The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam has met with the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus. The two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in the fields of peace and health, supporting the most vulnerable populations, and mitigating the negative impacts of climate change on health.

During the meeting, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders praised the role of the World Health Organization in unifying efforts to establish fairness in the global healthcare system, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. He commended the organization's efforts in ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines to both wealthy and poor nations, emphasizing that peace cannot be achieved without achieving health justice.

For his part, the Director-General of the World Health Organization expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Muslim Council of Elders and his great respect for His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in raising awareness about the challenges facing humanity, particularly in the areas of health and climate. He expressed the World Health Organization's readiness to collaborate with the Muslim Council of Elders to organize a joint event in the Interfaith Dialogue Pavilion at COP28, recognizing the importance of religions in raising awareness about health, environment, and climate issues.

Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus also expressed his appreciation for the efforts exerted by the United Arab Emirates, under the presidency of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in supporting international efforts to combat pandemics and other threatening diseases to human life, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.