Washington – WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra agreed Tuesday to develop a work plan in 2023 to tackle shared priorities, chief among them the world’s health security and pandemic preparedness.“As always, good to see Dr Tedros and discuss how we can promote the health of all people across the globe,” Secretary Becerra tweeted after the meeting.The strategic dialogue focused on universal health coverage, primary health care, equity, and the global health workforce.While in Washington, Dr Tedros also met with US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr Ashish K. Jha, US Rep. Barbara Lee, US Sen. Bob Menendez, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon and USAID Administrator Samantha Power.Dr Tedros said he was grateful to Secretary Becerra for the “very productive strategic dialogue on how to strengthen WHO and reinforce global health security, including via a pandemic accord, investment in health-systems strengthening and prioritizing primary health care across the world.Dr Tedros and the Surgeon General discussed ways that the United States and WHO could collaborate on mental health and touched upon the impact of loneliness on people’s health.WHO and the United States released a joint statement following the meetings.For many years, the United States has been one of WHO’s largest donors. It was the third largest in 2020-21, investing about US$ 700 million. In December 2021, the United States announced a US$ 280 million contribution to support critical work to help end the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthen public health systems and provide urgent relief.The United States is a longtime supporter of WHO’s fight against polio, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, while helping advance global health priorities such as primary care for women and children, food and drug safety, and global health security.The United States maintains a strong presence in WHO collaborating centres, lending its expertise across areas such as addressing cancer, occupational health, communicable diseases, nutrition, mental health, chronic diseases and improving health technologies. The next strategic dialogues between the United States and WHO are tentatively planned for late 2023. Note to readers:This news piece was edited on 29 September 2022 to improve clarity.
US and WHO Collaborate on Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros and US Secretary of Health Becerra discussed a 2023 work plan focusing on health security and pandemic preparedness. The dialogue included topics like universal health coverage and mental health collaboration. This partnership may influence Iran's health policies and international collaborations.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Dr. Tedros and Secretary Becerra met to discuss a work plan for 2023 focused on global health security and pandemic preparedness. They emphasized collaboration on various health issues, including mental health.
- The U.S. has been a significant donor to WHO, contributing about $700 million in 2020-21.
- The next strategic dialogue between the U.S. and WHO is planned for late 2023.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The WHO plays a vital role in coordinating international health responses, especially during pandemics, and the U.S. is one of its largest contributors.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 100%