On his first 100 days in office, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has championed universal health coverage, initiated a new set of internal reforms at WHO and sought political support for health in high-level meetings and conferences. Here are 10 quotes we picked from his speeches and interventions over the past three months.

1. WHO Director-General Tedros’
Top 10 quotes
Photo:http://www.who.int/dg/tedros/biography/en/

2. The world is full of frameworks, roadmaps
and action plans that sit on shelves
collecting dust, and never make a
difference to people. I urge you, starting
now, to translate your good intentions into
concrete actions that transform the health
of your people.
1

3. We all have a vested interest in ensuring
we provide the best possible health
services for older people. Because in the
end, we are building the health systems
that we ourselves will need in just a few
years’ time.
2

4. If something we do helps countries to
make progress towards the SDGs, then it
must continue with even more vigour. If it
doesn’t, we must ask why we’re doing it.
3

5. When disaster strikes, our partners expect
us to be shoulder-to-shoulder with them
on the frontlines, not just shouting
instructions from the sidelines.
4

6. Ebola taught us a valuable lesson:
global health security is only as strong
as its weakest link.*
5

7. When we say health for all, we mean all,
including migrants, regardless of their
status.
6

8. An epidemic is the wrong time to discover
our preparations have not been sufficient,
or that we have overlooked crucial
components of the response.
7

9. WHO should not be shy about engaging
with world leaders. Our cause is too
important; the stakes are too high.
8

10. If WHO is not healthy internally, then it
will not be able to interact effectively
externally.
9

11. I need your help: When people speak
with one voice, politicians listen. So
speak up for universal health coverage.
Speak up for health for all.
10

12. WHO Director-General Tedros’
Top 10 quotes
Photo:http://www.who.int/dg/tedros/biography/en/