Thread by @WHO

"We published the first global report on the burden of #sepsis, and a charter on health worker safety"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1303723529502892045?s=20

"We’ve drawn new & much-needed attention to #mentalhealth, with new guidelines on stress management & adolescent & mental health, & we hosted the Big Event for Mental Health, a global advocacy event seen by more than 600,000 people"-@DrTedros #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1314927295669260289?s=20

"On maternal & child health, we’ve published new standards for improving the quality of care for small & sick newborns & provided intensive support for 20 countries to address the indirect impact of #COVID19 on mothers & children"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1301595491134836738?s=20

"On sexual and reproductive health, we’ve scaled up the use of evidence-based family planning interventions using a peer-to-peer approach, where countries in similar contexts share best practices and lessons learned"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

"We led a huge international trial to show that in addition to its benefits in treating severe #COVID19, #dexamethasone can also boost survival of premature babies when given to pregnant women at risk of preterm birth"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1319686494014132225?s=20

"#Breastfeeding rates continue to increase. More than 44% of babies under 6 months are now exclusively breastfed, up from 37% in 2012.
That’s 10M more babies getting the best possible start to life, & a lower risk of disease later in life"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

"On noncommunicable diseases, there is also progress.

More than 3 million people in 18 countries are now receiving treatment for #hypertension as a result of implementing WHO’s HEARTS package of interventions for cardiovascular disease"-@DrTedros #BeatNCDs #WHA73

"Together with the @ITU, we launched a new global standard for #safelistening on personal audio systems, which has been implemented by several companies including two leading smartphone manufacturers, @Apple & @Huawei"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"In 🇭🇳, WHO & @pahowho have supported the govt. to develop a national plan for diabetes, including improving data on diabetes, strengthening dialysis registries & distributing glucometers to primary care clinics for point-of-care glycaemic control"-@DrTedros #BeatNCDs #WHA73

"On communicable diseases, there is cause for optimism.

In the Greater Mekong, cases & deaths from #malaria are falling & the threat of antimalarial resistance spreading around the world has eased"-@DrTedros #EndMalaria #WHA73

"More than 480,000 children in 🇬🇭, 🇰🇪 and 🇲🇼 have received their first dose of the world’s first #malaria vaccine"-@DrTedros #EndMalaria #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1264244910779138086?s=20

"We’re on track to achieve the @GlobalGoalsUN target on #hepatitisB prevalence in children under 5, and will soon complete development of the criteria for validating elimination of viral hepatitis"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1288062287740362754?s=20

"We’ve supported countries to maintain treatment for #HIV, provided emergency antiretrovirals for countries at risk of disruptions, and published new guidelines on voluntary medical male circumcision"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1281213037689442304?s=20

"We’ve rolled out new guidelines for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of #tuberculosis, and developed the Global Strategy on TB Research and Innovation, which was adopted by this Assembly"-@DrTedros #EndTB #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1316713041044463618?s=20

"You have also adopted the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination #CervicalCancer as a Public Health Problem – the first time the global health community has committed to eliminating a cancer"-@DrTedros #BeatNCDs #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1292799472674758664?s=20

"We continue to rid the 🌍 of neglected tropical diseases:
-The people of 🇲🇼 need no longer fear lymphatic filariasis
-The people of 🇹🇬 have been freed of African trypanosomiasis
-Endemic rubella has been eliminated in 🇱🇰
-Trachoma is no more in 🇲🇲"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll #WHA73

"Together with the @FAO and the @OIEAnimalHealth, we are also continuing to coordinate the global response to #antimicrobialresistance"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"More than 90 countries have enrolled in GLASS, the Global #AntimicrobialResistance Surveillance System, and WHO has supported 138 countries to establish national action plans on AMR"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"In 2018 WHO supported 🇱🇦 to establish a national surveillance system for #AntimicrobialResistance. Earlier this year, an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant outbreak Klebisella pneumoniae in an intensive care neonatal unit tragically killed 8 newborns"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"But thanks to the surveillance system put in place, the outbreak was detected and stopped"-@DrTedros #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1325765317784723457?s=20

