Thread by @kakape

Attending the opening of @WHO’s new Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin today. There’s a lot of symbolism here, more about that later.
For now, a photo of Tedros and Merkel cutting some red (and white) tape ;)

Haven’t seen this many high-profile leaders in global health in a room in a very long time.
Official program of the ceremony gives an idea:

The Hub will be directed by @Chikwe_I who will move from the Nigerian CDC to @WHO as an assistant director general for health emergency intelligence.

@Chikwe_I @WHO The idea of the hub is to use the extraordinary amount of data that is available around the world to improve public health, says @DrMikeRyan "How do we create new ways to analyse information, while at the same time ensuring equitable access to these tools?"

@Chikwe_I @WHO @DrMikeRyan Goal is to turn our greatest weakness in face of an infectious disease, our interconnectedness, into a strength, says @DrMikeRyan. "How can we turn that into our greatest strength: the connectedness that allows us to collaborate, innovate, to share data, insights and solutions?"

So the „surprise“ were videos from @antonioguterres, @melindagates and @CyrilRamaphosa thanking Merkel for her leadership. (Some people did not manage to send videos on time, geopolitics apparently not being that different from organizing any old birthday surprise…)

@antonioguterres @melindagates @CyrilRamaphosa .@DrTedros just called Angela Merkel someone "who says what she means and means what she says”. Probably not how most people in Germany looking at the entirety of her political career would describe her.

But @DrTedros thanking Merkel for her „leadership, integrity and dedication“ and bestowing a WHO Global Leadership Award on her does showcase an aspect of her work as chancellor that many Germans may think little about but that will be a large part of her legacy imho.