Thank you, Henrietta Lacks!
Today @DrTedros honoured Henrietta Lacks posthumously with a WHO Director-General’s award, acknowledging her story - one of inequity - and recognizing her world-changing legacy to science and health bit.ly/ThankYouHenrie…
Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer, 70 years ago, on 4 October 1951.
Taken without her consent, her cells have allowed incalculable scientific breakthroughs such as HPV & polio vaccines and #COVID19 research bit.ly/ThankYouHenrie…
Henrietta Lacks' cells, also known as #HeLaCells, became the first “immortal” cell line, allowing numerous scientific breakthroughs.
Shockingly, the global scientific community once hid her race & true story from the world, a historic wrong that today’s recognition seeks to heal.
#HeLaCells were mass produced, for profit, without recognition to the @LacksFamily.
Over 50,000,000 metric tonnes of HeLa cells have since been distributed around the world, the subjects of over 75,000 studies.
#HeLaCells allowed for development of HPV & polio vaccine; drugs for HIV/AIDS, haemophilia, leukaemia, Parkinson’s disease; breakthroughs in reproductive health, incl. in vitro fertilization; research on chromosomal conditions, cancer, gene mapping & #COVID19 research.
Today, women of colour continue to be disproportionately affected by #CervicalCancer, and the #COVID19 pandemic has exposed the many faultlines where health inequities persist among marginalized communities around the world.
Studies in various countries consistently document that Black women are dying of #CervicalCancer at several times the rate of white women, while 19 of the 20 countries with the highest burdens of the disease are in Africa.
Henrietta Lacks' family joins WHO in advocating for equitable access to the HPV vaccine, which protects against #CervicalCancer.
bit.ly/ThankYouHenrie…
As of 2020, less than 25% of low-income countries and less than 30% of lower-middle-income countries had access to the HPV vaccine through their national immunization programmes, compared with more than 85% of high-income countries.
As the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of #HeLaCells and Henrietta Lacks’ untimely death, WHO joins the @LacksFamily in building upon her legacy, calling for equity in health and science, and supporting #CervicalCancer elimination – the disease that claimed her life.

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More from @WHO

14 Oct
🆕 WHO's Global TB Report reveals deaths from #tuberculosis rise for the first time in more than a decade due to the #COVID19 pandemic.

1.5 million people died in 2020 & the number will continue to rise unless urgent action is taken 👉bit.ly/3FMmRIl #EndTB Image
In 2O20, the #COVID19 pandemic has

🚨 disrupted access to #tuberculosis services
🚨 reduced financial resources in many countries
🚨 limited the availability of essential tB services

🆕 Global TB report explains more 👉bit.ly/3FMmRIl #EndTB Image
People have also struggled to seek tuberculosis care during #COVID19 lockdowns, reversing years of global progress to #endTB.
 
More investments & innovation are needed to ensure access to care for the millions of people affected by tuberculosis 👉 bit.ly/3FMmRIl Image
Read 9 tweets
14 Oct
Today is #WorldSightDay👁️

More than 2 billion people have a vision impairment or blindness and at least 1 billion of those could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.

Take care of your eyes. Get regular eye checks!
👉bit.ly/2EovhLo
It's #WorldSightDay

The leading causes of reduced eyesight are
👁️Refractive errors
👁️Cataract
👁️Age-related macular degeneration
👁️Glaucoma
👁️Diabetic retinopathy
👁️Corneal opacity

Have you had your eyes checked?
👉bit.ly/2EovhLo
It's #WorldSightDay

While most people with vision impairment are over the age of 50, vision loss can affect people of all ages.
Take care of your eyes. Get regular eye checks!

👉bit.ly/2EovhLo
Read 6 tweets
13 Oct
LIVE: @DrTedros honours Henrietta Lacks' legacy across the world twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
@DrTedros "The story of Henrietta Lacks and her @LacksFamily has been told in different ways by different people. Many sought to hide or alter things about her: her race; her name; her identity"-@DrTedros
"What happened to Henrietta was wrong, for at least three reasons.
1️⃣ she lived in a time when racial discrimination was legal in her society. Racial discrimination may no longer be legal most countries, but it is still widespread in many countries"-@DrTedros
Read 13 tweets
13 Oct
@DrTedros "The number of weekly reported deaths from #COVID19 continues to decline, and is now at the lowest level in almost a year. But it’s still an unacceptably high level – almost 50,000 deaths a week, and the real number is certainly higher"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "Deaths are declining in every region except @WHO_Europe, where several countries are facing fresh waves of cases and deaths. And of course, deaths are highest in the countries and populations with the least access to #COVID19 vaccines"-@DrTedros
Read 27 tweets
13 Oct
🆕 WHO Announces Proposed Members of its Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) ➡️ bit.ly/3lC82QB

The 26 proposed SAGO members have expertise in a range of areas:
-epidemiology
-animal health
-ecology
-clinical medicine
-virology
-genomics
-molecular epidemiology
-molecular biology
-biology
-food safety
-biosafety
-biosecurity
-public health
bit.ly/3iUL4CM
The composition of the SAGO reflects geographic and gender diversity. The final membership to the SAGO is subject to the public consultation period and relevant WHO practices and procedures.
bit.ly/3iUL4CM
Read 5 tweets
13 Oct
It's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

To better respond to emergencies countries must:
✅ invest in health care systems
✅ achieve gender equity
✅ protect marginalised groups
✅ ensure ready & equitable access to supplies

A strong & resilient health system is 🔑
#COVID19 has shown how health emergencies and disasters affect entire communities – especially those with weak health systems, and vulnerable populations like migrants, indigenous peoples, and those living in fragile humanitarian conditions.
It's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

#OpenWHO has launched a multi-tiered core curriculum to help equip you with the competencies needed to work within public health emergency response.

Start learning today & be #Ready4Response:
👉 bit.ly/3wCa0Dr
Read 6 tweets

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