The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, today concluded the first day of his landmark two-day State visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, using the international platform to underscore the extraordinarily strong and enduring partnership between the global health body and Jordan across vital sectors, including universal health coverage, mental health services, and critical humanitarian health action in a volatile region.
A central moment of the visit was today’s high-level meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II, reflecting the profound importance of this State visit and Jordan’s recognized international leadership in advancing health both as a vital national priority and a cornerstone of global stability. Discussions during the royal audience focused extensively on strengthening resilient national health systems, expanding equitable access to essential care, and sustaining international support for emergency responses throughout the Middle East. Particular attention was paid to the ongoing needs of the Palestinian people, patients evacuated directly from Gaza to Jordan for specialized medical treatment, and the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have found safety, shelter, and medical support within Jordan’s borders over many years of regional conflict.
Expressing his deep gratitude for the nation’s unwavering humanitarian stance, Dr Tedros stated that he wished to formally express his appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his personal commitment to advancing universal health coverage. The WHO chief also extended his sincere 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 originating from Gaza and Syria, who are currently living inside the country.
Dr Tedros added that the organization is deeply grateful for Jordan’s broader humanitarian leadership, specifically highlighting His Majesty’s pioneering Medical Corridor initiative, which successfully delivers critical, life-saving care to ill and injured children evacuated from Gaza. Through these ongoing efforts, Jordan continues to show the world what it truly means to put health and shared humanity first, even in the face of immense economic and geopolitical pressures.
During the busy itinerary of the first day, Dr Tedros visited a specialized, WHO-supported hospital facility that is currently providing intensive, specialized care to children evacuated directly from the conflict zone in Gaza. During this deeply moving visit, he had the opportunity to meet young patients and their families, as well as the dedicated frontline health workers who are working tirelessly to deliver life-saving treatment for severe traumatic injuries, advanced cancer cases, and other complex, life-threatening conditions. The visit served to powerfully highlight the absolute indispensability of the medical evacuation corridor operating through Jordan, while reinforcing the urgent need for sustained, predictable international financial and logistical support to ensure that vulnerable children and other critically ill individuals can continue to access essential, life-saving care without interruption.
In addition to his royal audience and hospital site visits, the Director-General also convened a high-level strategic meeting with key health partners, international donor countries, United Nations agencies, and prominent philanthropic organizations. The gathering was designed to discuss critical financing priorities aimed at bolstering health system strengthening within Jordan, as well as maintaining ongoing humanitarian health actions across the board. Key topics on the agenda included the crucial task of scaling up specialized mental health services and ensuring robust, predictable support for countries like Jordan that continue to generously host large refugee populations despite stretched national resources. Dr Tedros warmly welcomed the strong collaboration and continued long-term commitment demonstrated by international partners to invest in health infrastructure and human capital in Jordan and throughout the wider region.
Earlier in the day, the WHO Director-General held vital bilateral discussions with the Jordanian Minister of Health, with talks centering closely on further strengthening Jordan’s national health system and advancing the overarching goal of universal health coverage. Jordan has consistently demonstrated genuine global leadership in strengthening a robust primary health care approach designed to achieve universal coverage, a strategy that notably includes the seamless integration of mental health services into routine care settings. This integration ensures that everyday citizens can access essential psychological support services as a standard, destigmatized part of their routine healthcare experience. The World Health Organization continues to actively support this groundbreaking work through the Director-General’s Special Initiative for Mental Health, working hand in hand with national authorities to expand community-based psychological care.
Significantly, the Director-General was accompanied during several key engagements throughout the day by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, participating in their official capacities as the founders of Archewell Philanthropies and as long-standing, dedicated supporters of the WHO’s global health mission. Archewell has previously provided vital support to a diverse range of WHO initiatives, ranging from global efforts to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to crucial medical evacuation operations and mental health support programmes in crisis zones. Prince Harry participated actively as a committed ally of the WHO’s specialized work on mental health, using his platform to highlight the critical importance of investing heavily in mental health across diverse communities and emergency settings, with particular, focused attention directed toward men, young people, and children who are disproportionately affected by trauma and instability.
Speaking on the partnership, Dr Tedros noted that he wanted to explicitly thank their partners, including Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, whose steadfast personal commitment to mental health advocacy and humanitarian action has helped bring unprecedented visibility, critical resources, and renewed hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable and forgotten communities. He emphasized that their collaborative efforts are playing a tangible role in advancing the WHO’s core organizational mission to ensure health for all people, regardless of their background or geographic location.
Adding his perspective on the visit, Prince Harry remarked that it is a profound honor to join the Director-General of the World Health Organization in Jordan, a nation that continues to lead by inspiring example through its remarkable compassion, national resilience, and innovative approach to humanitarian challenges. Through their collaborative work with Archewell Philanthropies, Prince Harry noted that he and his wife have witnessed firsthand the profound, life-changing impact of the WHO’s tireless efforts to support mental health and deliver essential, life-saving care in complex emergency environments. He affirmed that they remain deeply and personally committed to advancing public awareness, reducing persistent social stigmas, and expanding equitable access to mental health support for all individuals whose lives have been upended by conflict and crisis. Emphasizing the core philosophy behind their advocacy, he stated that mental health is fundamentally foundational to human recovery, personal dignity, and long-term regional peace, adding that they are exceptionally proud to stand proudly alongside the WHO and international partners around the world to ensure mental health remains an unshakeable global priority.
Looking ahead to the continuation of the high-profile State visit, Dr Tedros is scheduled on the second day to tour Jordan’s National Center for Rehabilitation of Addicts, a specialized facility heavily supported by the WHO that provides comprehensive, integrated medical, psychological, and social support services to individuals struggling with substance use disorders. In addition, the Director-General will meet directly with influential community leaders and prominent women’s groups, including representatives from the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, to discuss grassroots approaches to community health and empowerment. He is also slated to visit the renowned King Hussein Cancer Center to engage in high-level discussions regarding recent advancements in specialized cancer care, research, and enhanced regional medical collaboration.
The comprehensive State visit will officially conclude with a series of additional strategic engagements with international partners who actively support regional humanitarian operations. These final meetings will serve to further reinforce Jordan’s indispensable, recognized role as a vital regional hub for medical evacuations, rapid emergency response coordination, and the long-term resilience of health systems throughout the Middle East.
Contact Information:
Paul Garwood
Communications Officer
WHO
WHO Media Team
World Health Organization
