Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoWHO / HEALTH EMERGENCY APPEAL
STORY: WHO / HEALTH EMERGENCY APPEAL
TRT: 04:37
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 16 JANUARY 2025, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, press room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Yesterday’s announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal is just about the best news we could have hoped for to start the new year.”
3. Wide shot, press room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We welcome this news with great relief, but also with sorrow that it has come too late for those who have died in the conflict, and with caution given that we have had false dawns before, and the deal has not yet been confirmed.”
5. Wide shot, press room
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Although the agreement would only come into effect on Sunday, if both sides are committed to a ceasefire, it should start immediately. We urge Israel’s cabinet to approve the deal, and all sides to honour and implement it.”
7. Wide shot, press room
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We sincerely hope that this agreement marks the end of the darkest chapter in the history of the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”
9. Wide shot, press room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO remains committed to addressing the acute health needs of the people of Gaza now and after the deal takes effect, and to support the rebuilding of Gaza’s health system.”
11. Wide shot, press room
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“But as I have said since the conflict began, the best medicine is peace. So let the healing begin – not just for Gaza, but for Israel as well. Peace is in everyone’s best interest.”
13. Wide shot, press room
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Last Friday, WHO received reports of suspected cases of Marburg virus disease in the United Republic of Tanzania. So far, nine cases have been reported, including eight deaths, in two districts of the northwestern region of Kagera.”
15. Wide shot, press room
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“National rapid response teams have been deployed, a mobile laboratory is in the Kagera region and treatment units have reportedly been established. WHO is supporting the government, and we have offered to provide any further support needed.”
17. Wide shot, press room
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO rates the risk as high at the national and regional levels, and low at the global level. We have issued advice to prevent further transmission of Marburg, to provide care for those infected, and to control the outbreak.”
19. Wide shot, press room
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Last year, 66 cases of H5 were reported from the United States, plus 10 from Cambodia, 2 from Viet Nam and one each from Australia, Canada and China.”
21. Wide shot, press room
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“This is the highest number of reported human cases since 2015. So far this year, 2 cases including 1 death have been reported in the United States, and 1 death in Cambodia.”
23. Wide shot, press room
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“H5N1 is of particular concern because since the first human cases were reported in 2003, it has killed almost half of those it has struck.”
25. Wide shot, press room
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Fortunately, H5N1 has not yet developed the ability to transmit easily between humans. But that could be only a matter of time.”
27. Wide shot, press room
28. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We also call on all countries with outbreaks of H5 among animals to share viral samples and sequences with the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, or GISRS.”
29. Wide shot, press room
30. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Last year we responded to 51 emergencies in 89 countries: conflicts, outbreaks, climate-related disasters, and more. In 2025, WHO estimates that more than 300 million people will need urgent humanitarian assistance.”
31. Wide shot, press room
32. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Today, WHO launched its annual Health Emergency Appeal, with an ask of 1.5 billion US dollars to support our lifesaving work for the emergencies we know about, and to react swiftly to new crises.”
33. Wide shot, press room
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, today (16 Jan) welcomed Wednesday’s announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire “with great relief, but also with sorrow that it has come too late for those who have died in the conflict.”
Dr Tedros expressed “caution given that we have had false dawns before, and the deal has not yet been confirmed.”
He told journalists in Geneva that “although the agreement would only come into effect on Sunday, if both sides are committed to a ceasefire, it should start immediately,” and urged Israel’s cabinet “to approve the deal, and all sides to honour and implement it.”
The WHO Director-General said, “we sincerely hope that this agreement marks the end of the darkest chapter in the history of the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” and noted that the WHO “remains committed to addressing the acute health needs of the people of Gaza now and after the deal takes effect, and to support the rebuilding of Gaza’s health system.”
He said, “the best medicine is peace. So let the healing begin – not just for Gaza, but for Israel as well. Peace is in everyone’s best interest.”
Turning to other issues, Dr Tedros told journalists that the WHO had received reports of suspected cases of Marburg virus disease in the United Republic of Tanzania, noting that “so far, nine cases have been reported, including eight deaths, in two districts of the northwestern region of Kagera.”
He said, “national rapid response teams have been deployed, a mobile laboratory is in the Kagera region and treatment units have reportedly been established,” and the WHO “is supporting the government, and we have offered to provide any further support needed.”
The Director-General pointed out that “WHO rates the risk as high at the national and regional levels, and low at the global level,” adding that advice has been issued “to prevent further transmission of Marburg, to provide care for those infected, and to control the outbreak.”
Turning to the H5 bird flu, he said, “last year, 66 cases of H5 were reported from the United States, plus 10 from Cambodia, 2 from Viet Nam and one each from Australia, Canada and China,” and noted that “this is the highest number of reported human cases since 2015. So far this year, 2 cases including 1 death have been reported in the United States, and 1 death in Cambodia.”
Dr Tedros said H5N1 “is of particular concern because since the first human cases were reported in 2003, it has killed almost half of those it has struck.”
“Fortunately,” he noted, “H5N1 has not yet developed the ability to transmit easily between humans. But that could be only a matter of time,” and called on all countries with outbreaks of H5 among animals “to share viral samples and sequences with the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, or GISRS.”
The Director-General told journalists that last year, WHO responded to “51 emergencies in 89 countries: conflicts, outbreaks, climate-related disasters, and more,” while in2025, “WHO estimates that more than 300 million people will need urgent humanitarian assistance.”
Today, he concluded, “WHO launched its annual Health Emergency Appeal, with an ask of 1.5 billion US dollars to support our lifesaving work for the emergencies we know about, and to react swiftly to new crises.”
Download
There is no media available to download.
