Thread by @WHO

@DrTedros address to the International @Olympics Committee. #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All pscp.tv/w/c8YKrXR3LTE0…

"More than any other event, the @Olympics have the power to bring the world together, to inspire, to show what is possible. And more than any other event, they command the attention of the world’s people. And that is why I have come"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros "I've been invited to the @Olympics Games before, but have never been able to attend. I've come this time – to this global mountaintop – with a message for the 🌍’s people to hear. In fact, I've come to answer a question"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417638808926007296?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "It’s a question I am often asked, & which the people of the 🌍 are asking: 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘯𝘥?"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417639070063382528?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "Indeed, the #COVID19 pandemic has asked us many questions: About ourselves; & about our 🌍.

The pandemic is a test. And the 🌍 is failing"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417639527498256387?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "More than 4M people have died, & more continue to die. Already this year, the number of deaths is more than double last year’s total. In the time it takes me to make these remarks, over 100 people will lose their lives to #COVID19"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417639665012719618?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "By the time the @Olympics flame is extinguished on the 8th of August, another 100,000 people will perish.
Millions of survivors continue to suffer from the long-term health consequences of #COVID19, which we're still learning about"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417639936812097542?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "The people of the 🌍 are sick of:
-the virus
-the lives & livelihoods it has taken
-the suffering it has caused
-the restrictions & disruptions to their lives
-the turmoil it has caused to economies & societies
-the dark ☁️ it has cast over our futures"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

@Olympics @DrTedros "And yet, 19 months into the #COVID19 pandemic, and 7 months since the first vaccines were approved, we are now in the early stages of another wave of infections and deaths. How can this be? Weren’t vaccines meant to douse the flames of the pandemic?"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

@Olympics @DrTedros "But here’s the thing about an inferno: if you hose only one part of it, the rest will keep burning. And the embers of one fire can easily spark another even more ferocious blaze somewhere else"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417641081106227201?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "Anyone who thinks #COVID19 the pandemic is over because it’s over where they live is living in a fool’s paradise. Vaccines are powerful and essential tools. But the world has not used them well"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417641537433968640?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "More than 3.5 billion #COVID19 vaccine doses have now been administered globally, & more than 1 in 4 people have received at least one vaccine dose. On the surface, that’s good news. But it masks a horrifying injustice"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417641674734456834?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "75% of vaccines have been administered in just 10 countries. In low income countries, only 1% of people have received at least one dose, compared with more than half of people in high-income countries"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417641963638214656?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "Some of the richest countries are now talking about third booster shots for their populations, while health workers, older people and other vulnerable groups in the rest of the world continue to go without"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417642204768706563?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "The global failure to share #COVID19 vaccines, tests, and treatments – including oxygen – is fuelling a two-track pandemic: the haves are opening up, while the have-nots are locking down"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417642374893871108?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "The longer this discrepancy persists, the longer the #COVID19 pandemic will drag on, and so will the social and economic turmoil it brings"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417639527498256387?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "The tragedy of this pandemic is that it could have been under control by now, if 💉 had been allocated equitably. The distortion in the manufacturing & distribution of 💉 has exposed & amplified the searing inequalities that have stained human history for aeons"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros "As🇯🇵 & many of its neighbours know well, vaccines are not the only effective tool. Many countries have proven that this virus can be controlled with the right combination of public health & social measures, if they are applied in a careful & consistent way"-@DrTedros #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros "I mean proven:
-public health tools: rational testing, rigorous contact tracing, supportive quarantine & compassionate care
-individual measures: avoiding crowds, physical distancing, wearing 😷, doing things outdoors as much as possible, opening 🪟 & cleaning 🖐"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros "Each of these measures can be the difference between life and death, in every situation:
-Going to work
-Going shopping
-A small gathering of friends
-A conference
-A concert
and the Olympic Games"-@DrTedros
#Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417644395390816258?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros "In the 125-year history of the modern @Olympics games, they have been held in the shadow of war, economic crisis & geopolitical turmoil. But never before have they been organised in the shadow of a pandemic"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros "#COVID19 might have postponed the @Olympics games, but it hasn't defeated them. I recognize the plans, precautions & sacrifices that the IOC, @Tokyo2020 Organising Committee, the govt & people of 🇯🇵, teams & athletes have taken to make the games as safe as possible"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "There is no zero risk in life; there is only more risk, or less risk. In the words of the Japanese proverb, ishibashi o tataite wataru – “knock on a stone bridge before crossing it” – which means that although something might seem safe, it pays to be sure"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "The mark of success in the coming fortnight isn't 0 cases, & I know that some cases have already been detected. The mark of success is making sure that any cases are identified, isolated, traced & cared for as quickly as possible & onward transmission is interrupted"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "That is the mark of success for every country"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417646119744675840?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "The #COVID19 pandemic has taught us many painful but important lessons. It has shown us that health is:
-not an optional extra
-not a luxury for those who can afford it
-not a reward for development
-the foundation of social, economic & political stability"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "That’s why WHO’s top priority is universal health coverage. Our vision is a world in which all people can access the health services they need, where and when they need them, without facing financial hardship"-@DrTedros #AGoal4All #HealthForAll

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "#Japan is a global leader in universal health coverage, and a perfect example of its benefits. 🇯🇵 invested in health not after it had become a global economic powerhouse"-@DrTedros #AGoal4All #HealthForAll

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417647290156716033?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "#Japan knew that the task of building a nation would require investments not only in new infrastructure, but in human capital; in the health of its people. Today, 🇯🇵 has the world’s longest life expectancy and its third-largest economy"-@DrTedros #AGoal4All #HealthForAll

