Mehriban Aliyeva: “I am confident, thanks to best qualities of our wise people – high morale, courage, kindness and compassion, confidence and love – we will together cope with this challenge.”

The world is facing a global challenge. Just a year ago, most of us naively thought that the era of perilous diseases of pandemic nature, unknown to date, that could end a human life were in the past. We were sure that the contemporary advanced level of biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and technology, as well as the collective intellectual level of the world has already secured us against certain “surprises”. But the reality is different. The “Black Swan” of Nassem Taleb has been dominating the world. In his famous book, the author wrote: “Everyone tries to defend himself against a peril. One of the methods is to assess the risks, and manage them.... It is not essential how much effort we exert. There is no method to precisely predict any risk.”

There is sufficient information about “COVID-19”. The new virus and its consequences are the major information trend in a real-time mode. It is paradoxical, there is more questions than answers, regardless of the abundance of information.

According to the official statistics of the World Health Organization, the number of those infected is 82,779, with the number of dead being 7,989, while 82,779 have recovered. The pandemic has spread to 167 countries.

It is an incontestable fact that the world was not prepared to this risk. Even those developed countries with the healthcare budget of billions of US Dollars, gigantic scientific and intellectual potential and advanced technologies could not prevent the spread of the epidemic.

Matchless measures are being taken, borders closed, and states isolated.

I believe and hope that our common efforts will definitely have positive effect. The world will cope with this challenge and become stronger. I also hope that we will try to understand the common realities, having considered them. We are different, yet living in a common home. There is no strange grief. Pains and suffering has no border.

Immunity against the virus will be formed after a vaccine is developed. And immunity from indifference should be formed by each individual personally.

Dear fellow-citizens!

All forces in the country have been mobilized to prevent the events from developing towards the worst direction. All the state structures have been mobilized, and are acting jointly. Since the first day, we have been closely cooperating with the World Health Organization, approaching recommendations of this entity very seriously.

The rapid spread of the epidemic, its becoming a pandemic makes development of a single strategy and tactics to combat this disease difficult. Researches into the virus and the disease are conducted simultaneously. Therefore, a number of recommendations are based on a specific situation, changing as the database extends. What is obvious is that strict observance of the safety rules, personal responsibility and discipline are basic preconditions for saving yourselves and those around you.

I want to thank the World Health Organization for their close cooperation with the state of Azerbaijan in combatting the coronavirus epidemic.

I call on to all our fellow-citizens to demonstrate a civil responsibility, and strictly follow the recommendations and demands of the Operating Staff under the Cabinet of Ministers.

Please protect your elderly! The vast majority of the infected people feel only a slight impact of the disease, resulting in recovery. The elderly, those suffering from chronical diseases and those with weak immunity are included in the special high-risk group. We Azerbaijanis have always treated our elderly with special care and respect, protecting them tactfully. I am sure the condition we have been facing now will make us more careful. Indifference is inadmissible today.

I want to specially thank each of those who are today in the forefront in combatting the infection, those who have been taking all necessary measures to protect the health and lives of Azerbaijani citizens, including physicians, medical staff, and employees of various state entities.

Dear Friends!

“I am confident, thanks to best qualities of our wise people – high morale, courage, kindness and compassion, confidence and love – we will together cope with this challenge. I wish you sound health and long life!

May God help us at this difficult time.

With prayers and love to all of you,

Your MEHRIBAN.