Thread by @WHO

"The #COVID19 pandemic is showing that no country or region is immune.

Almost 140,000 cases and more than 6000 deaths have been reported to @WHOEMRO so far"-@DrTedros at the Eastern Mediterranean Region Ministerial Meeting on COVID-19

"The epidemic in #Iran now appears to be waning, but most other countries in the region are seeing increasing numbers of new infections every day"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"We’re especially concerned about the potential impact of the #coronavirus in countries that have suffered from years of conflict & fragility"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The Eastern Mediterranean still has an opportunity to slow the transmission of #COVID19 – but the window is rapidly closing.
Slowing the spread is critical in order to give you time to mount a comprehensive response"-@DrTedros

"The proven public health measures of early detection, testing, isolation & treatment of #COVID19 cases, & tracing & quarantining of contacts should form the central pillar of the response"-@DrTedros

"From the experience of other countries, we've learned the value of physical distancing, incl. #StayHome orders & suspension of mass gatherings.
This approach can prevent a handful of cases from becoming clusters & prevent clusters from becoming community transmission"-@DrTedros

"In places where people live in overcrowded conditions & where ppl must work every day to put food on the table, #StayHome orders may cause significant unintended harm.
Govs must impose physical distancing restrictions carefully, adapting for each country & community"-@DrTedros

"All of us need to invest further in the collection, analysis and utilization of epidemiological data. Aggregated data should be shared with WHO, to inform country-specific advice and regional analysis and response"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Early isolation of ALL cases is perhaps the most important public health measure in controlling the spread of #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"Confirmed patients who have mild #COVID19 or do not require hospitalization should be admitted to temporary isolation facilities managed properly with infection prevention and control measures in place"-@DrTedros

"Home isolation should be considered as a last resort, as experience demonstrates that adherence is weak and transmission to other household members is common"-@DrTedros

"Protecting #healthworkers is one of the most important responsibilities of the health system.
It’s vital to protect 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️, esp those who work in conflict-affected areas. To do that, we must ensure they have the tools they need to do their jobs safely & effectively"-@DrTedros

"We know that many countries are facing acute shortages of personal protective equipment & WHO is working to increase supply.
So far we have shipped diagnostic tests & almost 1M items of personal protective equipment to 15 countries in the region & more is on the way"-@DrTedros

"We've been impressed by the progress being made:
-the active outreach to almost 70M people in 🇮🇷 through the national campaign
-the rapid scaling up of testing in 🇦🇪
-the commitment to establishing temporary isolation units in 🇵🇰
-the use of polio assets in 🇦🇫 & in 🇸🇴"-@DrTedros

"In spite of this clear progress, I am of course asking you to do more.

As always, WHO is here to assist both at headquarters and regional levels and of course at the country level"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"WHO has produced multiple technical guidance documents on all aspects of the #COVID19 response & our online and remote trainings have been accessed by more than 2 million #healthworkers. And we will expand it to train millions more"-@DrTedros

"We are coordinating a vast range of research endeavours, including the Solidarity Trial, which is investigating different therapeutic options for the treatment of #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"We are helping to consolidate lessons learned to adjust and fine-tune our collective response to the pandemic. The recently released #COVID19 preparedness and response strategy incorporates the most recent learning from country experiences from across the globe"-@DrTedros

"I'd like to leave you with 3 requests.
1⃣ #COVID19 response demands a whole-of-govt approach. As Ministers of health, you play a vital, central role, but you cannot do it alone so continuing with the whole-of-govt approach will be very important to beating this virus"-@DrTedros

"2⃣ we call on countries to implement proven public health measures aggressively: detect, test, isolate and care for every case, and trace and quarantine every contact"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"3⃣ we urge you to pay careful attention to ensuring that essential public health services continue safely and effectively.

WHO remains committed to standing with all of you in solidarity to fight the virus and save lives"-@DrTedros #COVID19