The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, concluded the first day of his two-day State visit to Jordan on Wednesday, underscoring the partnership between WHO and Jordan in universal health coverage, mental health, and humanitarian health action.
In a meeting with King Abdullah II, discussions focused on strengthening health systems, expanding access to care, and sustaining emergency responses in the region, particularly for Palestinians, patients evacuated from Gaza, and refugees hosted in Jordan. Dr Tedros expressed appreciation for Jordan's commitment to universal health coverage and its provision of health services to more than three million refugees, mainly from Gaza and Syria.
Dr Tedros visited a WHO-supported hospital treating children evacuated from Gaza, meeting young patients and frontline health workers. He also convened a high-level meeting with health partners and donors on financing for health system strengthening and humanitarian action, including scaling up mental health services.
The Director-General was accompanied by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, founders of Archewell Philanthropies, who have supported WHO initiatives. Prince Harry highlighted the importance of investing in mental health, especially for men, young people, and children in emergency settings.
On the second day, Dr Tedros will visit Jordan's National Center for Rehabilitation of Addicts, meet community leaders and women's groups, and visit the King Hussein Cancer Center. The visit will conclude with engagements with partners supporting humanitarian operations.
Source: World Health Organization
