Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cjdpnDI2MTAy…

"Today marks the 75th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the @UN.
75 years ago, the nations of the 🌍 came together in the aftermath of the Second World War to resolve that the only alternative to the horrors of international conflict was intl. cooperation"-@DrTedros

"Perhaps no crisis since the Second World War has demonstrated more clearly why we need the @UN than the #COVID19 pandemic.

We can only confront this common threat with a common approach.

WHO is proud to be part of the UN family"-@DrTedros #UN75

"As the nations of the 🌍 meet virtually for the #UNGA this week, WHO has 3⃣ key messages:
1⃣The #COVID19 pandemic must motivate us to redouble our efforts to achieve the @GlobalGoalsUN, not become an excuse for missing them
2⃣We must prepare for the next pandemic now"-@DrTedros

"3⃣We must move heaven & earth to ensure equitable access to diagnostics, therapeutics & vaccines.

We continue to call on all countries to use every tool at their disposal to suppress #COVID19 transmission & save lives, until & after we have a vaccine"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

"From the beginning of this crisis, WHO has championed & supported the global effort to develop a vaccine.

We have developed target product profiles, criteria for the prioritization of vaccines & a core vaccine trial protocol"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

"We have engaged with vaccine developers and academics to standardize lab assays, animal models, and other normative methodologies.

We are also helping to match manufacturers with trial sites"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1308064484112699395?s=20

"In April, WHO, the @EU_Commission & other partners established the Access to #COVID19 Tools Accelerator, to speed up the development & manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics & therapeutics – and to ensure fair & equitable access for all countries"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

"Together with @gavi and the @CEPIvaccines, we also established the COVAX Facility, which will give participating countries access to the world’s largest and most diverse portfolio of #COVID19 vaccine candidates"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

"The overarching goal of the COVAX Facility is to ensure that all countries have access to vaccines at the same time, and that priority is given to those most at risk, including health workers, older people and others at the highest risk"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

"We have no guarantee that any single vaccine now in development will work.

The more candidates we test, the higher the chance we will have a safe and efficacious vaccine"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

"Almost 200 vaccines for #COVID19 are currently in clinical and pre-clinical testing. The history of vaccine development tells us that some will fail, and some will succeed"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

"The COVAX Facility:
-enables governments to spread the risk of vaccine development & ensure their populations can have early access to effective vaccines
-is the mechanism that will enable a globally-coordinated rollout for the greatest possible impact"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA

"The COVAX Facility will help to:
-bring the #COVID19 pandemic under control
-save lives
-accelerate the economic recovery
-ensure that the race for vaccines is a collaboration, not a contest"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

"The fastest route to ending the #COVID19 pandemic & accelerating the 🌍 economic recovery is to ensure some people are vaccinated in all countries, not all people in some countries"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

"Recent opinion polls show the overwhelming majority of people support equitable access to vaccines.
Our aim is to have 2 billion doses of vaccine available by the end of 2021"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1308066386464440321?s=20

"We’re encouraged to see a large number of countries signing up to the COVAX Facility.

But we face some daunting challenges.

For the ACT Accelerator to work as planned, it must be funded. So far, $3 billion has been invested"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

"This has resulted in a very successful start-up phase, but it is only a tenth of the remaining $35 billion needed for scale-up & impact.

$15 billion is needed immediately to maintain momentum & stay on track for our ambitious timelines"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

"Our challenge now is to take the tremendous promise of the ACT Accelerator and COVAX to scale.
We are at a critical point and we need a significant increase in countries’ political and financial commitment"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #UNGA #UN75

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1308067240361820160?s=20

"Our estimates suggest that once an effective #COVID19 vaccine has been distributed, and international travel and trade is fully restored, the economic gains will far outweigh the $38 billion investment required for the ACT Accelerator"-@DrTedros #UNGA #UN75

The full remarks by @DrTedros 👇

bit.ly/362pS7U