The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, came in person to inaugurate the brand new Academy of the World Health Organization, this Tuesday, December 17 in Lyon. The Head of State made a point of being present at this opening, on a campus in which he was largely involved.
The project, launched in 2019, aims to fill the gaps in “training and learning for professionals in the health sector, all over the world”explains its executive director, Dr. David Atchoarena.
An objective to which France has rolled out the red carpet, by promoting an establishment on its soil from the outset, notably through an investment of 120 million euros. “Investing in health systems is the best way to prepare for future pandemics”confirmed Emmanuel Macron in 2021.
Macron at the WHO Academy: a crisis exercise to begin with
This very special campus aims to train WHO staff in advances in medicine, but also in the management of health emergencies, which we fear will become more and more numerous in the decades to come.
16,000 professionals should benefit each year from these learning modules, delivered remotely and in person, in the six official languages of the WHO (French, English, Chinese, Russian, Arabic and Spanish).
Welcomed by the President of the World Health Organization, Dr. Thedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Head of State began his visit by testing the site’s crisis exercise center, equipped with an emergency simulation platform. health emergencies.
Emmanuel Macron then toured the spaces of this ultra-modern 11,000 m2 building, equipped with cutting-edge equipment, a library and 24 classrooms.
“As with Notre Dame, five years ago we decided to create this academy. Today, this magnificent campus opens its doors. This temple of knowledge will provide solutions to the shortage of 10 million health professionals predicted for 2030. With this in mind, we must prepare, recruit and train in new technologies. This will be one of the missions of this academy”launched the President of the Republic during his speech.
“The health of people is a fundamental condition for peace in the world and you carry this commitment”also recalled Emmanuel Macron, who indicated that the new academy was “the epicenter of a global network”.
Emmanuel Macron particularly praised the commitment of Alain Merieux and his son, who were able to mobilize a certain number of patrons for the creation of this academy, including Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim and the CNR. He also announced that France would retain “the same level of commitment” to finance the operation of the academy over the period 2025-2028. “We will have consistency, a quality because it allows visibility“, a barely veiled allusion to completing his mandate despite the current political turbulence.
Finally, at the end of his visit, the Head of State announced that he was going to fly “in a few hours” on the island of Mayotte, in order to go to the bedside of the populations affected by the passage of Cyclone Chido.
NAMELY
The construction of the WHO Academy benefited from an investment of 120 million euros, including 45 from the French State, 25 from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, 10 from the Métropole de Lyon and 10 from the City of Lyon. After this first phase of work, with a surface area of 10,600 m2 over seven floors, the construction site should continue until 2027 and the delivery of all the spaces.
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