"3⃣work has also progressed on our target to see 1 billion more people enjoying better health and well-being"-@DrTedros #WHA73 ⬇️

"We published our “Manifesto for a Healthy & Green Recovery”, with more than 80 policy prescriptions for protecting natural resources, investing in water & sanitation, renewable energy, healthy food systems, & liveable cities"-@DrTedros #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1289178979866300416?s=20

"Today, WHO & the @UNFCCC are hosting the “Race to Zero dialogue”, to envision how a healthy, equitable recovery from #COVID19 can make us more resilient against future health threats & drive the rapid decarbonization of the 🌍 economy"-@DrTedros #WHA73
bit.ly/3n2LW7V

"We’ve developed a proposal for a Decade of Healthy Ageing from 2020 to 2030, which has been endorsed by this Assembly and will now be considered by @UN Member States"-@DrTedros #WHA73

who.int/ageing/decade-…

"40 countries have now adopted best-practice policies on the elimination of trans fats, improving the health of up to 280 million people"-@DrTedros #BeatNCDs #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1303702196257730560?s=20

"🇸🇬 is a great example. Following WHO’s call for Member States to eliminate trans fats by 2023, 🇸🇬 has announced a ban to be introduced next year, making it the first country in the @WHOWPRO to eliminate trans fats from its food supply"-@DrTedros #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1325767173785182209?s=20

"It’s a long list – and it doesn’t even scratch the surface.

Every day, our 8000 staff all over the world are working in ways most people never see to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"A lot of what we do doesn’t make headlines. It’s not photogenic. But it makes a vital difference to the lives of billions of people"-@DrTedros #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1325772215565115399?s=20

"In recent months, there have been calls for WHO to be reformed.
We welcome any & all efforts to strengthen this organization – not for its own sake, but for the sake of the people we serve. We are committed to continuous learning, improvement, & accountability"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Rest assured that we want change too, which is why for the past 3,5 years, together with you our Member States, we have designed and implemented the most deep-rooted transformation in WHO’s history.

This is an organization that has changed and is changing"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We have prepared a detailed transformation update, which Member States will receive during the Assembly. But allow me to point out a few highlights"-@DrTedros #WHA73 ⬇️

"1⃣ a new strategy focused on delivering impact.

Two years ago, this Assembly approved the most ambitious strategic plan in WHO’s history, designed to help you, our Member States, deliver a measurable impact in your countries"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"All 150 country offices have now developed their own plans to support and implement the General Programme of Work, and as part of our transformation of performance management, every single staff member has now linked their day-to-day work to the #GPW13"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Our new division for Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact is making WHO a modern, data-driven organization that supports Member States with timely, reliable and actionable data to drive impact"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Our impact measurement framework was piloted in 34 countries, and is before you for consideration at this Assembly. Today we are also launching a “triple billion” dashboard to track progress towards the health-related @GlobalGoalsUN"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We’ve established a new Department of Digital Health and Innovation, and developed a Global Digital Health Strategy, which is also on your agenda this week"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"2⃣, new processes to make us more effective and efficient.
Our new Science Division established a fast-track review mechanism to ensure the timeliness, coherence & quality of all WHO guidance, beginning with #COVID19, providing approval or critique within 48h"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Based on the #GPW13, more than 300 global public health goods have now been defined, giving Member States the technical and normative tools you need to meet your biggest health challenges"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"3⃣, a new aligned operating model, which for the first time clearly differentiates the role of headquarters, regional and country offices, and aligns our structures at all three levels, is enabling us to work more seamlessly to deliver results"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We have flattened our structures to reduce the layers of hierarchy & make us more agile & nimble"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We’ve developed three-level delivery teams, involving staff at headquarters, regional and country offices to work together more closely on delivering the outputs and outcomes of the #GPW13, based on country priorities"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"4⃣a new approach to partnerships.

