Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/c5YXnjI2MTAy…

@DrTedros "Globally, the number of new cases of #COVID19 reported to WHO has now declined for 7 weeks in a row, which is the longest sequence of weekly declines during the pandemic so far"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "While weekly cases are at their lowest since February, deaths are not falling as quickly. The number of deaths reported last week was similar to the previous week"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "The global decline masks a worrying increase in cases and deaths in many countries. The steep increase in Africa is especially concerning, because it is the region with the least access to vaccines, diagnostics and oxygen"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "A recent study in @TheLancet showed Africa has the highest 🌍 mortality rate among critically ill #COVID19 patients, despite having fewer reported cases than most other regions. Available evidence suggests new variants have substantially ⬆️ transmission globally"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet "That means the risks have increased for people who are not protected, which is most of the world’s population. Right now, the virus is moving faster than the global distribution of vaccines"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404458383420366850?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet "At the #G7UK Summit, I said that to end the #COVID19 pandemic, our shared goal must be to vaccinate at least 70% of the 🌍’s population by the time the G7 meets again in 🇩🇪 next year.

To do that, we need 11 billion doses.

The @G7 & @g20org can make this happen"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org "I welcome the support expressed by the @G7 for WHO, the @ACTAccelerator & the idea of a #PandemicTreaty.
I welcome the announcement that G7 countries will donate 870M vaccine doses, primarily through #COVAX. This is a big help, but we need more, & we need them faster"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "More than 10,000 people are dying every day. During this press conference alone, more than 420 people will die. These communities need vaccines, and they need them now, not next year"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404459353466363910?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "There are enough doses of #COVID19 vaccines globally to drive down transmission & save many lives, if they are used in the right places, for the right people.
#HealthWorkers & those most at risk must be given priority over those at low risk"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "In @G7 countries, high vaccination rates have helped to bring cases and deaths from #COVID19 to near record lows. But most countries continue to rely solely on the public health and social measures that have been the backbone of the response to date"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "Many countries have successfully kept #COVID19 at bay without vaccines, through the tailored and consistent use of these measures.

Public health and social measures are effective against all variants"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "But the emergence of more transmissible variants means public health and social measures may need to be more stringent and applied for longer, in areas where vaccination rates remain low"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404460547727364101?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "While we can test vaccines in laboratories or with randomized controlled trials, it is not so easy to test the effect of public health and social measures"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "Because countries typically use a range of measures at the same time, disentangling the precise impact of each individual measure can be challenging"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404461306175012867?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "The effectiveness of public health and social measures is also subject to the level of adherence by a population, and the commitment of governments to support them"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404461306175012867?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "Results can also be difficult to generalize from one location to another because of differences in culture, climate, living conditions and so on.

What matters is not just the measure itself, but how and when it is implemented"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404461306175012867?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "All measures have a social impact. The objective for all countries should be to implement all measures in a way that maximizes the public health benefit, while minimizing the social impact"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "To improve the evidence base on the effectiveness of public health and social measures, WHO is collecting data from around the world on which measures are used and the level at which they are applied"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "We’re also working with several countries and modelling groups to assess the impact of public health and social measures on #COVID19 transmission"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "We have also established a new WHO working group, with the support of #Norway, to study the impact of public health & social measures during #COVID19 & other health emergencies. We welcome 🇳🇴’s technical & financial support for this very important scientific work"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator "To say more about this project, it’s now my great pleasure to welcome my friend @BentHHoyre, 🇳🇴’s Minister of Health & Care Services. Thank you for 🇳🇴’s strong support for this critical area of research"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator @BentHHoyre "Today is #WorldBloodDonorDay, & I'd like to thank 🇮🇹 for hosting this year’s campaign. Throughout the #COVID19 pandemic, blood donors all over the 🌍 have continued to give the gift of blood & the gift of life to others whose lives depend on it"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1404338206020149249?s=20

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator @BentHHoyre "Every country always needs more blood donors. This year we are highlighting the role of young people in supporting safe and sufficient blood supplies now and in the future. Our message to everyone is please, #GiveBlood, and keep the world beating"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @TheLancet @G7 @g20org @ACTAccelerator @BentHHoyre The full remarks by @DrTedros at the #COVID19 media briefing 👇 bit.ly/3wrRH43