Europe Asia News

Ghebreyesus stated that the increase in global life expectancy over the past two decades and the decline in maternal and under-five mortality have progressed in parallel with many low-income countries moving into the middle-income group in the same period.

Emphasizing that this is not a coincidence, Ghebreyesus said, “Investments in health are investments in human capital and economic growth.”

Praising G20 leaders for strengthening national and global health security, Ghebreyesus called for further action to protect and promote health, adding: “This global crisis in health financing is a crisis of development and economic growth. But it also presents an opportunity for countries to move from aid dependence to an era of sovereignty and self-reliance.”

Ghebreyesus noted that WHO is supporting countries in this transformation, urging the G20 to provide the support needed in line with the Lusaka Agenda, and concluded: “Solidarity is our strongest immunity.”