On the 18th, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks are just the latest crises in this "dangerous and divided" era.
He made this statement at the opening ceremony of the 79th World Health Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland, in response to a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a rare hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship "Hondius."
Although the recent outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola were not on the agenda of the 79th World Health Assembly, they nevertheless became an unexpected focus on the first day of the conference.
Tedros stated that these two outbreaks "are just the latest crises in our turbulent world."
He said: "From armed conflict to economic crisis, from climate change to cuts in aid, we are living in a tough, dangerous, and divided era."
Additionally, in a speech at the opening ceremony, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez said, "Protecting others is protecting ourselves. No country can stand aloof."
He said that defending common sense is now seen as an act of rebellion, and the pandemic of selfishness is deeply concerning.
The audience gave him a standing ovation for his remarks. Last week, Spain allowed the "Hondius" cruise ship, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak, to dock in the Canary Islands to evacuate passengers and crew, which was widely praised.
Additionally, Swiss Health Minister Baum-Schneider pointed out that the WHO's budget has been cut by about 21%, nearly one billion US dollars (approximately 3.974 billion ringgit), resulting in hundreds of positions being eliminated and project scale being reduced. The WHO has been forced to carry out deep reforms in emergencies, and has done so.