(MENAFN) The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday appealed for the preservation of the essential duties carried out by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the leading institution faces internal disruption.

"The work of the US CDC has been invaluable and must be protected," declared Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an announcement.

He admitted that although no body is flawless, the CDC must consistently adapt as the "latest science and evidence is applied to emerging challenges.”

The WHO sustains a strong collaboration with the CDC, which "has ensured that Americans and people around the world benefit from the best American science" while simultaneously granting the US access to international health information and advice, according to Tedros.

He highlighted the CDC's worldwide influence, remarking: "The US CDC has long been a centre of excellence, and many countries have emulated it to establish similar institutions by adopting its best practices."

Tedros reflected on his personal engagement with the US body’s knowledge, stating that during his tenure as Ethiopia's health minister, he dispatched teams to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta to gain expertise.

Furthermore, he acknowledged the CDC as a model for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – situated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – which he initially suggested at the 2013 African Union summit while serving as Ethiopia's foreign minister, along with other international health bodies.

The WHO continues its close cooperation with the CDC, which "has ensured that Americans and people around the world benefit from the best American science" and offered the US privileged entry to worldwide health data and recommendations, Tedros reiterated.

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