The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday emphasized the importance of safeguarding the work of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the agency
faces significant internal upheaval.
“The work of the US CDC has been invaluable and must be protected,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. He acknowledged that no institution is perfect but stressed that the CDC’s role in applying the latest science to emerging health challenges remains critical.
Tedros highlighted the CDC’s global influence, noting that it has long served as a model for other countries looking to establish their own public health agencies. “The US CDC has been a center of excellence. Its best practices have inspired similar institutions around the world,” he said.
Drawing from personal experience, Tedros recalled that during his tenure as Ethiopia’s health minister, he sent teams to Atlanta to learn directly from the CDC’s expertise. He also credited the agency as the inspiration behind the creation of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Addis Ababa, a vision he first proposed at the 2013 African Union summit.
Tedros stressed that the CDC not only benefits Americans but also provides the United States with crucial access to global health data and guidance, strengthening worldwide disease prevention efforts.
The call for protection comes amid controversy surrounding US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has taken several contentious actions, including questioning vaccine use and recently dismissing CDC Director Susan Monarez. His moves prompted a wave of resignations from senior CDC officials who opposed his leadership approach. Photo by United States Mission Geneva, Wikimedia commons.
