Thread by @kakape

"The world’s poorest and most vulnerable people are most at risk” says @DrTedros at start of @WHO #covid19 presser. “WHO is deeply concerned about the impact of the virus on indigenous peoples in the Americas, which remains the current epicenter of the pandemic."

@DrTedros @WHO "As of the 6th July, more than 70,000 #covid19 cases have been reported among indigenous peoples in the Americas, and more than 2000 deaths”, says @drtedros. As a recent example, he points to at least 6 cases reported among Nahua people in the Peruvian Amazon.

@DrTedros @WHO “Indigenous peoples often have a high burden of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition and both communicable and non-communicable diseases, making them more vulnerable to #COVID19 and its severe outcomes”, says @DrTedros.

@DrTedros @WHO Amongst the challenges faced by indigenous peoples: "a lack of political representation, economic marginalization and lack of access to health, education and social services”, says @drtedros.

@DrTedros @WHO “Developed countries have surveillance systems centered on hospitals, but by the time the patients arrive it's too late”, says @DamelSoceFall, WHO Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response in a Q&A now about contact tracing. “We need to have a good community basis."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall Apps "can be very very valuable”, says @DamelSoceFall. “But no tool, no instrument can ever replace people. People are the most important weapon that we have to fight epidemics: people in communities, knowing other people going door to door visiting people identifying contacts.."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall Q about vaccine results out in @TheLancet today.
"We do welcome the study and congratulate our colleagues at the Oxford University's Jenner Institute”, says @DrMikeRyan. "This is a positive result but again there is a long way to go."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan Situation in Latin America is one of “continued threat, continued community transmission of disease”, says @DrMikeRyan. "We've had difficult situations in Bolivia, in Colombia and in many other countries where numbers have increased over the last couple of weeks."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan "Latin America was the first region in the world to eliminate measles, was the first region in the world to eliminate polio”, says @DrMikeRyan. “It is hugely important that we continue to invest in surveillance and contract tracing and particularly in the Americas right now."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan A new cluster of #covid19 cases is like a car accident, says @DrMikeRyan. “It doesn't take three days to mount a response, the response is immediate. And I think we need to really up our game, collectively, around the world and our reaction to cases and clusters of disease."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan I asked what needs to be done to ensure equitable distribution of #covid19 vaccines when they become available.
It’s a complex challenge, says @DrMikeRyan. First thing: “WHO is working to try and ensure that we have the maximum number of candidates coming through the system."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan Second: Once vaccine is shown to be efficacious, problem is “ensuring that there's enough production to be able to supply the needs around the world”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan COVAX mechanism "as it presently stands is not going to be able to supply a vaccine for everybody on the planet. We're going to have to prioritize who gets what vaccine”, says @DrMikeRyan. There’ll have to be "some policy and priorities around the best use of those vaccines"

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan Most important element to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines is “political commitment, especially by our leaders”, @DrTedros adds. "But one of the worrying patterns we see is some countries moving in the other direction."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan Q about situation in South Africa.
Country is seeing acceleration, says @DrMikeRyan. #covid19 came into wealthier areas in South Africa first "and now has become very much established in poorer areas and townships and rural areas”, he says.

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan South Africa saw roughly 30% increase in #covid19 cases last week, says @DrMikeRyan. But similar across the continent, he says:
Kenya: 31%
Ethiopia: 26%
Madagascar: 50%
Zambia: 57%
Eswatini: 32%.
Zimbabwe: 51%,
Namibia: 69%
Botswana 66%

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan “We're starting to see a continued acceleration of transmission”, says @DrMikeRyan. "I think that has to be taken very very seriously. South Africa may unfortunately be a precursor, it may be a warning for what will happen in the rest of Africa."

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan "I'm very concerned right now that we're beginning to see an acceleration of disease in Africa, and we all need to take that very seriously and show solidarity and support to those countries who may now be experiencing increasing numbers of cases and deaths”, says @DrMikeRyan.

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan Q about #Ebola outbreak from @HelenBranswell.
3 new cases over weekend, says @DrMikeRyan.
Altogether: 60 cases (56 confirmed, 4 probable), incl. 24 deaths.
Problem: “While the numbers are very low, the disease is quite dispersed” (cases in 21 health areas across 7 health zones)

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell "There are real challenges in terms of community engagement and convincing people to come for care in Ebola treatment centers”, says @DrMikeRyan (notes 9 cases are still in the communities).
Logistics are huge challenge too and exacerbated by #covid19.

@DrTedros @WHO @DamelSoceFall @TheLancet @DrMikeRyan @HelenBranswell Here’s a more detailed thread from @HelenBranswell herself (who keeps on top of #Ebola as well as #Covid19!)

https://twitter.com/HelenBranswell/status/1285244031577055233