Good morning, good afternoon and good evening,
The 2.1 million people trapped in the war zone that is Gaza are facing yet another killer on top of bombs and bullets: starvation.
We are now witnessing a deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths.
Since July 17th, severe acute malnutrition centres are full, without sufficient supplies for emergency feeding.
In 2025, WHO has documented 21 deaths related to malnutrition of children under five-years-old.
Rates of global acute malnutrition exceed 10 percent, and over 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women that have been screened are malnourished, often severely.
The hunger crisis is being accelerated by the collapse of aid pipelines and restrictions on access.
Ninety-five percent of households in Gaza face severe water shortages, with daily access far below the minimum needed for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
The UN and humanitarian partners were unable to deliver any food to the Gaza Strip for nearly 80 consecutive days – from early March to mid-May 2025 – due to a complete blockade on humanitarian and commercial access.
Since then, food deliveries have resumed intermittently but remain far below what is needed for the survival of the population.
Parents tell us their children cry themselves to sleep from hunger.
Food distribution sites have become places of violence.
From the 27th of May to the 21st of July, health authorities report 1026 people have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food from these sites.
Nearly 90% of the land in Gaza is now under evacuation orders or within Israeli-militarized zones.
Hospitals, which are supposed to be safe havens, have regularly been attacked, and many are no longer functioning.
Even those that are functioning are only operating at minimal capacity due to repeated attacks, shortages of fuel and medical supplies, and constrained access.
On Monday, WHO personnel came under fire in the city of Deir al-Balah.
The WHO staff residence was attacked, endangering personnel and their families, including children.
Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot amid active conflict.
Male personnel and family members were handcuffed, stripped, and interrogated.
One colleague remains in detention. We call for his immediate release.
32 people, including women and children were evacuated to a WHO office bordering the conflict zone.
Our main warehouse containing vital medicines and supplies was also severely damaged.
As the UN’s lead health agency, WHO’s operational presence in Gaza is further compromised, crippling efforts to sustain a collapsing health system and pushing survival further out of reach for more than two million people.
Despite this, WHO and other UN agencies are staying in Gaza. Our commitment is firm.
UN agencies must be protected while operating in conflict zones.
WHO calls for the active protection of UN personnel and facilities, civilians and health care, for the unimpeded flow of aid. Once again, we call for the unconditional release of the hostages.
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The situation in Syria is also extremely troubling.
Access to As-Sweida remains severely constrained, further hampering the delivery of lifesaving assistance.
The main hospital is overwhelmed, facing critical shortages of staff, electricity, and supplies.
We are following events closely and are working to verify reports of attacks on health care, including attacks on health workers, patients, ambulances, and health facilities.
Health care must never be a target.
Health should always be protected; and safe, sustained humanitarian access in Gaza, Syria and all humanitarian situations is critical.
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Now, I want to say a few words about the recent claims that have been made regarding WHO, the amendments to the International Health Regulations, and the Pandemic Agreement.
Let me be crystal clear.
First, the IHR, its amendments, and the Pandemic Agreement – all of them were proposed, negotiated, and adopted by our Member States. That is how WHO works. It belongs to the countries, to all 194 Member States.
Second, WHO has no authority to tell countries what to do. We cannot impose travel bans, lockdowns, vaccine mandates or any other type of measure. Nor do we seek too.
That is clearly laid out in our founding document, the WHO Constitution.
Our job is to provide evidence-based recommendations and guidelines, and to support countries to protect and improve the health of their populations.
But how or whether countries implement that advice has always been and always will be up to them, based on their national guidelines and rules.
That’s true for everything we do, whether it is guidelines for stopping smoking, better nutrition, or preventing and addressing diseases – everything we do.
This principle applies equally to the International Health Regulations, and in fact, the new Pandemic Agreement even has a specific section clearly spelling that out – article 22.
And third, we have a very clear, comprehensive framework in place to guard against undue influence of pharmaceutical manufacturers and other private sector entities.
Of course, we work with them, as we should, but we have very clear safeguards in place that were developed with our Member States.
And now, a quick update on the Pandemic Agreement, and specifically the Intergovernmental Working Group.
This working group, made up of our Member States, was established by the World Health Assembly, and tasked with negotiating the annex for pathogen access and benefits sharing, among other things, to help the world respond more effectively to future health threats.
The working group will meet throughout the year, with the aim of bringing the completed annex to the next World Health Assembly in May 2026.
The Pandemic Agreement, negotiated over three years by our Member States, builds on the lessons of COVID-19 to improve cooperation and coordination for a safer world for all.
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Now, moving from future threats to current ones.
WHO and UNICEF’s recent annual report on estimates of national immunization coverage around the world show both progress and pressing challenges.
While there has been modest growth in vaccine coverage globally, an estimated 14.3 million children never received a single dose of any vaccine, and millions more received only partial coverage.
Not surprisingly, children living in one of the more than two dozen countries affected by conflict or humanitarian emergencies are at particularly high-risk of missing out on life-saving immunizations.
For measles, one of the world’s most infectious pathogens, while global coverage is up slightly from last year, nonetheless more than 30 million children did not receive the full course of vaccines they needed.
In 2024, 60 countries experienced significant measles outbreaks – nearly double the number in 2022.
While lack of access is one major problem for vaccines, vaccine hesitancy is also a widespread concern for some.
WHO and other public health organizations have detailed information available on our website to help families understand vaccines, which have saved millions of lives since the development of the smallpox vaccine over 200 years ago.
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On that note, I am happy to share some news about another revolutionary innovation.
Last week, WHO launched a new guideline on the use of Lenacapavir – a breakthrough prevention medicine – that can help turn the tide on HIV.
HIV protection from injectable Lenacapavir lasts for six months and prevents more than 96% of new infections.
WHO and partners are working with nine early adopter countries so that up to two million people will be able to access Lenacapavir at a negotiated lower price.
Six generic manufacturers are in the process of developing Lenacapavir, and by 2027, generic versions will become more widely available.
WHO is working with the early adopter countries and global partners to make the use of Lenacapavir a reality, including through guidelines and the pre-qualification process.
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And some more good news on global efforts at disease elimination.
WHO is proud to have certified Suriname as malaria-free.
That makes 47 countries and territories to have received certification, with more on the way.
We have also recently validated the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in both Burundi and Senegal, bringing the total number of countries that have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease to 57.
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Finally, this Friday, the 25th of July, is World Drowning Prevention Day.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of lives are lost to drowning. Most of these are preventable deaths, often of children and young people in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO is working around the world to support countries, communities and parents to take low-cost, evidence-based measures to save lives and protect future generations.
I thank you.