WHO Chief Urges Stronger Health Cooperation, Innovation, and Sustainable Financing
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for stronger international cooperation to deal with growing global health challenges. Speaking at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit, Dr. Tedros highlighted the need for better health systems, innovation, stronger emergency preparedness and sustainable funding.
He said countries must work together to make healthcare systems more resilient and prepared for future health emergencies. According to him, stronger cooperation between nations is essential to protect people from pandemics and other major health threats.
Dr. Tedros identified several important areas that need greater attention. He urged countries to strengthen primary healthcare, which provides basic and essential medical services to communities. Strong primary healthcare systems can help detect health problems early and ensure that people receive treatment before conditions become more serious.
He also called for stronger disease surveillance and better early warning systems. These systems can help governments identify new diseases and outbreaks at an early stage, allowing authorities to respond quickly and reduce their spread.
Another important area he highlighted was increasing local production of medicines, vaccines and other medical supplies. Countries that depend heavily on imports can face shortages during major health emergencies. Building local production capacity, he said, can help nations respond more effectively during future pandemics.
Dr. Tedros also spoke about the growing role of science, digital health and artificial intelligence in healthcare. New technologies can help doctors, researchers and governments improve disease detection, treatment and healthcare delivery.
However, he stressed that technological progress should benefit everyone. Digital health services and AI-based tools should be accessible to people regardless of where they live or their social or economic background.
The WHO chief also called for stronger cooperation between countries across borders. He highlighted the importance of completing international agreements related to the sharing of pathogens and ensuring that countries receive fair benefits from such cooperation during pandemics.
He said global health security cannot be achieved by individual countries working alone. Sharing information, scientific knowledge, technology and medical resources can help the international community respond more effectively to future health crises.
Dr. Tedros’s message at the BRICS Summit highlighted the need for countries to invest in stronger healthcare systems today while preparing for future emergencies. Better cooperation, innovation and sustainable financing, he said, will be important for creating a safer and healthier world.