Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cydqkzI2MTAy…

"This Wednesday is #WorldTBDay.

In the past year, the #COVID19 pandemic has caused severe disruption to services for many diseases, including tuberculosis"-@DrTedros #EndTB

bit.ly/EndTB2021

"An estimated 1.4 million fewer people received care for #tuberculosis in 2020 compared with 2019, and we fear that more than half a million more people may have died"-@DrTedros #EndTB bit.ly/EndTB2021

"#Tuberculosis is preventable & treatable, but remains 1 of the 🌍’s top infectious killers because too many people go undiagnosed. Improved screening is essential to rapidly identify people with TB infection or disease & connect them with care"-@DrTedros bit.ly/EndTB2021

"New guidance from WHO aims to help countries identify groups at highest risk of #tuberculosis, so people can receive services for prevention and treatment"-@DrTedros #EndTB bit.ly/EndTB2021

"In January, I said that the world was on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure unless urgent steps were taken to ensure equitable distribution of #COVID19 vaccines"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1351107479783034880?s=20

"We have the means to avert this failure, but it’s shocking how little has been done to avert it. The gap between the number of vaccines administered in rich countries & the number of vaccines administered through #COVAX is growing & becoming more grotesque every day"-@DrTedros

"Countries that are now vaccinating younger, healthy people at low risk of #COVID19 disease are doing so at the cost of the lives of #healthworkers, older people and other at-risk groups in other countries"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

"The 🌍’s poorest countries wonder whether rich countries really mean what they say when they talk about 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚. The inequitable distribution of #COVID19 vaccines is not just a moral outrage. It’s also economically & epidemiologically self-defeating"-@DrTedros

"Some countries are racing to vaccinate their entire populations while other countries have nothing. This may buy short-term security, but it’s a false sense of security"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374037831388123140?s=20

"The more transmission, the more variants. And the more variants that emerge, the more likely it is that they will evade #COVID19 vaccines"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

"And as long as the virus continues to circulate anywhere, people will continue to die, trade and travel will continue to be disrupted, and the economic recovery will be further delayed"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374038142530027526?s=20

"On Friday, WHO hosted a meeting of more than 800 experts on enhancing genomic sequencing of the #COVID19 virus globally, to improve the monitoring of its evolution. Knowing when, how and where the virus is evolving is vital information"-@DrTedros

"But it’s of limited use if countries don't #ACTogether to suppress #COVID19 transmission everywhere at the same time.

If countries won’t share vaccines for the right reasons, we appeal to them to do it out of self-interest"-@DrTedros

#VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374038429336485892?s=20

"There are some countries that have set a great example. The Republic of #Korea, despite being a high-income country that could easily afford to buy #COVID19 vaccines through bilateral deals, has waited its turn for vaccines through #COVAX"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

"WHO is continuing to work day and night to find solutions to increase the production and equitable distribution of #COVID19 vaccines"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

"I have had conversations with leaders from high-income countries that have many times more doses than they need, asking them to share doses through #COVAX"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374039222793994241?s=20

"I’ve had conversations with leaders from lower-income countries, whose economies are suffering and who are asking when they will get #COVID19 vaccines"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374039222793994241?s=20

"And I’ve had conversations with executives from #COVID19 vaccine manufacturers about how to ramp up production"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374039222793994241?s=20

"Recently, for example, I spoke to the CEO of AstraZeneca, Pascal Soriot, about the shared challenges we face in ramping up production and rolling out #COVID19 vaccines"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

"So far, AstraZeneca is the only:
-company that has committed to not profiting from its #COVID19 vaccine during the pandemic
-vaccine developer that has made a significant contribution to #VaccinEquity, by licensing its technology to several other companies"-@DrTedros

"We need more #COVID19 vaccine producers to follow this example and license their technology to other companies"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374040714384965637?s=20

"A year ago, Costa Rica & WHO launched the mechanism to do this, the #COVID19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), which promotes an open-science model, where licensing would occur in a non-exclusive, transparent manner to leverage as much manufacturing capacity as possible"-@DrTedros

"So far, C-TAP remains a highly promising but underutilized tool. WHO and our partners can design and advocate for solutions. But we need all countries and all manufacturers to work with us to make them happen"-@DrTedros

#ACTogether #VacinEquity

"On Friday, WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety concluded that the available data do not suggest any overall increase in clotting conditions following administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca #COVID19 vaccine"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1372941188421054465?s=20

"Today, AstraZeneca announced positive results from a trial of the vaccine among 32,000+ people in 🇨🇱 🇵🇪 & the 🇺🇸. The vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic #COVID19 & 100% effective in preventing hospitalization a& death. No safety concerns were reported"-@DrTedros

"These data are further evidence that the Oxford-AstraZeneca #COVID19 vaccine is safe and effective"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1374041704412626954?s=20

"Finally, I’m pleased to announce that a shortlist has now been selected from 1200 entries for the WHO #HealthForAll Film Festival"-@DrTedros bit.ly/3r8nDXB

#Film4Health

"The films are available at youtube.com/who, & between now & 10 May we are inviting members of the public to watch them & make comments. Our expert jury will select 6 winners in different categories, with the prizes to be awarded on the 13 May"-@DrTedros #Film4Health

The full remarks by @DrTedros at the #COVID19 media briefing - 22 March 2021 ⬇️

bit.ly/3tIH4bb