WHO Director-General visits Jordan to recognize strong collaboration on health system delivery, emergency relief and advancing mental health
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concluded a two-day visit to Jordan, highlighting the country’s leadership in health system strengthening, mental health integration, and humanitarian support for refugees and evacuees from Gaza.
During the visit, Dr Tedros met with His Majesty King Abdullah II to discuss advancing universal health coverage, expanding access to care, and sustaining emergency health responses, particularly for Palestinian refugees and patients evacuated from Gaza to Jordan. The discussions emphasized Jordan’s role in hosting over three million refugees and its Medical Corridor initiative, which provides critical medical care to children from Gaza. Dr Tedros expressed gratitude for Jordan’s humanitarian leadership and ongoing support for health services in the region.
Dr Tedros visited a WHO-supported hospital treating children evacuated from Gaza, meeting patients, families, and health workers providing specialized care for injuries, cancer, and other serious conditions. The visit underscored the importance of the medical evacuation corridor through Jordan and the need for continued international support to ensure access to essential care for vulnerable populations. He also convened a high-level meeting with partners to discuss financing priorities for health system strengthening, mental health services, and support for countries hosting large refugee populations.
Jordan’s leadership in integrating mental health into primary care and achieving universal health coverage was highlighted, with WHO’s Special Initiative for Mental Health supporting these efforts. The Director-General held bilateral talks with Jordan’s Minister of Health to strengthen the national health system. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, joined engagements as founders of Archewell Philanthropies, which has supported WHO’s mental health and humanitarian programs, including medical evacuations and equitable vaccine access.
On the second day, Dr Tedros visited Jordan’s National Center for Rehabilitation of Addicts, supported by WHO, to discuss integrated medical and psychological services. He also met with community leaders, women’s groups, and representatives from the King Hussein Cancer Center to review advances in cancer care and regional collaboration. The visit concluded with discussions on humanitarian operations, reinforcing Jordan’s central role in medical evacuations, emergency response, and health system resilience across the region.