In the past, WHO has been too focused on the risks of partnership, and not on the opportunities. But we must also see the risks of not engaging in new partnerships that could help us achieve our goals"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We have entered new partnerships with @FIFAcom, @Google Fit and the International @Olympics Committee to promote physical activity"-@DrTedros #BeActive #WHA73

"We've engaged regularly with the private sector through the 🌍’s business associations & innovative partnerships with @Facebook, @Twitter, @Google & others have helped to counter misinformation about #COVID19 & brought reliable info to 2B+ people in 50+ languages"-@DrTedros

"The Global Action Plan on Health and Well-Being for All is progressing, bringing together 12 multilateral agencies to support countries to accelerate towards the @GlobalGoalsUN"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"5⃣ a new culture that is focused on results.

The culture of any organization – its values and mindset – lies at the heart of its ability to succeed. But a positive, unifying culture doesn’t happen by accident. It must be shaped"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Two years ago, more than 2700 staff engaged in our online values jam, to identify the values that define WHO and anchor our day-to-day work"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"The result was our first values charter, which outlines five values that make us who we are:
✅ service
✅ excellence
✅ integrity
✅ collaboration
✅ compassion.

We will be relentless in holding ourselves to these values, wherever we operate"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"6⃣ ensuring predictable and sustainable funding.

We recognised that WHO was too dependent on a handful of large donors, and that we needed to broaden the donor base"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"To do that, we launched our first investment case, and we expect to release an updated version in the first quarter of next year"-@DrTedros #WHOImpact #WHA73

bit.ly/2U8rYvZ

"Building on our first Partners Forum in Sweden, we are now in a constructive dialogue with many donors based on our new resource mobilization strategy, approved by the Executive Board earlier this year"-@DrTedros #WHOImpact #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1116023861345161218?s=20

"This year also saw a generous and unprecedented response to our #COVID19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan – with $1.6 billion raised so far"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"As part of that, the innovative Solidarity Response Fund raised almost $240 million from almost 650,000 individuals, companies & philanthropies, providing powerful proof of concept for the potential of the new @thewhof, which we established recently"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Predictable & sustainable funding remains 1 of the fundamental challenges for the future success of this Organization.
For WHO to do its job, we must address the shocking & expanding imbalance between assessed contributions & voluntary, largely earmarked funds"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"In the past decade, the world’s expectations of WHO have grown dramatically, but our budget has barely changed. And those expectations will only continue to increase in the wake of the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Our annual budget is equivalent to what the 🌍 spends on 🚬 products every single day
If the 🌍 can send that much 💰 up in smoke every day on products that maim & kill, surely it can find the 💰 & the political will to invest in promoting & protecting people's health"-@DrTedros

"As the report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee before this Assembly highlights, there is a major misalignment between the expectations Member States have of WHO and the funding that we receive"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We welcome the recommendation that these issues need addressing urgently, and we thank France 🇫🇷, Germany 🇩🇪and the European Union 🇪🇺 for their initiative in addressing this issue"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We’re also grateful to those Member States that have supported WHO with increased funding, and with increased flexibility and predictability"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"7⃣ building a motivated, diverse & fit-for-purpose workforce.

We achieved gender parity in senior leadership for the first time in WHO, & we’re making progress in other areas"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We’ve improved conditions and opportunities for interns, national professional officers and G-staff.

And we’ve reduced the time it takes to recruit staff by 20% and we aim to reduce it by half"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We have already achieved an incredible amount.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, many aspects of WHO’s Transformation Agenda are already coming to life, & have been crucial in enabling us to respond to #COVID19 while sustaining our core programmes"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We still have a lot of work left to do, but we believe that we’re on the right track.

Together, we need to accelerate the implementation of transformation, even as we continue to learn and add new ideas.

