'Peace is the best medicine,' WHO's Tedros says in New Year message

The Manila Times

'Peace is the best medicine,' WHO's Tedros says in New Year message  World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday, December 30, released a New Year video message, in which he focused on peace and health security in areas of conflict.  Recounting a near-miss ordeal during Israeli strikes on Yemen's Sanaa International Airport on December 26, the WHO Director-General said the attack demonstrated the threat faced by humanitarian workers in war zones throughout the world.  "This must stop", he said in the pre-recorded message.  Video by WHO/REUTERS  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters   Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #themanilatimes #worldnews #who #peace

Transcript

00:00During Christmas week, I was in Yemen on a United Nations mission to negotiate with the

00:07country's de facto authorities for the release of detained UN staff and other humanitarians.

00:15The talks with the Houthis proceeded positively, and we hope they will bear fruit.

00:23While waiting to board our flight in Sana'a, the airport came under aerial bombardment

00:30by Israel.

00:33The attack inflicted needless death, injury, panic, chaos, and damage, and was another

00:40reminder of the growing threat faced by civilians, humanitarians, and health workers in war zones

00:48around the world.

00:51Peace must stop.

00:54With a new year upon us, our leaders must bring desperately needed peace to the world,

01:01and health and safety to all.

01:05Peace and health are linked.

01:08From Gaza to Sudan, Yemen to Ukraine, and Haiti and beyond, peace is and will always

01:18the best medicine for the health and well-being of all people, everywhere.

01:25For the World Health Organization, health for all is our guiding light.

01:32We pursue this mission often by working in dangerous places.

01:37We do this to protect and promote people's health.

01:43We go the extra mile.

01:47Some achievements of the past year include eliminating malaria and other neglected diseases

01:54in numerous countries, 17 countries from Africa using a new malaria vaccine, making a new

02:03vaccine against dengue, celebrating 154 million lives saved thanks to the expanded program

02:12of immunization founded 50 years ago, making the world safer from outbreaks and pandemics

02:20by strengthening the international health regulations, certifying the first in-box vaccines

02:26and tests, reducing tobacco use globally, and opening the game-changing WHO Academy

02:34in Lille with French President Emmanuel Macron.

02:40But bolstering global health security to protect against future outbreaks will require

02:47more work in 2025.

02:50These actions and more will help make our families, communities, and whole world healthier

02:57and safer.

02:59To succeed in this vital quest, we must invest in essential measures to promote and protect

03:07health.

03:08We will continue working to advance health for all, including the health of children

03:15and especially mothers, who will be the focus of World Health Day 2025 on the 7th of April,

03:23which also marks WHO's 77th birthday.

03:28Let us not miss the opportunity the coming new year offers us.

03:33Please let us turn the page on conflict, chart a new path to achieve lasting peace,

03:40and secure a healthy and prosperous future for all.

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