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "Sport and all forms of physical activity are essential for good health. By its very nature, sport is about participation, bringing individuals, communities and countries together, and bridging cultural, ethnic and national divides"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 "Sport promotes tolerance and respect, & empowers women & young people.
...
I’m delighted to announce that tomorrow I will sign a new Memorandum of Understanding with Mr Andrew Parsons, the President of the International @Paralympics Committee"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "The excellence, friendship & respect we'll see displayed in the athletic arena during the @Olympics & @Paralympics Games must become a symbol of what:
-is possible in every arena
-humans are capable of, with the right conditions & preparation"-@DrTedros
#Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "Success at the Games requires speed, strength & skill, but also determination, dedication & discipline.
The same is true for us. Our focus as a 🌍 united must be on doing everything we can to triumph over the pandemic, with determination, dedication & discipline"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "The #COVID19 pandemic will end when the 🌍 chooses to end it.

It’s in our hands.

We have all the tools we need: we can prevent this disease, we can test for it & we can treat it.

We can choose to end the pandemic"-@DrTedros
#Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417639527498256387?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "Our common goal must be to vaccinate 70% of the population of every country by the middle of next year. Achieving it will take commitment, preparation and skill. But the prize is lives saved and a sustainable global recovery"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "Ending the #COVID19 pandemic is a choice all of us can make. And there is something all of us can do: governments, companies, civil society and the people of the world"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417650126135435265?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "1⃣Every government must commit to protecting its people with a tailored and consistent set of public health and social measures. There are no shortcuts. If we throw caution to the wind, it will blow back in our faces"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics "The governments of @g20org countries, in particular, must show leadership to ensure the urgent scale-up and deployment of the tools needed to save lives"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417650711203139593?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org "I thank #Japan for co-hosting the #COVAX AMC Summit last month, and for its generosity in contributing $1 billion to the COVAX facility. This is the kind of leadership we need"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417650841348096000?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org "If they choose to, the world’s leading economies could bring the pandemic under control globally in a matter of months by sharing doses through #COVAX, funding the @ACTAccelerator, & incentivizing manufacturers to do whatever it takes to scale up production"-@DrTedros #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "𝘐𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘺?"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417651189605453826?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "2⃣The companies that make #COVID19 vaccines, tests & treatments have given the 🌍 powerful tools, & a source of hope. But they too have a social responsibility to make sure those tools are available to everyone who needs them, everywhere"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "Most #COVID19 vaccines were developed with public funds. Many companies have made commitments to sharing doses, but many of those commitments are yet to be fulfilled"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417651699607539715?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "To reach our target of vaccinating 70% of the population of every country by the middle of next year, we need 11 billion vaccines. That will require an urgent & dramatic scale-up in production. 2023 or later will be far too late"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "There are many ways to increase production, including by sharing know-how and technology with other companies with production capacity, or by waiving intellectual property rights on certain products for a certain time"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "This is an unprecedented crisis that demands unprecedented action. With so many lives on the line, profits and patents must come second"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417652090055405568?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "3⃣So many civil society organizations have made such an incredible contribution. I particularly appreciate the alliance of 60+ civil society organizations who have joined force to advocate for #VaccinEquity. Thank you for everything you’ve done, & please keep going"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "4⃣the people of the 🌍.
As individuals, we have the power to change the course of this pandemic, with our choices, and our voices"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "Every day, the choices we make as individuals can be the difference between life and death, like staying at home, keeping your distance from others, wearing a mask, opening a window and cleaning your hands"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417652652251492353?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "These simple measures could save your life, or the life of someone else - in your family, your community, or on the other side of the 🌍. In our global village, our lives are intertwined, even with those we will never meet"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417652756148637696?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "When the people speak with 1 voice, govts & companies listen. I call on the people of the 🌍 to speak up for #VaccinEquity. Tell your govt that sharing isn't charity; it’s enlightened self-interest. When they invest in protecting others, they invest in protecting you"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "All of us – governments, companies, civil society, individuals, the IOC – can fight the infodemic that deprives people of life-saving information and peddles deadly lies"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "And any individual, organization or business can contribute to saving the lives of others by making a donation to the WHO Foundation’s Solidarity Response Fund"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "The @Olympics Games bring the nations of the 🌍 together in competition, as athletes strive to fulfil the Olympic motto of faster, higher, stronger – together. That motto applies equally to our struggle against the defining crisis of our time"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "We must:
-be faster in distributing vaccines all over the 🌍
-aim higher at vaccinating 70% of the population of all countries by the middle of 2022
-be stronger, in removing every barrier that stands in our way to expand production
-do it all together, in solidarity"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "Beyond competition, medals & records, the #Tokyo2020 Games bring the nations of the 🌍 together in celebration of sport, health, excellence, friendship & respect. But ultimately, they are a celebration of something that our 🌍 needs now, more than ever: 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞"-@DrTedros

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "May these #Tokyo2020 Games be the moment that unites the 🌍, and ignites the solidarity and determination we need to end the #COVID19 pandemic together, by vaccinating 70% of the population of every country by the middle of next year"-@DrTedros #AGoal4All

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "May the message of hope resound from Tokyo around the 🌍 in every nation, every village, & every heart.

May the Olympic torch be a symbol of hope that traverses the planet"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1417654879246503942?s=20

@Olympics @DrTedros @Tokyo2020 @Paralympics @g20org @ACTAccelerator "May the rays of hope from this land of the rising sun illuminate a new dawn for a world that is healthier, safer and fairer"-@DrTedros #Tokyo2020 #AGoal4All

The full remarks: bit.ly/AGoal4All