For us, change is a constant"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"As you know, @TheIndPanel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, the IHR Review Committee and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme are all progressing, and you will be hearing updates from them all at this #WHA73"-@DrTedros

"Any discussion about strengthening WHO cannot focus only on the Secretariat. It must include the entire fabric of the organization, beginning with stronger national capacities and improved international cooperation, as Princess Muna said earlier"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"One idea proposed last year by the 🇨🇫 & 🇧🇯 as the then-Chair of the @_AfricanUnion is a system in which countries agree to a regular and transparent process of peer review, similar to the system of universal periodic review used by the Human Rights Council"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We’re calling it the Universal Health and Preparedness Review"-@DrTedros #WHA73

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1325779337765937152?s=20

"Its purpose is to build mutual trust & accountability for health, by bringing nations together as neighbours to support a whole-of-govt approach to strengthening national capacities for pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage & healthier populations"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We are now in the process of developing a more detailed proposal, which we will share with Member States very shortly"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Since I mentioned the concept in my address to this Assembly in May, 🇨🇲, the 🇨🇫, 🇫🇷 and 🇩🇪 have expressed interest in the idea, and have agreed to work with the Secretariat in the start-up phase to develop and pilot the mechanism"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We welcome any other Member State interested in participating in this pilot phase, and we look forward to discussing this idea further with Member States in the coming weeks and months"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"This will not be the last global health crisis. When the next one arrives, will the headlines be the same?

Will they say that after the #COVID19 pandemic, the world wrung its hands, wrote reports and changed nothing?
..."-@DrTedros #WHA73

"...Or will they say that #COVID19 was a turning point for global health security, and for global health?

This is our opportunity to write that story now"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"A vaccine is needed urgently to control the #COVID19 pandemic. But as you know, it will not fix the vulnerabilities at its roots"-@DrTedros #ACTogether #WHA73

"A vaccine cannot address the global under-investment in essential public health functions and resilient health systems, nor the urgent need for a “One Health” approach that encompasses the health of humans, animals and the planet we share"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"There is no vaccine for poverty, hunger, #climatechange or inequality.

None of these challenges can be addressed in isolation. They are deeply intertwined – and so must be our response"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"In 2015, the 🌍 came together to adopt the @GlobalGoalsUN, the Paris Agreement & the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on finance for development.

It was a moment of great convergence; the nations of the 🌍 uniting for a common purpose & a common future"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"Since then, the creeping tides of misguided nationalism and isolationism have eroded that sense of common purpose"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"The Paris Agreement has been undermined;

The commitments made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda have gone largely unfulfilled;

And although there has been progress toward the @GlobalGoalsUN, too often our efforts have remained siloed and splintered"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We were already off-track to achieve the @GlobalGoalsUN before the #COVID19 pandemic. Now we are even further behind"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"But far from abandoning them, the #COVID19 pandemic has shown why the @GlobalGoalsUN, with their sweeping vision for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership, are so important, and must remain our guide now and in the post-COVID world"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"However, we must be honest: we can only realise the full power and potential of the @GlobalGoalsUN if the international community urgently recaptures the sense of common purpose that gave birth to them"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"In that spirit, we congratulate President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and we look forward to working with their administration very closely"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We need to reimagine leadership, built on mutual trust and mutual accountability – to end the #COVID19 pandemic and address the fundamental inequalities that lie at the root of so many of the world’s problems"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We need to reimagine investments in our shared future, by allocating and aligning resources with our shared priorities.

And we need to reimagine partnership, tear down our siloes and see our own efforts as connected to something bigger"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"It’s time for the world to heal – from the ravages of the #COVID19 pandemic, and the geopolitical divisions that only drive us further into the chasm of an unhealthier, un-safer and unfairer future"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"It’s time to forge a new era of cooperation, that puts health and well-being at the centre of our common future.

The world has reached a fork in the road"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We cannot afford to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the same rate and still breathe clean air. We must choose"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We cannot afford ever-deepening inequalities and expect continued peace and prosperity. We must choose.

And we cannot afford to see health merely as a by-product of development, or a commodity that only the rich can afford"-@DrTedros #WHA73

"We must see it for what it is: a fundamental human right that underpins every human aspiration.

Today and every day, we must choose health. We’re one big family.

The rule of the game is cooperation, solidarity, compassion, peace"-@DrTedros #WHA73 #WeAreFamily

The full opening address by @DrTedros at the resumed #WHA73 👇 bit.ly/2GIx7Yx