Ghebreyesus: U.S. CDC’s public health work must be protected
Geneva, September 7 (Hibya) - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a critical institution for global health and that its work must be safeguarded.
WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus noted that the U.S. CDC has long been regarded as a center of excellence in the field of public health.
He stressed that the CDC has served as a model for many countries, which drew on its best practices when establishing their own health institutions.
Ghebreyesus recalled that during his tenure as Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, he sent a team to Atlanta to learn from the CDC, and that much of the work of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute was based on CDC’s best practices.
He further pointed out that the creation of the Africa CDC, proposed at the African Union Summit in 2013, was also inspired by the U.S. CDC.
The WHO Director-General underlined that thanks to the CDC’s global collaborations, not only the U.S. but many other countries around the world have benefited, while the U.S. has also gained data, experience, and guidance from others.
Ghebreyesus concluded: “No institution is perfect, and continuous improvement is necessary. However, the CDC’s work is invaluable and must be protected.”
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