WHO, Lady Gaga join hands for coronavirus benefit concert

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday announced here that, in collaboration with international advocacy organization Global Citizen and pop music superstar Lady Gaga, a special multi-hour globally televised and streamed show will be staged on April 18 in support of all health workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at a virtual press conference from here on Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that his organization has been working with Global Citizen for several weeks on the 'One World: Together At Home' concert series. "Now we're working with Lady Gaga to take this concept and make it even bigger," he said.

"We have said consistently that we're all in this together, and we can only succeed together. We need an all-of-society approach, with everyone playing their part, including people in the entertainment industry," said the WHO chief.

Lady Gaga joined Monday's WHO press conference, saying that she was very grateful to all healthcare professionals across the globe who are on the frontline during the pandemic.

"This pandemic is a catastrophe, I'm so thankful to them," she said.

Hugh Evans, chief executive officer (CEO) of Global Citizen, said at Monday's virtual press conference that April 18 is going to be a moment of global unity by connecting the world through a historic global broadcast, which will be heard or seen across major broadcast and cable networks and digital music providers.

"We are bringing together the greatest artists in the world under the passionate and extremely talented curation of Lady Gaga," he said.

Global Citizen is a movement of engaged citizens, who are using their collective voice to end extreme poverty by 2030.