Thread by @WHO

LIVE: Remarks by @DrTedros at the #WHA76 twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

@DrTedros "As you know, just under three weeks ago I declared an end to #COVID19 as a public health emergency of international concern.

It was a moment of relief and reflection.

It’s encouraging to see life return to normal – to be able to hug a friend, to travel freely, and to meet… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros "But at the same time, many of us continue to carry grief in our hearts – grief over those we have lost, grief at the terrible toll the pandemic has taken on families, communities, societies and economies, and grief that it didn’t need to be this way"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros "In particular, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on mental health, including on many of our own staff, who like so many health workers around the world, have experienced severe stress and burnout.

The pandemic has confronted us with unprecedented challenges.

And it has also… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros "Throughout the pandemic, your WHO has mobilized global expertise to provide technical and logistical tools to support you in your efforts to save lives.

And through the ACT Accelerator, WHO and our partners delivered nearly two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine, as well as… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros "The end of #COVID19 as a global health emergency is not the end of COVID-19 as a global health threat.

Earlier this month, the Secretariat published the fourth edition of the Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19, which outlines critical actions for… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros "The threat of another [#COVID19] variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains.

And the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros "And pandemics are far from the only threat we face. In a world of overlapping and converging crises, an effective architecture for health emergency preparedness and response must address emergencies of all kinds"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros "This year’s High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Preparedness and Response is a valuable opportunity for leaders to chart a clear path forward towards that future.

We cannot kick this can down the road.

If we do not make the changes that must be made, then who will?

And if we do… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros "The #COVID19 pandemic has had significant implications for the health-related targets in the @GlobalGoalsUN, and each of the “triple billion” targets.

More than 1 billion more people are now enjoying better health and well-being since 2018, but progress is insufficient to reach… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "On universal health coverage, we have made progress and closed gaps, and since 2018, 477 million more people are enjoying the benefits of universal health coverage.

But on current trends, fewer than half the world’s population will be covered by the end of the @GlobalGoalsUN… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "On emergencies, the #COVID19 pandemic has shown that it’s not 1 billion people but 8 billion people who need to be better protected.

The pandemic has blown us off course, but it has shown us why the @GlobalGoalsUN must remain our north star, and why we must pursue them with the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Last week the Secretariat published its Results Report for 2022 on the WHO website, presenting a comprehensive, detailed and interactive account of our work, with country stories from around the world. I commend it to you"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The first set of highlights relate to promoting health, by preventing disease and addressing its root causes.

One of the key ways countries are doing that is through the use of health taxes in the fight against noncommunicable diseases.

Between 2017 and 2022, 133 Member States… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "With advocacy and technical support from WHO, #TimorLeste last year increased its tax on tobacco from $19 a kilogram to $50 a kilogram, and already this year has increased it again to $100 a kilogram – one of the largest tobacco tax increases achieved anywhere"-@DrTedros… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Elsewhere, #Mauritius and #Finland introduced plain packaging, Oman will do so this year, and #Tunisia increased health warnings to 70% of the front and back of tobacco packaging"-@DrTedros #WHA76 #NoTobacco

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "#SierraLeone introduced some of the toughest tobacco controls in the world, #Ukraine expanded its smoke free laws to ban the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in public places, and #Kazakhstan introduced a new tax policy on heated tobacco products"-@DrTedros #WHA76 twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "We also see encouraging progress in eliminating industrially-produced trans fat from the global food supply. Since we launched our REPLACE initiative in 2018, we have seen a six-fold increase in the number of people protected by WHO-recommended policies on the use of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Just in the past six months, 🇧🇩 and 🇳🇬 and the 🇦🇪 have implemented trans fat policies, and 🇦🇷, 🇪🇬, 🇲🇽, 🇵🇾, 🇵🇭 and 🇺🇦 are all preparing to introduce their own policies in the next two years"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Many countries have also made impressive progress in reducing salt intake, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. For example, over the past 10 years, 🇱🇰 has reduced average salt consumption per capita by almost 20%, with support from the WHO country office"-@DrTedros… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "On #ClimateChange, at COP-27 last year, we Launched the Alliance on Transformative Action on Climate Change and Health, which is supporting 65 countries to build climate resilient and climate-friendly health systems. For example, with support from WHO, 🇬🇳 has begun assessing… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "In addition to all of this work, we continue to support countries to build healthier populations by increasing physical activity, improving road safety, fostering healthy ageing, and so much more"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Now to the second set of highlights, which relate to providing health, by reorienting health systems towards primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The High-Level Meeting on universal health coverage at the #UNGA in 2019 was a historic commitment by world leaders to realise the vision of #HealthForAll. Little did we know then that COVID-19 was just around the corner.
The Second High-Level Meeting on Universal Health… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Strong primary health care is especially vital for delivering life-saving services maternal and child health, including routine immunization.

Between 2019 and 2021, an estimated 67 million children missed out on at least one essential vaccine, including 48 million children who… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "In response, WHO and our partners have launched “The Big Catch-up”, a global effort to increase vaccination levels in children to at least pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, and to protect those who missed out"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Despite the setbacks of the #COVID19 pandemic, many countries have continued to make progress in maternal and child health.

