Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, came to Ukraine to assess the assistance the country needs.
Gebreisus has repeatedly called on Russia to stop hostilities, but has previously criticized the international community for turning all its attention to Ukraine. According to the head of WHO, crises in other countries have not received due attention. At the same time, he recognized assistance to Ukraine as “very important” because it “affects the whole world.”
During the official visit, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus plans to assess how to increase the organization’s support for Ukraine. Arriving in a country where hostilities are taking place, the head of WHO tweeted on May 7:
“Arrived in Ukraine. As a child of war, I know how children and adults trapped in this war feel. I want to appreciate how WHO can increase our support for them.”
Gebreisus plans to meet with WHO staff in Ukraine, who are doing “tremendous work in extremely difficult conditions.” On the way to Ukraine, the head of WHO made a stop in Poland, where he met with Ukrainian volunteers and refugees, says “Correspondent”.
At a May 7 briefing in Kyiv, Ghebreyesus noted that the WHO will “do everything it can” to support the Ukrainian healthcare system in the face of a full-scale war:
“I want to say to the Minister (Health Viktor Lyashko) and all the people of Ukraine: WHO supports you, we are with you. We will do everything we can to support the government in its efforts to treat the wounded, as well as to strengthen the healthcare system in Ukraine. But there is one medicine that the WHO is unable to provide and that Ukraine needs more than any other. And that is peace. Therefore, we continue to call on the Russian Federation to stop this war.”
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