AMMAN — The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, today successfully concluded the first day of his high-level, two-day State visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The visit serves to underscore the profoundly robust and enduring partnership between the global health agency and the Jordanian government across vital sectors, most notably universal health coverage, comprehensive mental health initiatives, and critical humanitarian health actions in a region profoundly impacted by ongoing conflict and displacement.
A central moment of the visit was today’s official meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II, a high-level encounter that reflected both the immense strategic importance of the State visit and Jordan’s sustained, exemplary leadership in advancing health as a premier national and global priority. During their substantive discussions, the leaders focused extensively on strengthening resilient health systems, expanding equitable access to essential medical care, and sustaining international and regional support for emergency responses. Particular attention was devoted to the plight of the Palestinian people, specifically patients who have been evacuated from Gaza directly to Jordan for specialized medical treatment, alongside the millions of refugees generously hosted by the Jordanian kingdom over many years.
"I wish to express my appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage," stated Dr Tedros during the high-profile engagements. "I also extend my deepest thanks to His Majesty and the people of Jordan for their remarkable solidarity and extraordinary generosity in providing comprehensive health services to more than three million refugees, primarily from Gaza and Syria, who are living peacefully and resiliently within the country."
Dr Tedros further elaborated on the kingdom’s broader contributions, noting that the global community is deeply grateful for Jordan’s expansive humanitarian leadership. He specifically highlighted His Majesty’s pioneering Medical Corridor initiative, an essential operational framework that successfully delivers critical, life-saving care to ill and injured children evacuated directly from the conflict zones of Gaza. Through these ongoing efforts, Jordan continues to demonstrate to the international community what it truly means to put health, dignity, and shared humanity first, even amid severe geopolitical and economic pressures.
Earlier in the day, as part of his rigorous itinerary, Dr Tedros visited a specialized, WHO-supported hospital dedicated to providing advanced medical care to children evacuated from Gaza. Walking through the wards, the WHO Director-General met personally with young patients and their distraught families, offering words of comfort and solidarity. He also spent time speaking directly with the frontline health workers who are tirelessly delivering life-saving treatment for severe trauma injuries, advanced cancer cases, and a wide array of other serious, complex medical conditions.
This poignant hospital visit powerfully highlighted the indispensable operational importance of the medical evacuation corridor operating through Jordan. Furthermore, it underscored the critical, ongoing need for sustained international financial and logistical support to ensure that vulnerable children and other severely injured individuals can consistently access essential, life-saving care without administrative or resource bottlenecks.
Following the hospital tour, the Director-General convened a high-level strategic meeting with key health partners, international donor countries, various United Nations agencies, and leading philanthropic organizations. The gathering served as a vital forum to discuss critical financing priorities aimed at reinforcing Jordan’s domestic health system. Discussions also centered on ongoing humanitarian health actions, specifically addressing the logistical challenges of scaling up specialized mental health services and adequately supporting developing host countries that shoulder the immense socioeconomic responsibility of housing large refugee populations. Dr Tedros warmly welcomed the strong, enduring collaboration and continuous financial and technical commitment demonstrated by these partners to heavily invest in health infrastructure both within Jordan and across the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
In addition to the multilateral meetings, Dr Tedros held focused bilateral discussions with the Jordanian Minister of Health. These talks concentrated heavily on the practical steps required to further strengthen Jordan’s national health system and systematically advance the institutional goals of universal health coverage. Jordan has long demonstrated remarkable global leadership in successfully embedding a robust primary health care approach to achieve universal coverage. This includes the pioneering integration of mental health services into routine clinical settings, ensuring that everyday citizens can access psychological support as an organic, destigmatized component of their routine medical care. The World Health Organization continues to provide vital technical support to this ongoing work through the Director-General’s Special Initiative for Mental Health.
Significantly, the Director-General was accompanied during several key engagements throughout the day by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan. They participated in their official capacities as the founders of Archewell Philanthropies and as long-standing, dedicated supporters of the World Health Organization’s global health agenda. Archewell has previously provided critical support to a wide range of WHO initiatives, ranging from advocating for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines to supporting complex medical evacuation and comprehensive mental health programs in crisis zones.
During the joint engagements, Prince Harry actively participated as a committed ally of the WHO’s ongoing global advocacy on mental health. He strongly emphasized the absolute necessity of investing robustly in mental health across diverse communities and emergency settings, drawing particular attention to the often-overlooked mental health needs of men, young people, and children living through protracted crises.
Reflecting on their joint presence and ongoing collaboration, Dr Tedros stated, "I want to thank our esteemed partners, including Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, whose unwavering commitment to mental health and humanitarian action has helped bring unprecedented visibility, vital resources, and renewed hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable and forgotten communities. Their active collaboration is helping to significantly advance WHO’s core mission to ensure health for all people, regardless of their geographical location or legal status."
Adding his perspective on the visit, Prince Harry shared his thoughts on the ground in Amman: "It is an absolute honor to join the Director-General of the World Health Organization here in Jordan, a country that is continually leading by powerful example in compassion, resilience, and operational innovation. Through our ongoing work with Archewell Philanthropies, my wife and I have witnessed first-hand the profound, tangible impact of WHO’s tireless efforts to support mental health and deliver life-saving care in complex emergencies. We remain deeply committed to advancing public awareness, actively reducing social stigma, and expanding equitable access to mental health support for all those individuals and families affected by conflict and crisis. Mental health is fundamentally foundational to human recovery, personal dignity, and long-term peace, and we are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the WHO and international partners around the world to make psychological well-being a true global priority."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the diplomatic mission, the second day of Dr Tedros’s State visit will feature several high-profile site visits and strategic discussions. He is scheduled to visit Jordan’s National Center for Rehabilitation of Addicts, an advanced facility strongly supported by the WHO that provides comprehensive, integrated medical, psychological, and social support services to recovering individuals. Furthermore, he will meet directly with local community leaders and prominent women’s groups, including representatives from the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, to discuss grassroots health initiatives and community resilience.
The itinerary also includes a vital visit to the renowned King Hussein Cancer Center, where Dr Tedros will engage with medical experts regarding cutting-edge advances in oncology care and opportunities for enhanced regional medical collaboration. The high-level State visit will ultimately conclude with a series of final engagements with international partners who actively support humanitarian operations across the Middle East. These concluding meetings will serve to firmly reinforce Jordan’s irreplaceable, strategic role as an indispensable regional hub for medical evacuations, rapid emergency health responses, and long-term health system resilience.
