The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed appreciation of the efforts of the government led by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister to reduce the scope and impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed the organization's pride in the support of HRH the Prime Minister to create an urgent and widespread community momentum to end the pandemic as soon as possible.

HRH the Premier's role in promoting solidarity between peoples is crucial to the success of the national and international responses to tackle the coronavirus, Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He noted the importance of HRH the Prime Minister's role in a unified by international community position to overcome the virus that knows no geographical or political borders.

The WHO director general praised the political leadership of HRH the Prime Minister, stressing its indispensability to harness domestic and international efforts to confront the pandemic.

The WHO official informed the Prime Minister of his meetings with the international diplomatic missions in Geneva to brief them on the latest developments regarding the coronavirus and the strategic plan to combat the disease, in order to direct international efforts according to the special situation of each country.

HRH the Prime Minister stressed that the government, as soon as the virus was announced, has put in place rapid prevention plans to deal with it and that the cabinet succeeded in limiting its spread.

Everyone in Bahrain, each according to their capacity, are soldiers who protect their country and society from the enemy, he added.

The government’s actions were not based on reactions or on dealing with the issue according to the development of the situation, HRH the Premier said.

To the contrary, the government was proactive in taking preventive and precautionary measures, mobilization, media education, the stimulation of the sense of responsibility and the promotion of a culture that every citizen is responsible for protecting the country and society from the global health crisis by following the directives and instructions of the government, he said.

HRH the Premier praised WHO's great efforts in sharpening and uniting  international efforts in the face of the coronavirus and stressed that the competent government agencies in Bahrain have been directed to be in constant coordination with WHO to keep it abreast of the latest developments in the Kingdom and the measures adopted by the government to combat the pandemic.

HRH the Prime Minister said that the government, under the guidance of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, took all measures to combat the disease on the health, economic and commercial levels, including activating emergency protocols, confronting disasters and developing a national plan to tackle the disease.

He lauded the successful efforts of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, in this regard.