Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cY1Z3DI2MTAy…

I am honoured to be joined by President @CarlosAlvQ of #CostaRica and President @sebastianpinera of #Chile for today’s press briefing"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Researchers are working at breakneck speed both to understand the virus and also to develop potential vaccines, medicines and other technologies"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The Access to #COVID19 Accelerator is uniting efforts on many fronts to ensure we have safe, effective and affordable therapeutics and vaccines in the shortest time possible"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1253675702005760001?s=20

"These tools provide additional hope of overcoming #COVID19, but they will not end the pandemic if we cannot ensure equitable access to them"-@DrTedros

"In these extraordinary circumstances, we need to unleash the full power of science, to deliver innovations that are scalable, usable, and benefit everyone, everywhere, at the same time"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Traditional market models will not deliver at the scale needed to cover the entire globe.

Solidarity within and between countries and the private sector is essential if we are to overcome these difficult times"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Now is the moment where leaders must come together to develop a new global access policy and an operational tool, which will turn the many good intentions expressed in recent weeks into reality"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"We're seeing some good examples where companies are coming out with solidarity approaches from open licensing & support, to tech transfer via the new Tech Access Partnership, to commitments not to increase prices in times of shortages"-@DrTedros #COVID19
un.org/technologybank…

"WHO recognizes the wide-ranging efforts and initiatives aimed at incentivizing innovation while also ensuring access for all. These will be important topics next week at the #WHA73"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"At the beginning of the pandemic, President @CarlosAlvQ asked me to set up a health technology repository for vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and any other tool that may work against #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"WHO has accepted this visionary proposal and will, in the next few weeks, launch a platform for open, collaborative sharing of knowledge, data and intellectual property on existing and new health tools to combat #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"Global solidarity will accelerate science and expand access so that together we can overcome the #coronavirus.

Until everyone is protected, the 🌍 will remains at risk"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Next week, one of the most important World Health Assembly's will take place since we were founded in 1948"-@DrTedros #WHA73 #COVID19

"I am looking forward to greeting and working with leaders from across the 🌍 to ensure that together we optimise the #COVID19 response and build back stronger health systems"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Over the past few months, across the world, we have shown that when countries implement a comprehensive strategy they can effectively contain and suppress the spread of the #coronavirus, while minimizing the impact on lives and livelihoods"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #WHA73

"The #COVID19 pandemic has shown again & in the strongest way possible, that investing in health is not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do.
There’s no trade off between investing in health & economy. Health is an investment in our collective future"-@DrTedros

"Funding quality #HealthForAll, doesn’t just save lives; it means children are healthy and can go to school; people can go to work to earn a living and societies and economies are both stronger and more sustainable"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #WHA73

"Yesterday, WHO released a policy brief on gender and #COVID19, which encourages countries to incorporate a gender focus into their responses"-@DrTedros

bit.ly/2z3xFEq

"It includes 6⃣ key asks for governments:

1⃣ when recording cases, collect both age & sex-disaggregated data

2⃣ prevent & respond effectively to issues of domestic violence, which have been exacerbated by the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

bit.ly/2z3xFEq

"3⃣ encourage availability & access to sexual & reproductive health services
4⃣ protect & support all #healthworkers, approx. 70% of the whom are women
5⃣ ensure equitable access to testing & treatment for #COVID19
6⃣ ensure responses are inclusive & non-discriminatory"-@DrTedros

"To maximise effectiveness and ensure that no one is left behind, tackling the pandemic requires a gender-responsive, equity-oriented and human rights-based approach"-@DrTedros #COVID19

bit.ly/2z3xFEq

"This evening, WHO will release a Scientific Brief on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"In the past weeks, reports from Europe & North America have described a small number of children being admitted to intensive care units with a multisystem inflammatory condition with some features similar to Kawasaki’s disease and toxic shock syndrome"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Initial reports hypothesise that this syndrome may be related to #COVID19.

It is critical to urgently and carefully characterise this clinical syndrome, to understand causality and to describe treatment interventions"-@DrTedros

"Together with our global clinical network for #COVID19, WHO has developed a preliminary case definition and a case report form for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children"-@DrTedros

"I call on clinicians worldwide to work with your national authorities and WHO to be on the alert and better understand this syndrome in children"-@DrTedros #COVID19

The full remarks on #COVID19 by @DrTedros 👇
bit.ly/2Z7i4OM