The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned on Monday (18) that the recent hantavirus outbreak and the Ebola epidemic “are the latest crises in a troubled world.”
“From conflicts to economic crises, climate change, and reduced international aid, we are living in a difficult, dangerous, and divisive era,” Ghebreyesus warned at the opening of the 79th World Health Assembly, which runs through Saturday, the 23rd, in the Swiss city of Geneva.
According to the official, the recent hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius, which caused three deaths and infected several passengers and crew members, and the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has already killed more than 80 people, “are the most recent crises in a troubled world.”
As a special guest at the session, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized that “protecting others is the best way to protect our own societies,” drawing applause from delegates of WHO member states.
Spain agreed to host the ship Hondius on the island of Tenerife on May 10 to allow for the evacuation of more than 120 people who were on board.
“In our time, standing up for common sense has become a form of rebellion, because there is a pandemic that no one wants to contain: the pandemic of selfishness,” Sánchez emphasized.
The 79th World Health Assembly is taking place after a difficult year for the WHO, which has been weakened by budget cuts and U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the organization.
Source: Lusa
