Thread by @kakape

“Globally, newly reported cases of #COVID19 have now declined for eight weeks in a row. And deaths have declined for seven weeks in a row”, says @DrTedros at @WHO presser.
"This is good news”, he says. But also points out that it's still:
250 cases and
six deaths every minute.

@DrTedros @WHO "The rate of decline in most regions has slowed”, says @DrTedros.
"In Africa, the number of #covid19 cases and deaths increased by almost 40% in the past week, and in some countries the number of deaths tripled or quadrupled."

@DrTedros @WHO "While a handful of countries have high vaccination rates and are now seeing lower numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, other countries in Africa, the Americas and Asia are now facing steep epidemics”, says @DrTedros.
“These cases and deaths are largely avoidable."

@DrTedros @WHO "The inequitable access to vaccines has demonstrated that in a crisis, low-income countries cannot rely on vaccine producing countries to supply their needs”, says @DrTedros.
“We have seen it before”, he says, with HIV and diabetes/insulin for instance.

@DrTedros @WHO “The #covid19 pandemic has shown that relying on a few companies to supply global public goods is limiting and dangerous”, says @DrTedros.

@DrTedros @WHO “In April, WHO issued a call for expressions of interest to establish technology transfer hubs for #COVID19 mRNA vaccines”, says @DrTedros.
(= places where manufacturers from low and middle income countries can get training in producing such vaccines incl. relevant licenses).

@DrTedros @WHO "I'm delighted to announce that @WHO is in discussions with a consortium of companies and institutions to establish a technology transfer hub in South Africa”, says @DrTedros.
"Afrigen biologics and vaccines" will manufacture mRNA vaccine and provide training to "Biovac.”

@DrTedros @WHO "We're now in negotiations with several companies that have indicated interest in providing their mRNA technology to the hub”, says @DrTedros.

@DrTedros @WHO "It's important to emphasize that this is an important step that will yield results in the medium term”, says @DrTedros.
"In the short term, we need to do everything possible to increase the equitable production and distribution of vaccines through COVAX."

@DrTedros @WHO “Today marks an important milestone”, says @PresidencyZA.
“This will enhance our capacity to take responsibility for the health of our people, for the health of Africans."

@DrTedros @WHO @PresidencyZA Countries in the global South are still “struggling for access to vaccines”, says @PresidencyZA.
“We've been saying vaccine nationalism must come to an end because this pandemic, we are facing together, all of us around the world."

@DrTedros @WHO @PresidencyZA “It is just not equitable and not fair, that some people in certain countries, and because they come from rich countries, their lives are worth much more than the lives of those in poorer countries”, says @PresidencyZA.

@DrTedros @WHO @PresidencyZA “We see this as a step in the right direction, but it does not detract us from our original proposal put together by India and South Africa” on TRIPS waiver, says @PresidencyZA.
“We would like the negotiations that are taking place there to proceed with speed."