"Globally, more than 7.8M cases of #COVID19 have now been reported to WHO & more than 430,000 deaths.
It took more than 2 months for the first 100,000 cases to be reported. For the past two weeks, more than 100,000 new cases have been reported almost every single day"-@DrTedros
"Almost 75% of recent #COVID19 cases come from 10 countries, mostly in the Americas and South Asia.
However, we also see increasing numbers of cases in Africa, Eastern Europe, central Asia and the Middle East"-@DrTedros
"Even in countries that have demonstrated the ability to suppress #COVID19 transmission, countries must stay alert to the possibility of resurgence"-@DrTedros
"Last week, #China reported a new cluster of #COVID19 cases in Beijing, after more than 50 days without a case in that city. More than 100 cases have now been confirmed.
The origin and extent of the outbreak are being investigated"-@DrTedros
"Despite the ongoing global response to the #COVID19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of other significant public health issues, including influenza.
Influenza affects every country every year, and takes its own deadly toll"-@DrTedros
"As we enter the Southern Hemisphere #flu season & begin planning for the Northern Hemisphere season, we must ensure that influenza remains a top priority.
Co-circulation of #COVID19 & influenza can worsen the impact on health care systems that are already overwhelmed"-@DrTedros
"More than 500 million people are vaccinated against #flu every year, based on recommendations from WHO on the composition of flu vaccines"-@DrTedros#VaccinesWork
"These recommendations are based on data and virus samples collected and analyzed by WHO’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).
The GISRS system has been functioning since 1952 & I'd like to thank the more than 125 countries that participate in it"-@DrTedros
"Over the past 8 years, significant strengthening of the system has been made possible through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, and I would also like to thank the public and private sector partners that participate in this global system"-@DrTedros
"The infrastructure, people, skills and experience built up through GISRS, WHO Collaborating Centres, and national influenza centres have been the foundation for detecting #COVID19"-@DrTedros
"However, this well-established system is now seeing significant challenges.
Influenza surveillance has either been suspended or is declining in many countries & there has been a sharp decline in sharing of influenza info & viruses because of the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros
"Compared with the last three years, we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in the number of specimens tested for influenza globally"-@DrTedros
"We’ve also seen a 62% decrease in the number of virus shipments to WHO Collaborating Centres, and a 94% decrease in the number of influenza viruses with genetic sequence data uploaded to the GISAID database"-@DrTedros
"These decreases are due to a combination of issues, including the repurposing of staff and supplies, overburdened laboratories, and transport restrictions"-@DrTedros
"These disruptions may have short- and long-term effects, such as the loss of capacities to detect and report new influenza viruses with pandemic potential"-@DrTedros
"As many of you know, twice a year WHO convenes a group of experts who together analyze the circulating flu strains. Based on their analysis they select the viruses that should be targeted by #flu vaccines for the upcoming season in each hemisphere"-@DrTedros
"To know which viruses are circulating, WHO relies on information from countries reported through GISRS, which we use to make recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines.
This will help us to prevent more severe cases of #flu and more deaths"-@DrTedros
"WHO has published guidance on how to integrate surveillance for #COVID19 into routine influenza surveillance as an efficient way to track both of these important respiratory viruses"-@DrTedros
"This is not only cost-effective, it’s also essential for protecting the world against the next #flu season.
The Southern Hemisphere flu season is already underway. There is no time to lose"-@DrTedros
LIVE: @DrTedros' briefing on the health situation in #Gaza to the @UN Security Council twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Let me be clear from the outset that I fully understand the anger, grief and fear of the Israeli people following the horrific, barbaric and unjustifiable attacks by Hamas and other armed groups on Israeli civilians on the 7th of October.
The killing of 1,400 people, and injuries to more than 7,200 others, is bad enough. For the survivors and families of victims, the mental health consequences will endure for a long time to come.
WHO is gravely concerned for the health and well-being of Israeli hostages in Gaza, many of whom are older people, children and those with urgent medical needs"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros @UN "Two weeks ago, I spoke with families of hostages, and I will meet them in Geneva next week. I feel their heartache and fear"-@DrTedros
Media briefing on the health situation in Gaza and Israel, and other global health issues with @DrTedros twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"We are running out of words to describe the horror unfolding in Gaza.
Since Hamas’s horrific attacks on Israel on the 7th of October, more than 10,000 people have been killed, including over 8,500 in Gaza and 1400 in Israel. In both Israel and Gaza, 70% of those killed are women and children"-@DrTedros
"More than 21,000 are injured and more than 1.4 million people in Gaza have been displaced.
The situation on the ground, in Gaza, is indescribable.
Hospitals crammed with the injured, lying in corridors;
Morgues overflowing;
Doctors performing surgery without anaesthesia;
Thousands of people seeking shelter from the bombardment;
Families crammed into overcrowded schools, desperate for food and water;
Toilets overflowing and the risk of disease outbreaks spreading;
And everywhere, fear, death, destruction, loss"-@DrTedros
#TraditionalMedicine has been at the frontiers of medicine & science laying the foundation for conventional medical texts.
#DYK: Nearly 40% of pharmaceutical products have a natural product base, incl.:
💊aspirin
💊artemisinin
💊contraceptive pills
💊childhood cancer treatments
In 1969, Tu Youyou was tasked to search for antimalarial drugs. She turned to ancient Chinese #TraditionalMedicine books & discovered artemisinin. In 2015, Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work on #malaria, which has saved millions of lives.
https://t.co/hqqn1D2idWbit.ly/47s1wlj
Derived from wild Mexican yam, norethindrone is one of the first active ingredients in birth control pills.
When Dr Luis Miramontes stabilised the synthetic hormone, norethindrone, he was unaware of his major contribution to women’s health and history.
📌 https://t.co/MbSbU8fHnfbit.ly/47s1wlj
Studies worldwide have shown that it protects the health of young people. It also helps… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
FACT: Comprehensive sexuality education is associated with later sexual activity and reduced risk-taking.
Evidence shows that young people are more likely to delay having sex – and if they do have sex, practice safer sex - when they are better informed about sexual health and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
FACT: Talking about sexuality does not necessarily mean talking about having sex.
For younger age-groups, sexuality education helps children:
💟 Learn about their bodies
💟 Recognize their feelings and emotions
💟 Identify different types of relationships, such as families &… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
🔥 🚒 #ClimateChange makes it more likely for droughts & wildfires to happen. Wildfires contributes to increased air pollution & can cause death & injury from suffocation, burns & smoke inhalation.
🔥💨 Burning fossil fuels drives #ClimateChange and causes air pollution that leads to lung cancer, stroke and heart disease. #AirPollution causes 1⃣3⃣ deaths per minute worldwide.
In adults, ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of premature death attributable to outdoor #AirPollution. Other effects include #diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions.