Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cuLRWTI2MTAy…

"Tomorrow marks one year since I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the outbreak of novel coronavirus – the highest level of alarm under international law"-@DrTedros #COVID19

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

"At the time, there were less than 100 cases of the disease we now call #COVID19 & no deaths outside 🇨🇳. This week, we reached 100M reported cases. More cases have been reported in the past 2 weeks than during the first 6 months of the pandemic"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1253034861033656320?s=20

"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 #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1225076424152944644?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1355180266386501633?s=20

"The #COVID19 pandemic has exposed and exploited the inequalities of our world.

There is now the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic – vaccines – may exacerbate those same inequalities"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"Vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it’s ultimately short-sighted and self-defeating.

We will not end the #COVID19 pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"The world has come to a critical turning point in the #COVID19 pandemic.

But it’s also a turning point in history: faced with a common crisis, can nations come together in a common approach?"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"When a village is on fire, it makes no sense for a small group of people to hoard all the extinguishers to defend their own houses.

The fire will be put out faster if everyone has an extinguisher and works together"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1355180999097913353?s=20

"More #COVID19 vaccines are being developed, approved and produced. There will be enough for everyone.

But for now, vaccines are a limited resource. We must use them as effectively and as fairly as we can. If we do that, lives will be saved"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"That is why I have challenged government and industry leaders to work together to ensure that in the first 100 days of 2021, #COVID19 vaccination of #healthworkers and older people is underway in all countries"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1348678944669753359?s=20

"𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 #𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, & 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐗, 𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞"-@DrTedros

"𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 #𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝟏𝟗 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬:
𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬"-@DrTedros

"If you are someone at lower risk [of #COVID19], please wait your turn [for vaccination]"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1355182497089413121?s=20

"Health and care workers have been on the frontlines of the #COVID19 pandemic, but are often under-protected and over-exposed. They need vaccines now. They and their families have already paid an extremely high price in this pandemic"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"Protecting the people who protect us is the right & smart thing to do.
In the early days of the pandemic, people showed their love & appreciation for #healthworkers by 👏👏👏 on their balconies. Now it’s time to show our 💕 & 🙌 by making sure ALL 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ are vaccinated"-@DrTedros

"Today, I’m honoured to be joined by two #healthworkers who have been delivering health services throughout the #COVID19 pandemic:

1⃣Harriet Nayiga is a midwife from #Uganda. Harriet, thank you so much for joining us today"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"2⃣Sana Baloch is a nurse from #Pakistan who started her career during the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

"Thank you, Sana and Harriet, for joining us today. You have my deep respect and admiration for the work you do every day to save lives and deliver health services to those who need them most"-@DrTedros #COVID19

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"And you have my commitment that we will do everything we can to ensure you and your colleagues are vaccinated [against #COVID19] as soon as possible"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity #ACTogether

"The theme for #WorldHealthDay this year is health equity.

Equity is at the heart of everything WHO does. This week we have released two products to close gaps in care and improve health outcomes globally"-@DrTedros

"The first is the Essential Diagnostics List, a basket of diagnostics that WHO recommends should be available at point-of-care and in laboratories to improve timely and life-saving diagnosis"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #ACTogether

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1355147212100161537?s=20

"The #COVID19 pandemic has reinforced the value of timely and accurate diagnostics to save lives. Without them, you are flying blind"-@DrTedros #ACTogether

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1355147212100161537?s=20

"The latest edition of the Essential Diagnostics List includes:
-tests for the #COVID19 virus
-expands the suite of tests for vaccine-preventable & infectious diseases & to #BearNCDs
-introduces a section on endocrinology [important for reproductive & women’s health]"-@DrTedros

"The second product is a new 10-year plan for neglected tropical diseases – a set of 20 illnesses that affect more than a billion people, most of them poor"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1354785493326704644?s=20

"The plan includes ambitious but achievable targets to:
-reduce the number of people who need treatment for a neglected tropical disease by 90%
-achieve the elimination of at least 1 disease in 100 countries
-eliminate 2 diseases, guinea worm & yaws, globally by 2030"-@DrTedros

"Together, WHO and our partners are working together to ensure neglected tropical diseases are neglected no more.

These are just two examples of the many ways WHO works every day to fulfil our mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable"-@DrTedros

The full remarks by @DrTedros at the #COVID19 media briefing - 29 January 2021 👇 bit.ly/3r42gHC