The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, today concluded the first day of his high-profile two-day State visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, using the platform to underscore the enduring and robust partnership between the global health agency and the Jordanian government. The visit places a distinct and timely focus on critical public health pillars, including the ongoing advancement of universal health coverage, the integration of vital mental health services into routine care, and comprehensive humanitarian health actions designed to support vulnerable populations across the region.
A central and defining moment of the opening day was a high-level meeting between Dr Tedros and His Majesty King Abdullah II. This significant audience underscored the profound importance of the State visit and recognized Jordan’s sustained national and global leadership in positioning health as a foundational pillar of societal stability and international security. Comprehensive discussions during the royal audience focused heavily on structural strategies for reinforcing national health systems, expanding equitable access to essential medical care, and sustaining international and regional support for emergency health responses. Particular attention was devoted to the pressing needs of the Palestinian people, specifically patients evacuated directly from Gaza into Jordan for specialized medical treatment, as well as the millions of refugees generously hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom over successive regional crises.
Expressing his deep gratitude during the engagements, Dr Tedros offered warm appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his unwavering personal commitment to advancing universal health coverage both within Jordan and across the broader Eastern Mediterranean region. He also extended profound thanks to the monarch and the people of Jordan for their remarkable solidarity, extraordinary hospitality, and sustained generosity in providing comprehensive, high-quality health services to more than three million refugees, predominantly hailing from Gaza and Syria, who currently reside within the country’s borders.
Building on these remarks, Dr Tedros elaborated on the Kingdom’s broader humanitarian footprint, drawing specific attention to His Majesty’s pioneering Medical Corridor initiative. This vital logistical and clinical lifeline successfully delivers critical, life-saving medical care to severely ill and injured children evacuated from Gaza. Through these ongoing efforts, Jordan continues to demonstrate to the international community what it truly means to put health, human dignity, and compassion above all else, serving as an inspirational model for regional and global solidarity.
In line with the humanitarian focus of the day, Dr Tedros conducted an emotional and deeply impactful visit to a specialized, WHO-supported hospital in Jordan that provides advanced care to children evacuated from the ongoing crisis in Gaza. During the hospital tour, the WHO Director-General walked the wards to meet directly with young patients and their families, offering words of comfort and solidarity. He also spent time speaking with the dedicated frontline health workers and clinical staff who are working tirelessly to deliver complex, life-saving treatments for severe traumatic injuries, advanced cancer cases, and a wide array of other serious, life-threatening medical conditions. This field visit starkly highlighted the irreplaceable importance of maintaining and expanding the medical evacuation corridor through Jordan, while emphasizing the urgent, ongoing requirement for sustained international financial and logistical support to ensure that children and other vulnerable individuals in desperate need can reliably access essential, unhindered care.
Continuing a packed and strategic itinerary, the Director-General subsequently convened a high-level consultative meeting with key health partners, donor countries, specialized United Nations agencies, and prominent philanthropic organizations. The primary objective of this strategic gathering was to review and align financing priorities dedicated to strengthening Jordan’s domestic health system and funding ongoing humanitarian health operations. Discussions during the roundtable also emphasized the critical necessity of scaling up specialized mental health services and providing robust, predictable support to countries bearing the immense socio-economic and logistical responsibilities of hosting large refugee populations. Dr Tedros welcomed the strong, collaborative spirit and the demonstrated, continued commitment of international partners to invest meaningfully in health infrastructure and resilience within Jordan and across the wider region.
In addition to multilateral consultations, Dr Tedros held focused, bilateral discussions with Jordan’s Minister of Health. These talks homed in on actionable strategies for fortifying Jordan’s domestic health system architecture and accelerating progress toward comprehensive universal health coverage. Jordan has consistently demonstrated genuine global leadership by championing a robust primary health care approach as the most effective vehicle for achieving UHC. A notable cornerstone of this national strategy is the successful integration of mental health care into routine primary health services, ensuring that citizens and residents alike can access psychological support seamlessly as an organic part of everyday clinical care. The World Health Organization continues to provide vital technical assistance and strategic backing to this transformative work, operating under the broader framework of the Director-General’s Special Initiative for Mental Health.
Adding a notable dimension of global advocacy and high-profile partnership to the official delegation, Dr Tedros was accompanied throughout several key engagements by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan. The royal couple participated in their official capacities as founders of Archewell Philanthropies and as long-standing, dedicated supporters of the World Health Organization’s global mission. Over the years, Archewell has provided meaningful support to a wide range of pivotal WHO initiatives, spanning from the promotion of equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines to complex medical evacuation operations and extensive mental health support programs. During the Jordan visit, Prince Harry actively participated as an influential ally of the WHO’s ongoing advocacy on mental health, using his platform to articulate the absolute necessity of investing in psychological well-being across diverse communities and emergency settings. He drew particular attention to the mental health needs of men, young people, and children who find themselves navigating the compounding trauma of conflict and displacement.
Reflecting on this collaborative partnership, Dr Tedros expressed his sincere gratitude to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, noting that their steadfast commitment to mental health advocacy and humanitarian action has played an instrumental role in bringing much-needed visibility, vital resources, and renewed hope to some of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Their ongoing collaboration with the organization provides a powerful boost to WHO’s overarching mission of achieving health for all people, regardless of their circumstances or geographic location.
Echoing these sentiments, Prince Harry shared his reflections on joining the WHO delegation in the Middle East. He noted that it was a profound honor to stand alongside the Director-General in Jordan, describing the host nation as a country that consistently leads by global example through its demonstrated compassion, deep-seated resilience, and innovative public health frameworks. Through their collaborative work with Archewell Philanthropies, Prince Harry remarked that he and his wife have witnessed first-hand the tangible, life-changing impact of WHO’s tireless efforts to safeguard mental health and deliver essential medical care amid acute humanitarian emergencies. He reaffirmed their deep, personal commitment to advancing public awareness, actively working to dismantle persistent societal stigmas, and expanding accessible mental health support structures for every individual whose life has been upended by conflict and crisis. Emphasizing that mental health is a fundamental prerequisite for human recovery, personal dignity, and long-term peace, Prince Harry stated that he and Meghan are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the World Health Organization and partners across the globe to ensure mental health remains a permanent, non-negotiable global priority.
As the first day of the high-level visit drew to a close, preparations were finalized for a comprehensive schedule on the second and final day of the State visit. Dr Tedros is slated to visit Jordan’s National Center for Rehabilitation of Addicts, an institution supported by the World Health Organization that delivers comprehensive, integrated medical, psychological, and social rehabilitation services to individuals in need. Furthermore, the Director-General will engage directly with local community leaders and prominent women’s groups, including significant interactions with the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development. His itinerary will also feature a dedicated visit to the renowned King Hussein Cancer Center, where he will engage in high-level discussions regarding cutting-edge advances in regional cancer care, clinical research, and collaborative cross-border treatment models.
The comprehensive State visit is scheduled to conclude with a series of final, targeted engagements with international and local partners who provide essential backing to humanitarian operations across the region. These concluding meetings will further reinforce and celebrate Jordan’s indispensable, strategic role as a secure regional hub for medical evacuations, emergency health responses, and the continuous fortification of health system resilience throughout the Middle East.
