Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cZqL8DI2MTAy…

"Today is #AfricaDay – an opportunity to celebrate Africa’s vitality & diversity & to promote African unity.
Africa Day celebrates the birthday of the Organisation of African Unity, which was established on 25 May 1963 & its successor organization is the @_AfricanUnion"-@DrTedros

"Today, on #AfricaDay 2020, we mark the successes and progress made throughout the African continent

This year, celebrations are more muted because of the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

"So far, although around half of the countries in the @WHOAFRO region have community transmission, concentrated mainly in major cities, Africa is the least-affected region globally in terms of the number of #COVID19 cases and deaths reported to WHO"-@DrTedros

"Africa has just 1.5% of the world’s reported cases of #COVID19 & less than 0.1% of the world’s deaths.

Of course, these numbers don’t paint the full picture.

Testing capacity in Africa is still being ramped up & there is a likelihood that some cases may be missed"-@DrTedros

"But even so, Africa appears to have so far been spared the scale of outbreaks we have seen in other regions"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The early set-up of a leaders coalition led by the @_AfricanUnion, under the chairmanship of 🇿🇦 President @CyrilRamaphosa were key to rapidly accelerating #COVID19 preparedness efforts and issuing comprehensive control measures"-@DrTedros

"Countries across Africa have garnered a great deal of experience from tackling infectious diseases like polio, measles, Ebola, yellow fever, influenza and many more"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Africa’s knowledge & experience of suppressing infectious diseases has been critical to rapidly scaling up an agile response to #COVID19.
There has been solidarity across the continent. Labs in 🇸🇳 & 🇿🇦 were some of the first in the 🌍 to implement diagnostic testing"-@DrTedros

"And beyond that they worked together with @AfricaCDC & WHO to extend training for laboratory technicians for detection of #COVID19 and to build up the national capacity across the region"-@DrTedros

"Furthermore, health clinicians, scientists, researchers and academics from across Africa are collectively contributing to the worldwide understanding of #COVID19 disease"-@DrTedros

"For many years and from the outset of the #COVID19 pandemic, WHO has been working through our country offices to support nations in health emergency preparedness & developing comprehensive national action plans to prevent, detect & respond to the virus"-@DrTedros

"With WHO support, many African countries have made good progress in preparedness.

All countries in Africa now have a preparedness and response plan in place, compared with less than a dozen in the first few weeks of the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

"48 countries in the region have a community engagement plan in place, compared with only 25 countries 10 weeks ago.

And 51 have lab testing capacity for #COVID19, compared with 40 countries 10 weeks ago"-@DrTedros

"WHO continues to support Africa with other life-saving supplies.
As of last week, we've shipping millions of personal protective equipment & lab tests to 52 African countries.
In the coming weeks we plan further shipments of PPE, oxygen concentrators & lab tests"-@DrTedros

"However, we still see gaps and vulnerabilities. Only 19% of countries in the region have an infection prevention and control programme and standards for water, sanitation and hygiene in health facilities"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"And disruption to essential health services, such as vaccination campaigns and care for malaria, HIV and other diseases pose a huge risk"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"As part of our continued response to the pandemic globally, WHO continues to work aggressively on R&D.

As you know, more than two months ago we initiated the Solidarity Trial, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four drugs and drug combinations against #COVID19"-@DrTedros

"Over 400 hospitals in 35 countries are actively recruiting patients & nearly 3500 patients have been enrolled from 17 countries"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"On Friday, @TheLancet published an observational study on hydroxycholoroquine & chloraquine & its effects on #COVID19 patients that have been hospitalised"-@DrTedros

"The authors reported that among #COVID19 patients receiving the drug, when used alone or with a macrolide, they estimated a higher mortality rate"-@DrTedros

"The Executive Group of the Solidarity Trial, representing 10 of the participating countries, met on Saturday and has agreed to review a comprehensive analysis and critical appraisal of all evidence available globally"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The review will consider data collected so far in the Solidarity Trial and, in particular robust randomised available data, to adequately evaluate the potential benefits and harms from this drug"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"The other arms of the trial are continuing.

This concern relates to the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloraquine in #COVID19.

I wish to reiterate that these drugs are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria"-@DrTedros

"WHO will provide further updates as we know more.

And we will continue to work night and day for solutions, science and solidarity"-@DrTedros #COVID19

The full remarks by @DrTedros 👉 bit.ly/2LYa4rG