Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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March 12, 2026 Healthcare
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to focus more on preparing for future pandemics and strengthening global cooperation. He made this statement on Thursday at the opening of the 13th Global Baku Forum.
Confront a common threat
The head of the WHO recalled that military spending in 2025 reached $2.7 trillion, which is 30 times more than the amount needed to eradicate hunger by 2030.
He also drew attention to the readiness to repel an attack from an "invisible enemy." This refers to a pandemic such as COVID-19, which is estimated to be "claimed the lives of 20 million people – more than any war in modern history – deprived the global economy of more than 10 trillion dollars.”
The WHO chief emphasized that the world often moves from one crisis to another without learning lessons. Despite the devastating consequences of pandemics, countries spend significantly more on military needs than on protection from health threats.
“And yet, as the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, in a globalized world, health security is national security,” Ghebreyesus emphasized.
"Viruses don't need visas; pathogens don't respect borders. And disinformation spreads faster than diplomacy," he added.
International cooperation
According to the head of the WHO, healthcare should become a platform for international cooperation.
“In a divided and fragmented world, health is one of the few areas where countries can – and should – work together, across ideological divides, to find common solutions to shared threats,” he said.
Ghebreyesus recalled that WHO Member States continue to work to strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics. Last year, they adopted agreement on pandemics, which, once ratified, should become an important international legal instrument for improving health security.
Countries are also negotiating an additional pathogen-sharing and benefit-sharing mechanism that should ensure the rapid detection of potentially dangerous viruses and fair access to vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics.
According to the head of the WHO, countries are participating in this process not out of charitable motives, but because cooperation in the areas of epidemiological surveillance, early warning, and access to medical supplies is in their interests.
“This is the point of multilateral cooperation – not to eliminate differences, but to manage common risks,” he stressed.
Funding cuts
Ghebreyesus also noted that the international cooperation system is currently facing serious challenges. He stated that the WHO is going through a period of complex reforms and reorientation due to the cessation of funding. from the largest donor.
“I am confident that WHO will emerge from this situation stronger, more clearly focused on its core mandate, more independent and more capable of serving the peoples and countries of the world,” the head of the agency noted.
“Ultimately, we are one species, living on the same planet, sharing the same DNA and facing the same threats,” he said, emphasizing that restoring trust between countries and international institutions remains key to effectively responding to future crises.
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