Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)— President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday, as they tackled issues concerning the health sector, including post-pandemic strategies.
Marcos, during Ghebreyesus’ courtesy call in Malacañang, highlighted the government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and discussed the need to balance health and economy amid the crisis.
“The President also called for a renewed focus on general public health concerns as cases of other diseases increase,” the Office of the Press Secretary said in a statement.
Ghebreyesus is in the country for the 73rd session of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting set from Oct. 24 to Oct. 28.
During his opening address on Monday, the WHO chief said that while the world is starting to see “the light at the end” of the pandemic tunnel, countries should still prioritize policies that would help in the recovery from the crisis.
These include vaccination, surveillance, testing and sequencing, among others.
“We are still in the tunnel, and there are many obstacles that can trip us up if we don’t tread carefully,” Ghebreyesus said.
