Thread by @WHO

"I welcome the concrete actions the 🇸🇦 Kingdom is taking with the @g20org Glbl Innovation Hub for Improving Value in Health, the Digital Health Task Force & the Glbl Patient Safety Leaders Group & its strong commitment to #HealthForAll"-@DrTedros at G20 Health Ministers Meeting

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you [🇸🇦 Kingdom] for your generous support – the US$500 million you have announced.

And thank you for bringing us together today at this critical time"-@DrTedros at G20 Health Ministers Meeting

#COVID19

"I would like to reiterate my appreciation to the @g20org, as expressed in their recent statement, committing to further strengthen WHO’s mandate in coordinating the international fight against the pandemic"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"We are all facing an unprecedented global health crisis.

Not only are we confronting a new virus, we are also confronting the first pandemic in history caused by a #coronavirus"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"All of your countries have been affected, and you are all at different stages of the response.

We are encouraged that several @g20org countries are now starting to plan how to ease social restrictions.

It is critical that these measures are a phased process"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Lifting so-called lockdown restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country; it’s just the beginning of the next phase.

It’s vital in this next phase that countries educate, engage and empower their people to prevent and respond rapidly to any resurgence"-@DrTedros

"...
To ensure they have the capacity to detect, test, isolate and care for every case, and trace every contact;

And to ensure their health systems have the capacity to absorb any increase in cases"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"We are deeply concerned that the virus now appears to be gathering pace in countries that lack the capacity of many @g20org countries to respond to it"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Urgent support is needed, not only to support countries to respond to #COVID19, but to ensure other essential health services continue"-@DrTedros

"Since the beginning, WHO has sounded the alarm bell loud & clear.
And we continue to fulfil our mandate to coordinate the global response, working with partners to save lives"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"We’ve engaged thousands of scientists and experts all over the world to develop detailed technical guidance for countries.

We’ve shipped supplies of lab diagnostics and personal protective equipment to many countries, and expanded testing capacity"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"We’ve provided training for more than 1.5 million #healthworkers.

We’ve launched the Solidarity Trial, to generate robust safety and efficacy data about the four drugs under trial.

The international community has rallied in support of the global response"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"More than USD 900 million has been pledged for our first Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.

That includes USD 150 million through the Solidarity Response Fund, from more than 247,000 individuals, corporations and foundations"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"One of the biggest challenges we face in Africa and other countries is the critical shortage of supplies, and the ability to deliver them because of weak supply chains"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"WHO is working with @iccwbo and the @b20 group of business leaders from @g20org countries to increase the production and equitable distribution of these life-saving tools"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Through the @UN Supply Chain Task Force, we’re working with the @WFP and other partners to distribute personal protective equipment to countries all over the world"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Today I have three requests:

1⃣ we urge each of your countries to continue to fight the pandemic with determination, guided by science and evidence"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"2⃣ we are looking to the @g20org countries to continue to support the global response to #COVID19.

We will soon publish a second Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, with an estimate of the resources needed for the next phase of the response"-@DrTedros

"We echo President @CyrilRamaphosa’s appeal on behalf of the @_AfricanUnion to @g20org countries to support African countries with stimulus packages and debt relief so they can focus on fighting the pandemic"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"3⃣ we call on all @g20org countries to work together to increase the production and equitable distribution of essential supplies, and to remove trade barriers that put health workers and their patients at risk"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The #COVID19 pandemic has reminded us of a simple truth: we are one humanity. We share the same planet. We share the same hopes and dreams. We share the same destiny"-@DrTedros

"As the ministerial declaration recognizes, the current #COVID19 pandemic has highlighted weakness in health systems and global preparedness.
We welcome the commitment you are making not only to combat the current crisis, but to ensure this never happens again"-@DrTedros

"WHO is committed to leading the work requested by the @g20org leaders, in cooperation with our partners, to assess gaps in global preparedness, and to lay the foundations for the healthier, safer, fairer world we all want"-@DrTedros