The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, today successfully concluded the first day of his pivotal two-day State visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The high-profile visit serves to underscore the exceptionally strong and enduring partnership between the global health agency and the Jordanian government across critical public health domains, including universal health coverage, mental health advancement, and comprehensive humanitarian health action in a region profoundly affected by protracted crises and conflict.
A central and defining moment of the visit was today’s high-level meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II. This significant encounter reflected the profound importance of the State visit and formally acknowledged Jordan’s steadfast national and international leadership in advancing health as both a paramount national priority and an essential pillar of global stability and human dignity.
During their extensive discussions, Dr Tedros and King Abdullah II focused heavily on strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening resilient national health systems, expanding equitable access to quality health care services, and sustaining vital international and regional support for emergency health responses. Particular emphasis was placed on the ongoing needs of the Palestinian people, specifically addressing the welfare of patients evacuated directly from Gaza to Jordan for specialized medical treatment, as well as the millions of refugees generously hosted by the Jordanian kingdom over many years.
Expressing his profound gratitude, Dr Tedros addressed the exceptional humanitarian stance demonstrated by the Jordanian leadership and its citizens. "I wish to express my appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage," said Dr Tedros during the engagements. "I also extend my thanks to His Majesty and the people of Jordan for their solidarity and generosity in providing essential health services to more than three million refugees, primarily from Gaza and Syria, who are living peacefully within the country."
Dr Tedros further elaborated on the Kingdom’s broader contributions to regional stability, noting that Jordan continues to set a global benchmark for compassionate governance. "We are deeply grateful for Jordan’s broader humanitarian leadership, including His Majesty’s visionary Medical Corridor initiative, which delivers critical, life-saving care to ill and injured children evacuated from Gaza," Dr Tedros added. "Jordan continues to show the world what it truly means to put health and humanity first, even in the most challenging of geopolitical landscapes."
As part of his robust itinerary on the first day, Dr Tedros visited a specialized, WHO-supported hospital facility dedicated to providing advanced care to children who have been evacuated from Gaza. During the hospital tour, the WHO Director-General walked the wards and spent meaningful time meeting young patients and their families. He also engaged directly with the dedicated frontline health workers and medical professionals who are working tirelessly around the clock to deliver life-saving treatment for severe trauma injuries, advanced cancer cases, and other complex, life-threatening medical conditions.
This emotional and impactful hospital visit served to highlight the irreplaceable 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 individuals in urgent need of medical intervention can safely access the essential care they require to survive and recover.
Following the hospital visit, the Director-General convened a crucial high-level roundtable meeting with key health partners, donor countries, United Nations agencies, and prominent philanthropic organizations. The gathering was convened to deliberate on vital financing priorities necessary for further strengthening health system resilience within Jordan, while also addressing ongoing humanitarian health action across the wider region. Key topics on the agenda included scaling up community-based mental health services and securing robust, predictable support for nations carrying the immense responsibility of hosting large refugee populations. Dr Tedros warmly welcomed the strong collaboration and continued dedication shown by international partners who have chosen to invest in the health and well-being of Jordan and the broader Middle East.
In addition to the multilateral discussions, Dr Tedros held focused bilateral talks with the Jordanian Minister of Health. Their dialogue centered on strategic measures to further solidify Jordan’s national health system and accelerate progress toward universal health coverage. Jordan has long demonstrated exemplary global leadership in championing a robust primary health care approach as the most effective pathway to achieving universal health coverage. This includes the successful integration of mental health services into routine primary care structures, ensuring that everyday citizens can access mental health support seamlessly as an ordinary part of standard medical care. The World Health Organization continues to provide dedicated technical support to this vital work through the Director-General’s Special Initiative for Mental Health.
Adding a notable dimension to the international solidarity displayed during the visit, the WHO Director-General was accompanied throughout several high-level engagements by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan. The royal couple participated in their official capacities as the founders of Archewell Philanthropies and as long-standing, active supporters of the World Health Organization’s global mission. Archewell has previously provided valuable support to a range of critical WHO initiatives, spanning from efforts to secure equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines to vital medical evacuation operations and comprehensive mental health programs worldwide.
During the engagements, Prince Harry actively participated as a prominent global ally of WHO’s ongoing advocacy work on mental health. He used the platform to emphasize the vital importance of prioritizing and investing in mental health infrastructure across communities and emergency settings alike, drawing particular attention to the needs of men, young people, and children who are disproportionately affected by trauma and instability.
Acknowledging their valuable contributions, Dr Tedros remarked, "I want to thank our partners, including Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, whose steadfast commitment to mental health and humanitarian action has helped bring much-needed visibility, vital resources, and renewed hope to some of the world’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Their ongoing collaboration is helping to significantly advance WHO’s overarching mission to ensure health for all people, regardless of their circumstances."
Reflecting on the experience, Prince Harry shared his perspective on the visit and the partnership with the global health agency. "It is a true honour to join the Director-General of the World Health Organization here in Jordan, a country that continues to lead by example through its remarkable compassion, resilience, and institutional innovation," said Prince Harry. "Through our collaborative 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 the most difficult emergencies. We remain deeply and personally committed to advancing public awareness, actively reducing social stigma, and expanding equitable access to mental health support for all those 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 WHO and partners around the world to make it an undeniable global priority."
Looking ahead to the second and final day of his official State visit, Dr Tedros has a full schedule of impactful site visits and strategic meetings lined up. He is slated to visit Jordan’s National Center for Rehabilitation of Addicts, an institution supported by WHO that delivers integrated medical, psychological, and social support services to those in need. Furthermore, he will meet with influential community leaders and prominent women’s groups, including representatives from the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development. His itinerary also includes a visit to the renowned King Hussein Cancer Center, where he will discuss modern advancements in comprehensive cancer care and explore enhanced avenues for regional medical collaboration.
The high-level State visit will ultimately conclude with a series of additional meetings and engagements with international partners who actively support humanitarian operations across the region. These final discussions will serve to reinforce and celebrate Jordan’s indispensable, strategic role as a vital regional hub for medical evacuations, rapid emergency responses, and enduring health system resilience in the Middle East.
The visit was supported by communications officers Paul Garwood and the wider WHO Media Team at the World Health Organization headquarters.
