.

The ceasefire in #Gaza and the start of the hostage and prisoner release process bring great hope for millions of people whose lives have been ravaged by the conflict.

It is a moment I have been calling and hoping for.

However, addressing the massive health needs and restoring the health system in Gaza will be a complex and challenging task, given the scale of destruction, operational complexity and constraints involved.

WHO calls on all parties to uphold their commitment to fully implement the ceasefire agreement and to continue working towards lasting peace. 

https://www.who.int/news/item/19-01-2025-the-ceasefire-in-gaza-brings-hope--but-immense-challenges-lie-ahead-to-restore-the-health-system

Tanzania has gained experience in controlling Marburg previously, as this is the second reported outbreak of the disease in Kagera. The first outbreak was in March 2023. I hope this experience will help Tanzania to bring the current outbreak under control quickly.

I pledged WHO’s continued support for the response, and I released US$3 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies. We thank our partners for their support.

I thanked the President for her leadership and commitment to health.

WHO comments on United States announcement of intent to withdraw

WHO staff are our strongest asset.

It’s very moving to see them so committed and so united in supporting our colleague Tania Cernuschi’s fundraising initiative for #HealthForAll.

#1Dollar1World 👏

https://whofoundation.donorsupport.co/page/FUNEKRBXNHP?sharingVendor=twitter&ref=top_sharing_button

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease occurring in over 120 countries, with around 200 000 new cases reported every year.

But we can eliminate leprosy. That's why on #WorldLeprosyDay, we call on all countries to unite and act to achieve this goal.

Current medical interventions and collaborative efforts have brought us closer, but continued investment in diagnostics, innovative treatments and outreach is essential. #HealthForAll

WHO expresses deep concern about the implications of the United States government’s immediate funding pause for #HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries. These programmes provide access to life-saving HIV therapy to more than 30 million people worldwide.

This funding halt can put people living with HIV at immediate increased risk of illness and death and undermine efforts to prevent transmission in communities and countries.

Such measures, if prolonged, could lead to rises in new infections and deaths, reversing decades of progress and potentially taking the world back to the 1980s and 1990s when millions died of HIV every year globally, including many in the USA.

We call on the US government to enable additional exemptions to ensure the delivery of lifesaving HIV treatment and care: https://bit.ly/42yxxIz

This #WorldNTDDay, WHO verifies #Niger as the first country in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis.

I congratulate the government and dedicated health workers for their commitment to liberating its population from this blinding, stigmatizing illness that causes so much human suffering among the poorest.

Over the past 20 years, more than 50 countries have eliminated one or more neglected tropical disease, with support from WHO and dedicated programmes funded by generous donors.

We’re calling on all partners to Unite, Act, Eliminate -- because neglected tropical diseases still affect over 1 billion people, mostly in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.

WHO and partners have facilitated access to a candidate vaccine and treatments for the outbreak of Sudan #Ebola virus in #Uganda: https://bit.ly/3EjuKc5

The first 2160 doses of the vaccine candidate, and the treatments, are already in Kampala, as they were pre-positioned as part of outbreak preparedness.

LIVE NOW: My remarks at the opening of 156th WHO Executive Board meeting. #EB156

https://x.com/drtedros/status/1886334541436194856?s=46&t=BffO9hoLsgnerA7oEU29iQ

With WHO's support, Uganda’s Health Ministry has started a vaccine trial against #Ebola Sudan virus today. The trial will enroll contacts of people with the disease, and contacts of the contacts.

This vaccination trial was initiated with record speed, only three days since the outbreak was declared, while ensuring full compliance with international and national regulatory and ethical requirements. It is also the first trial to assess the clinical efficacy of a vaccine against Ebola Sudan virus disease.

This trial demonstrates the importance of investing in R&D for vaccines and treatments and outbreak response preparedness, as well as partnerships. We thank Makerere University and UVRI for their leadership, as well as Africa CDC, CEPI, EU HERA and IDRC for their collaboration on this lifesaving effort.

WHO will continue supporting the government in a comprehensive response to bring the outbreak under control.

WHO staff are working around the world to help the people we serve to:
- breathe cleaner air, eat healthier diets, drink safer water and use safer roads;
- get the safe, quality health services and products they need, where and when they need them, without worrying about what it will cost;
- stop outbreaks and deliver lifesaving care in the most difficult and dangerous situations.

Yesterday, I presented my report to the WHO Executive Board, summarizing what my colleagues have achieved in the past year: https://bit.ly/3CLOogp

We remain committed to achieve #HealthForAll and everywhere. #EB156