"Since the beginning of the pandemic, accelerating the development of and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics for #COVID19 has been a priority for WHO.
Already, we have made remarkable progress"-@DrTedros
"In January, within two weeks of the first cases being reported to WHO, we published the first protocol for PCR testing for the new #coronavirus.
Since then, millions of tests have been produced, and already rapid tests are now starting to be used"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"In February, WHO brought together hundreds of scientists and researchers to identify research priorities.
In March, we launched the Solidarity Trial, to find answers fast about which therapeutics are the most effective"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"One therapeutic – #dexamethasone – has already been proven effective for patients with severe & critical #COVID19, others have been proven ineffective & still others are in trials.
And around 180 vaccines are now in development, including 35 that are in human trials"-@DrTedros
"No disease in history has seen such rapid development in research. It is a testament to the incredible advances in science and technology the world has made in recent years"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"Now, the world’s ambition to develop these tools as fast as possible must be matched by its ambition to ensure as many people as possible have access to them"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"In April, together with the @EU_Commission & multiple other partners, WHO launched the Access to #COVID19 Tools Accelerator, to catalyse the development of and equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics & therapeutics"-@DrTedros
"But the ACT-Accelerator will not be able to deliver on its goals without a significant increase in funding.
The $2.7B it has received to date has been generous & has enabled the robust start-up phase. But this is less than 10% of the overall needs"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"The ACT-Accelerator still faces a funding gap of $ 35 billion"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"At the same time, bilateral vaccine deals and vaccine nationalism could compromise equitable access and hold up progress for all countries in bringing the #COVID19 pandemic to an end"-@DrTedros
"Between now & the end of 2020 we have a limited window of opportunity to scale-up the ACT-Accelerator & fully enable the equitable allocation framework.
Currently, the ACT-Accelerator is supporting research into promising vaccines, therapeutics & diagnostics"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"But we need to rapidly scale up our clinical trials, manufacturing, licensing and regulation capacity so that these products can get to people and start saving lives"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"Today, the Facilitation Council of the ACT-Accelerator met for the first time.
The role of the Council is to provide political leadership and advocacy, and to mobilize additional resources"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"We know what works:
-restricting access to the means of #suicide
-building life skills among young people that enable them to cope with stresses in their life
-early identification, management & follow-up of people at risk of suicide"-@DrTedros
LIVE: Media briefing with @DrTedros on outcome of the #mpox Emergency Committee meeting x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"#Mpox has been reported in #DRC for more than a decade, and the number of cases reported each year has increased steadily over that period.
Last year, reported cases increased significantly, and already the number of cases reported so far this year has exceeded last year’s total, with more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths.
As many of you who tune into our regular press conferences know, WHO has been working on the mpox outbreak in Africa and raising the alarm that this is something that should concern us all"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "Last week I announced that I was convening an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to evaluate the upsurge of #mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa"-@DrTedros
Media briefing on pandemic, preparedness and response and other developments at the #WHA77 with @DrTedros x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
"Today, the nations of the world made history at the World Health Assembly.
After two years of negotiations, they adopted a strong package of amendments to the International Health Regulations, based on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IHR was last updated 19 years ago. The amendments adopted today strengthen global preparedness, surveillance and response to public health emergencies, including pandemics"-@DrTedros #WHA77
"And although the #PandemicAccord has not yet been finalized, the Health Assembly has charted the way forward.
It has agreed to extend the mandate of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, to finalize negotiations on the Pandemic Agreement as soon as possible, and by next year’s World Health Assembly at the latest"-@DrTedros #WHA77
In an historic development, the #WHA77 today agreed a package of critical amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), and made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year.
⬇️ bit.ly/4bElM55
These critical actions have been taken in order to ensure comprehensive, robust systems are in place in all countries to protect the health and safety of all people everywhere from the risk of future outbreaks and pandemics.
⬇️ bit.ly/4bElM55
These decisions represent two important steps by countries, taken in tandem with one another on the final day of #WHA77, to build on lessons learned from several global health emergencies, including the #COVID19 pandemic.
⬇️ bit.ly/4bElM55
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