Book Coronavirus Speaker Gro Harlem Brundtland for Your Conference or Event | APB Speakers
19 Feb 2020
Former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and APB speaker Gro Harlem Brundtland weighed in on the coronavirus epidemic, drawing parallels to the SARS epidemic that originated in China in 2002. Brundtland was at the helm of the WHO when the global threat of SARS arose, and her clearheaded leadership during a time of hysteria helped curtail and contain the spread of the disease.
Speaking out on this new epidemic, Brundtland draws on a wealth of experience in global health to point out that coronavirus has been far less deadly than SARS. However, since it has spread more quickly, it constitutes as a global health emergency. She suspects this coronavirus epidemic will last longer than the SARS epidemic did, summarizing the big picture by saying, “trying to contain and help the [sick] person and both contain and avoid spread is really the major public health consideration.”
The first female Prime Minister of Norway and a founding member of Nelson Mandela’s group, The Elders, Dr. Brundtland has been a respected global leader for decades. Passionate in the fight for peace and human rights, she continues to bring her unparalleled wisdom on health, sustainability, education and more to the forefront of the global conversation.