Thread by @WHO

#EB148 closing with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/ct7OdTI2MTAy…

"First of all, I would like to thank Your Excellency @drharshvardhan for your leadership as chair over the past week, and the past year.

And my thanks to all members of the Board for your dedication and attention over the past 8 days"-@DrTedros #EB148

"You have addressed an enormous range of issues, reflecting the huge scope of health challenges we face, and the huge scope of expectations the world has of WHO"-@DrTedros #EB148

"Your agenda has spanned many issues related to the “triple billion” targets, including:
-oral health
-social determinants of health
-patient safety
-diabetes
-#BeatNCDs
-disability
-HIV
-hepatitis & sexually transmitted infections
..."-@DrTedros #EB148

"...
-eye care
-antimicrobial resistance
-immunization
-medical devices
-substandard & falsified medical products
-local production
-health innovation & intellectual property
and more"-@DrTedros #EB148

"You have also had important discussions about strengthening WHO to better support countries in addressing this massive scope of issues – the programme budget, sustainable financing, sexual exploitation and abuse, and more"-@DrTedros #EB148

"All of this is happening under the shadow of the greatest health crisis of our time. This Saturday marks one year since I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the emergence of the novel coronavirus"-@DrTedros #EB148

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1222968733829865477?s=20

"At the time, there were fewer than 100 #COVID19 cases and no deaths reported outside #China. This week, we expect to reach 100 million reported cases, and more than 2 million people have lost their lives"-@DrTedros #EB148

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1354077674596085766?s=20

"When this Board met a year ago, I said the world had a “window of opportunity” to prevent widespread transmission of this new virus.

Some countries heeded that call; some did not"-@DrTedros #EB148

"Now, #COVID19 vaccines are giving us another window of opportunity to bring the pandemic under control. We must not squander it"-@DrTedros #EB148

"As we speak, rich countries are rolling out #COVID19 vaccines, while the world’s least-developed countries watch and wait.

With every day that passes, the divide grows larger between the world’s haves and have nots"-@DrTedros #EB148

"In my opening remarks last Monday, I said the world faced a catastrophic moral failure if it doesn’t walk the talk on vaccine equity.
A new study published yesterday by the @iccwbo Research Foundation confirms that it would also be an economic failure"-@DrTedros #EB148

"The study finds that vaccine nationalism could cost the global economy up to $9.2 trillion, and almost half of that – $4.5 trillion – would be incurred in the wealthiest economies.
By contrast, the financing gap for the @ACTAccelerator this year is $26 billion"-@DrTedros #EB148

"If fully funded, the @ACTAccelerator would return up to $166 for every dollar invested"-@DrTedros #EB148

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1354078669237583873?s=20

"In our press conference yesterday, the Secretary General of the @iccwbo called the funding gap for the @ACTAccelerator a “rounding error” compared to the stimulus packages that have been rolled out in many countries"-@DrTedros #EB148

"Vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it’s in every nation’s own interests to support vaccine equity"-@DrTedros #EB148

"I leave you with the challenge I set at the beginning of the week:

together, we must ensure that vaccination of #healthworkers and older people is underway in all countries within the first 100 days of this year"-@DrTedros #EB148

"We have 74 days left. Time is short, and the stakes could not be higher.

Every moment counts.

Thank you all once again. I hope that before too long we will be able to meet in person"-@DrTedros #EB148 #ACTogether

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1354079120670527489?s=20