DPR Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand have all achieved @GlobalGoalsUN targets in reducing neonatal mortality, under-five mortality, and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "We're proud to note the impressive progress countries have made in the promotion, protection and support of #breastfeeding. In 2022, 48% of children below 6 months were exclusively breastfed, getting close to the target of 50% set by the World Health Assembly"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "We continue to support research to improve care for pregnant women. Last year, WHO reviewed evidence from trials in 20 countries that showed for the first time that immediate skin-to-skin care, or kangaroo mother care, can save almost one third of children born… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "A WHO-led study showed that implementing a set of interventions at the same time, instead of consecutively, was able to reduce severe post-partum hemorrhage by 60%, and reduce the chance of death"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The new WHO compendium - “Promoting the health of refugees and migrants: experiences from around the world” - showcases dozens of country case examples from 44 Member States that demonstrate real progress in addressing the unmet health needs of refugees. Over the longer-term, it… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Five years ago, WHO projected a shortfall of 18 million #healthworkers globally by 2030. That projected shortfall has now reduced to 10 million, but the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions bear an increased share of the shortage.
If we are to get anywhere near the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "We call on all countries to respect the Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, and in particular to protect the 55 countries on the recently-updated Support and Safeguards list against international recruitment"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "We’re also working hard to support countries to deliver lifelong training to continuously improve health worker competencies and quality of care.

Just last month we launched the Global 25 x 25 x25 Campaign, which aims to provide access to basic emergency care training for 25%… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "With the strong support of 🇫🇷, we continue to achieve key milestones on the establishment of the #WHOAcademy, with our new building scheduled to be completed in seven months, and the first release of learning programmes scheduled for later this year"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "One of the other most important elements of #HealthForAll is access to essential medical products, and 2022 saw the introduction and rollout of several important new tools.

For #tuberculosis (TB), we launched new WHO guidelines recommending the first all-oral treatment regimens… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Last year we published new guidelines on the use of long-acting injectables for preventing #HIV – a potential game-changer for those most at risk.

So far, based on WHO guidelines, six countries have approved the use of long-acting injectables – 🇦🇺, 🇧🇼, 🇲🇼, 🇿🇦, 🇺🇸, and 🇿🇼 – and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Following WHO’s recommendation for widespread use of the RTS,S #malaria vaccine in 2021, more than 1.5 million children have now received it in 🇬🇭, 🇰🇪 and 🇲🇼.

Among those vaccinated, we see a 30% reduction in severe malaria, and a 10% drop in child deaths. We estimate that one… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Vaccines are bringing the dream of eliminating #cervicalcancer within reach.

Since WHO’s Call to Action to eliminate cervical cancer in 2018, nearly fifty more countries introduced the HPV vaccine into their national immunization programs, including 41 lower-middle income… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "We are continuing our work to protect precious medicines against the threat of #antimicrobialresistance (AMR).

For the first time, Ministers of Health and Ministers of Agriculture from around the world came together in Oman last year to agree on a target to reduce the use of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The pandemic has exposed the huge burden of #mentalhealth. The WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health has supported nine countries to increase access to mental health services for over 5.2 million people who previously were not able to access them"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The third set of highlights relate to protecting health by strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness and response.

In addition to #COVID19 and #mpox, last year WHO responded to 70 graded health emergencies from floods in 🇵🇰, to Ebola in 🇺🇬, the war… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "A crucial enabler of our response was the Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE), which was established following the West African Ebola outbreak in 2014 and 2015. Last year, the CFE released almost 90 million US dollars in as little as 24 hours to support the rapid response to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Already this year we have allocated more than $37 million to fund our response to the earthquakes in the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye, the conflict in Sudan and more. And our Dubai Logistics Hub in the United Arab Emirates processed almost 600 shipments to 90… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Last year we also launched the first consolidated WHO Global Health Emergency Appeal, and in January we launched this year’s appeal, for $2.5 billion"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Just as we continue to respond to emergencies around the world, so we are continuing to work with Member States and partners to strengthen the global architecture for health emergency preparedness and response.

One of last year’s key achievements in this regard was the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The Pandemic Fund is just one of many initiatives that WHO and Member States are undertaking to make our world safer against health emergencies:

For enhanced accountability, the Universal Health and Preparedness Review;

For enhanced surveillance, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The end of COVID-19 and mpox as public health emergencies of international concern means #polio remains the only official global health emergency.

After an all-time low of 5 wild poliovirus cases in 2021, we saw an increase last year, with 20 cases in Pakistan, two in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Last year, 3 million children previously inaccessible in Afghanistan received #polio vaccines for the first time.

And in October, donors pledged $2.6 billion to support the push for eradication.

At the same time, as part of the polio transition, more than 50 countries have… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The fourth set of highlights relate to powering health, by harnessing the power of science, research, innovation, data, and partnerships to deliver impact.

The mRNA Hub in #SouthAfrica is a perfect example, as part of our commitment to strengthen local production and enhance… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Central to our efforts to track progress towards the health-related @GlobalGoalsUN is our work to strengthen health information systems in countries, to generate and analyse reliable data to inform the best health policies and programmes.

One of last year’s key data products… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "The final set of highlights relates to performing for health, by building a stronger and sustainably financed WHO.

Your decision last year to transform WHO’s financing model was a landmark towards strengthening and empowering WHO to fulfil its role as the leading and directing… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN Working with you, we developed the Secretariat Implementation Plan, with 96 actions, which the Executive Board endorsed in January.

So far, we have implemented 42 actions, and 54 are ongoing.

"We are also continuing in our efforts to transform the way this organization prevents… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "To support these efforts, I have squeezed $100 million from our budget to allocate to country offices. But in order to sustain this commitment, we look to Member States to approve the 20% increase in assessed contributions at this Health Assembly"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Your Secretariat is making the changes you asked for. Now, we ask you to honour your commitment to increase assessed contributions, to enable us to deliver the long-term predictable programming in countries that will deliver the results we all want to see"-@DrTedros #WHA76

@DrTedros @GlobalGoalsUN "Your WHO is working to promote, provide, protect, power and perform for health.

I leave you with 3️⃣ requests:

1️⃣ I urge every Member States to work with the Secretariat identify concrete ways to pick up the pace of progress on the triple billion targets and health related… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…