"The number of reported cases of #COVID19 globally has now declined for the fifth consecutive week. Last week saw the lowest number of reported weekly cases since October"-@DrTedros
"So far this year, the number of weekly reported #COVID19 cases has fallen by almost half, from more than 5 million cases in the week of January 4 to 2.6 million cases in the week starting February 8 – just five weeks"-@DrTedros
"What matters now is how we respond to this trend. The fire is not out, but we have reduced its size. If we stop fighting it on any front, it will come roaring back"-@DrTedros#ACTogether
"Every day with fewer infections means lives saved, suffering prevented, and the burden on health systems eased just a little bit.
And today we have even more reason to be hopeful of bringing the #COVID19 pandemic under control"-@DrTedros#ACTogether
"Today WHO gave emergency use listing to two versions of the Oxford-AstraZeneca #COVID19 vaccine, giving the green light for these vaccines to be rolled out globally through COVAX"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity#ACTogether
"One of the vaccines is produced by SKBio in 🇰🇷 & the other is produced by the Serum Institute of 🇮🇳.
Although both companies are producing the same #COVID19 vaccine, because they are made in different production plants, they required separate reviews & approvals"-@DrTedros
"WHO emergency use listing assesses and assures the quality, safety and efficacy of #COVID19 vaccines, and is a prerequisite for vaccines to be distributed by COVAX"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity#COVID19
"But we still need to scale-up production, and we continue to call for #COVID19 vaccine developers to submit their dossiers to WHO for review at the same time as they submit them to regulators in high-income countries"-@DrTedros#VaccinEquity#ACTogether
"On Friday I mentioned WHO’s new declaration on #VaccinEquity.
Ensuring the rapid & equitable rollout of #COVID19 vaccines 🌍 is essential for saving lives & stabilizing health systems, but also for saving livelihoods & stabilizing economies"-@DrTedros bit.ly/37ft14a
"Fully funding COVAX represents the greatest possible stimulus and is a rounding error compared with the trillions of dollars that have been mobilized in @G7 countries to support their economies"-@DrTedros#ACTogether#VaccinEquity
"We must continue to build the demand for vaccines by ensuring people have the right information.
A year ago, I said that we were not only fighting a pandemic, we were fighting an infodemic"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"In the past year, we have seen the real harm that can be caused when people are overwhelmed by information, misinformation and disinformation"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"The answer is not just to fight misinformation and delete false or misleading statements.
It’s to listen to the real concerns and questions people have, and to answer those questions with good information"-@DrTedros#COVID19
"That’s part of the reason WHO holds regular media briefings, publishes guidance, communicates on its social media channels & website, holds seminars with different community & professional groups & more.
Having the right info is essential in every outbreak situation"-@DrTedros
"As you know, last week an outbreak of #Ebola was detected in the #DRC. Four cases have now been reported, and two people have died"-@DrTedros
"So far, three cases have been confirmed, among six people who reported #Ebola like-symptoms after attending a funeral in late January. Two have since died, while the other four are being treated in hospital"-@DrTedros#Guinea
"As you remember, #Guinea was one of the three countries affected by the West Africa #Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016, the largest Ebola outbreak on record"-@DrTedros
"The #Ebola outbreaks in #Guinea and #DRC are completely unrelated, but we face similar challenges in both"-@DrTedros
"Both outbreaks are occurring in areas that have recent experience with #Ebola, and are benefiting from that experience, in terms of capacity for surveillance, rapid response, contact tracing, community engagement, clinical care and more"-@DrTedros
"But both outbreaks are also in hard-to-reach insecure areas, with some mistrust of outsiders"-@DrTedros#Ebola#DRC#Guinea
"I’m pleased to say that #Ebola vaccination started today in #DRC, and so far, 43 people have been vaccinated out of 149 eligible contacts, including 20 people who were vaccinated during the previous outbreak in 2019"-@DrTedros
"WHO is working closely with health authorities in both countries to engage with the affected communities to enhance trust and acceptance"-@DrTedros#Ebola#DRC#Guinea
Both thrive on misinformation and mistrust. But both can be stopped with proven public health measures, engaged communities, accurate information and vaccines"-@DrTedros
Today, 2 versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford #COVID19 vaccine are listed for emergency use, giving the green light for these vaccines to be rolled out globally through #COVAX. The vaccines are produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio 🇰🇷 & the Serum Institute of 🇮🇳
As part of the Emergency Use Listing, WHO assessed the quality, safety and efficacy data, risk management plans and programmatic suitability, such as cold chain requirements of the AstraZeneca/Oxford #COVID19 vaccine.
The vaccine was reviewed by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), which makes recommendations for vaccines’ use in populations. The SAGE recommended the AstraZeneca/Oxford #COVID19 vaccine for all age groups 18 & above.
Most types of #ChildhoodCancer can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy. Treatment of childhood #cancer can be cost-effective in all income settings.
New #Ebola outbreak declared in #Guinea, in the rural community of Gouéké in N’Zerekore prefecture, after three cases were confirmed by the national laboratory.
The Government of #Guinea and national health teams are acting already to quickly trace the path of the virus and curb further infections using capacities and experience built during the previous #Ebola outbreak that ended in 2016.
WHO staff are already on the ground, supporting the Government of #Guinea in:
-disease surveillance activities
-ramping up infection prevention and control in health facilities
-reaching out to communities as they have key role in the response
-#Ebola vaccine procurement
"As you know, the independent expert team to study the origins of the #COVID19 virus has completed its trip to China.
This was an international team comprising experts from 🇦🇺, 🇩🇰, 🇩🇪, 🇯🇵, 🇳🇱, 🇶🇦, 🇷🇺, 🇬🇧, 🇺🇸 and 🇻🇳"-@DrTedros
"The team also included experts from WHO, the @FAO and the @OIEAnimalHealth. I want to start by thanking all members of the international team for their work"-@DrTedros#COVID19