In a panel discussion held at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgent need to safeguard healthcare facilities and personnel from targeted violence during conflicts.
Tedros highlighted that the destruction of healthcare infrastructure and attacks on medical staff have tragically become commonplace, citing examples from regions like Gaza, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Tedros’ remarks follow a series of deadly assaults on aid workers by Israel, sparking widespread international condemnation.
Such violence not only strains already overwhelmed health systems but also inflicts psychological trauma on vulnerable patients, Tedros noted.
According to statistics provided by the United Nations (UN) health agency, over the past year alone, there have been more than 1,400 documented attacks on healthcare centers, resulting in 742 fatalities and over a thousand injuries.
In alignment with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stressed the imperative to consider hospitals and medical personnel as sacrosanct during conflicts.
Turk warned that in conflict-free areas, the exacerbation of droughts and floods due to global warming is further jeopardizing health and livelihoods.
Turk highlighted the challenge of addressing pressing global issues amidst crisis management during conflicts. He emphasized the urgency of tackling the climate crisis alongside managing conflicts.
Both leaders underscored the importance of promoting universal health coverage, asserting that universal access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a political matter. Turk emphasized the need for states to prioritize healthcare in budgetary decisions.
To enhance collaboration, Turk and Tedros proposed expanding the strategic dialogue between the WHO and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR).
