Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

@DrTedros "I have often said that universal health coverage and health security are two sides of the same coin. Both depend on health systems that are resilient, efficient and effective, and able to surge to respond to emergencies"-@DrTedros #HealthForAll

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1450403047335555075?s=20

@DrTedros "Health systems like that are a vital first line of defence against outbreaks with epidemic and pandemic potential; but they’re also essential for promoting health, preventing communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and for reducing inequalities and inequities"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "This week, WHO published a new position paper on building health systems as the foundation of socio-economic recovery and development. The position paper outlines seven policy recommendations, with specific actions in each area"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1450410104981962752?s=20

@DrTedros "The backbone of every health system is its workforce. #COVID19 is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️, & how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected"-@DrTedros #SupportHealthCareWorkers

@DrTedros "A new WHO working paper estimates that 115,000 #healthworkers may have died from #COVID19 between January 2020 and May this year. That’s why it’s essential that health workers are prioritised for vaccination"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity bit.ly/3b39PrK

@DrTedros "Data from 119 countries suggest that on average,
2️⃣ in 5️⃣ health and care workers globally are fully vaccinated. But of course, that average masks huge differences across regions and economic groupings"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity #SupportHealthCareWorkers

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1361974780208050176?s=20

@DrTedros "In Africa, less than 1️⃣ in 🔟 #healthworkers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80% of health workers are fully vaccinated"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity #SupportHealthCareWorkers

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1451185680743211025?s=20

@DrTedros "WHO & several partner organizations have issued a statement calling for action to protect health & care workers around the 🌍:
1️⃣ we call on all countries to improve monitoring & reporting of infections and deaths among health & care workers"-@DrTedros bit.ly/3b39PrK

@DrTedros "2️⃣ we call on countries to ensure all health & care workers are:
-protected & supported
-with safe working conditions
-regular salaries & pay equity
-appropriate education, career opportunities & social protection"-@DrTedros #SupportHealthCareWorkers

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1451186227416166400?s=20

@DrTedros "3️⃣ we call on all countries to ensure that all health and care workers in every country are prioritised for #COVID19 vaccines, alongside other at-risk groups"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity #SupportHealthCareWorkers

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1451186779420196877?s=20

@DrTedros "More than 10 months since the first #COVID19 vaccines were approved, the fact that millions of health workers still haven’t been vaccinated is an indictment on the countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "High- and upper-middle income countries have now administered almost half as many booster shots as the total number of vaccines administered in low-income countries"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1450421721291530241?s=20

@DrTedros "In 10 days’ time, 20 people will meet in Rome with the ability to change that – the leaders of the @g20org countries. Between now and then, roughly 500 million vaccine doses will be produced"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org "That’s the amount of additional doses we need to achieve our target of vaccinating 40% of the population of every country by the end of the year"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1451188344348577798?s=20

@DrTedros @g20org "82 countries are at risk of missing that target. For 3/4 of those countries, it’s simply a problem of insufficient supply. The other 1/4 of countries have some limitations in their ability to absorb vaccines, and we are working to address those problems"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org "The target is reachable, but only if the countries & companies that control supply match their statements with actions right now.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org "@g20org countries have pledged to donate more than 1.2 billion #COVID19 vaccine doses to #COVAX. So far, only 150 million have been delivered. For most donations, we have no timeline. We don’t know what’s coming when"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org "Manufacturers have not told us how much #COVAX will receive, or when we will receive it.

We cannot have equity without transparency"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org "Ahead of the @g20org Summit next week, we plan to publish the new 12-month Strategic Plan and Budget for the @ACTAccelerator, which will set out the actions and resources needed to achieve our targets"-@DrTedros #ACTogether

@DrTedros @g20org @ACTAccelerator "It’s clear what needs to happen:
The countries that have already reached the 40% target – which includes all the @g20org countries – must give their spot in the vaccine delivery queue to #COVAX and AVAT"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1451189956202823681?s=20

@DrTedros @g20org @ACTAccelerator "The @g20org countries must fulfil their dose-sharing commitments immediately;

Manufacturers must prioritize and fulfil their contracts with #COVAX and AVAT as a matter of urgency, and be far more transparent about what is going where"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org @ACTAccelerator "And they must share know-how, technology, licences and waive intellectual property rights.

We’re not asking for charity; we’re calling for a common-sense investment in the global recovery"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @g20org @ACTAccelerator "#COVAX has the money and contacts to buy #COVID19 vaccines. What we don’t have is any visibility on when the manufacturers will deliver"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1451190275397742614?s=20