POST-PRESSER LINKS: Virtual press conference on global health issues - 18 March 2026

No images? Click here Wednesday, 18 March 2026 POST-PRESSER LINKS The virtual press conference hosted by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was held today, 18 March 2026, and here are the relevant links: WHO Director-General's opening remarks Audio recording: https://who.canto.global/b/V39VL Video recording: https://who.canto.global/b/TOVGM News edit: https://who.canto.global/b/KV4O6 (Source: WHO; Location: WHO HQ, Geneva, Switzerland; Duration: 06:36)  Shows: (Check against delivery) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General The conflict in the Middle East continues to impact the health of people across the region. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, more than 1400 civilian deaths have been reported, almost 900 in Lebanon and 20 in Israel. Thousands of people have also been injured in all three countries. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Up to 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran, and over 1 million in Lebanon. Many are living in overcrowded shelters, which have the potential to rapidly increase health risks. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General And in Syria, more than 100,000 people have recently arrived from Lebanon.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Attacks on health care continue to be reported. In Lebanon, WHO has verified 28 attacks, with 30 deaths and 25 injuries. In Iran, WHO has verified 20 attacks, with 9 deaths. And in Israel, WHO has verified two attacks on health care. Attacks on health care are a violation of international law.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General WHO has also released 2 million US dollars from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the response in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General WHO is doing whatever we can to save lives and prevent suffering. But as always, the best medicine is peace. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General The improvement in child survival over the past two decades is one of the great success stories of global health. In 2000, more than 10 million children died before their fifth birthday. Today, that number has been cut by more than half to 4.9 million deaths in 2024, according to new estimates published today by WHO, UNICEF and other partners. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Millions of children are alive today because countries and partners invested in proven solutions: vaccines, skilled care at birth, treatment for severe acute malnutrition, and stronger primary health care.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Of course, 4.9 million child deaths is still 4.9 million too many. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the highest under-five mortality in the world, losing around 2.8 million young children in 2024. Every day, about 6,300 newborns die. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General The most common causes are complications of prematurity, labour and delivery. If children survive the first month, malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea continue to claim many young lives.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Conflict, humanitarian crises and funding pressures are putting essential services at risk in many countries. But we know what works – there are solutions. By strengthening primary health care, expanding immunization, improving maternal and newborn care, and ensuring every child has access to nutrition and lifesaving treatment, we can accelerate progress again.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General Many countries rely on advice from WHO about which vaccines to include in their routine immunization schedules, who should be vaccinated at what age, with how many doses, and so on. That advice is shaped by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, or SAGE, a group of independent experts who meet twice a year to review the latest evidence and advise WHO. SAGE concluded its first meeting for the year last week.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General SAGE has updated its 2018 recommendation to say that countries with a high burden of typhoid disease should consider a booster at around five years of age to maintain protection.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General SAGE continues to recommend that countries should consider routine vaccination against COVID-19 for groups at the highest-risk of severe disease, including older people, people in care homes and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General On polio, SAGE recommended that countries that are using three doses of inactivated vaccine may reduce the use of oral polio vaccine from three doses to two. These recommendations are important for improving the safety and impact of vaccines on the path to polio eradication.  Dr Katherine O’Brien, Director, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO The bacterial forms of meningitis are serious, life threatening conditions. So at any point when there's an outbreak of meningitis, it's a serious concern for a health department, for a community, for a school, for populations, and of course, for WHO as well.  Dr Katherine O’Brien, Director, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO With this particular outbreak. Meningitis and meningococcal meningitis in particular is known to have outbreaks in adolescents, young adults. It is transmitted from person to person and especially through close contact. It's sometimes referred to as a kissing disease.  Dr Katherine O’Brien, Director, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, WHO Always a very high concern whenever there is a meningitis outbreak and the rapid response from the health authorities to identify it, to know which bacteria it is, and to respond appropriately with the usual measures of contact tracing response to those who have been in contact. And there is a role for vaccines, but it's not the primary, response to an outbreak.  Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General The withdrawal of Argentina from WHO actually is a loss for Argentina and also for the rest of the world. And health security, as you know, needs universality and it will make Argentina unsafe. I think that has to be very clear.  END. Media contacts: mediainquiries@who.int   You are receiving this NO-REPLY email because you are included on a WHO mail list. If you have been forwarded this update you can click here to subscribe. 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