"Today, we also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and the 10th anniversary of the Political Declaration on the Social Determinants of Health adopted in Rio de Janeiro"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "The Constitution of WHO, written more than 70 years ago in the aftermath of the Second World War, famously affirms that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros "What does that mean?
It means that health does not begin in a hospital or clinic. It begins in our homes and communities, with the food we eat and the water we drink, the air we breathe, in our schools and our workplaces"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros "Since then, that affirmation has been reinforced by the commitment to “#HealthForAll” at the Alma-Ata Conference of 1978, the Astana Declaration in 2018, & most recently by the High-Level Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage, made at the #UNGA 2019"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "And of course, the @GlobalGoalsUN, adopted by the nations of the world in 2015, offer a sweeping vision for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. And while the 17 Global Goals themselves are separate, they are integrated and indivisible"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "Over the last 2 years, the #COVID19 pandemic has touched all of our lives, disrupting societies & economies, lives & livelihoods. Many people may feel that they are no longer in control of their health & that they face an increasingly uncertain future"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "Beyond the terrible impact of #COVID19 itself, the pandemic has led to disruptions in essential health services that has hindered efforts to tackle many other diseases and conditions"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "Existing inequities and inequalities have been exacerbated, with millions more thrown into poverty, many months of education lost, and uncounted increases in physical and emotional stress"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "The #COVID19 pandemic has shown that when health is at risk, everything is at risk. But the opposite is also true: when health is protected and promoted, individuals, families, communities, economies and nations can thrive"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "Achieving #HealthForAll demands that we reach beyond the health sector. It demands an all-of-government, all-of-society approach, including economics and finance, infrastructure and housing, transportation, energy and environment"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "We have to fundamentally change the way that leaders in politics, the private sector & intl. institutions think about & value health, & to promote growth that is based on health & well-being for people & the planet, for countries in all income levels"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "It's time to move away from thinking of health as a component of the economy, and instead look at how the economy can support the societal goal of Health for All, as an investment that is the foundation of productive, resilient and inclusive economies"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "💉 will help to end the pandemic. But they won't address the vulnerabilities that lie at its root. Once the pandemic ends, we will be left with even greater challenges than before it started: poverty, hunger, inequality, noncommunicable diseases, climate change & more"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "We cannot – we must not – go back to the same exploitative patterns of production and consumption, the same disregard for the planet that sustains all life, the same cycle of panic and neglect, and the same divisive politics that fueled this pandemic"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "The #COVID19 pandemic has brought us to a fork in the road. Behind us lies the path of business as usual – the path that led us to this crisis. Before us lies a new path: the path that leads to healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable societies"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
@DrTedros@GlobalGoalsUN "This #HealthPromotion conference is an opportunity to progress down that path; an opportunity for meaningful dialogue, sharing experiences, and concrete recommendations on how to best advance well-being"-@DrTedros
"The Geneva Charter for Well-Being outlines goals for achieving equitable health and social outcomes now and for future generations, within ecological limits"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
"As you move forward, let me leave you with 3️⃣ priorities:
1️⃣ remember that health is part of a larger ecosystem that encompasses environmental, social, economic, and political factors"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
"2️⃣ at the core of all of our efforts must be universal health coverage, based on strong #primaryhealthcare, which is the cornerstone of social, economic & political stability"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
"3️⃣ let’s rethink the narrative around health, not as a cost, but as an investment in our common future"-@DrTedros"-@DrTedros#HealthPromotion
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@DrTedros "77 countries have now reported cases of Omicron, and the reality is that Omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet. Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant"-@DrTedros#COVID19
@DrTedros "We’re concerned that people are dismissing Omicron as mild. Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems"-@DrTedros
🚭 Quit tobacco!
Every year more than 8 million people die from tobacco use; 65,000 children die each year from second-hand smoke.
Creating smoke-free environments & supporting people to quit tobacco helps communities stay healthy & thrive bit.ly/3ILslVq #HealthPromotion
🍩 Avoid processed food
🧂 Reduce your intake of fat, sugar & salt
When people have access to healthy food they can learn better, be more productive, stay mentally & physically healthy and reach their potential bit.ly/3ILslVq#HealthPromotion
WHO & @StJudeResearch announce establishment of Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines which will provide an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured #ChildhoodCancer medicines to low- and middle-income countries bit.ly/3EVRfPN
Each year, an estimated 400,000 children worldwide develop #cancer.
The majority live in low- & middle-income countries. Survival rates in these countries are less than 30% compared with 80% in high-income countries bit.ly/3EVRfPN#ChildhoodCancer
The new platform aims to provide safe and effective #cancer medicines to approximately 120,000 children between 2022 and 2027, with the expectation to scale up in future years bit.ly/3EVRfPN
🆕 Technical Brief & Priority Actions for Member States on enhancing readiness for Omicron bit.ly/3pSd0JY#COVID19
Based on current limited evidence Omicron appears to have a growth advantage over Delta. It is spreading faster than Delta in South Africa where Delta circulation was low, but also appears to spread more quickly than Delta in other countries where the incidence of Delta is high.
On #UHCDay, we must remind everyone that it's not just #COVID19 that’s killing people. It's:
-underprivilege
-lack of access
-years of living with health conditions that haven't been properly managed because of their skin colour, ethnicity, or social group
We all have different health needs, but our right to health is the same. Health systems must be ready to provide the full spectrum of
🏥promotive
🏥preventative
🏥curative
🏥rehabilitative
🏥palliative
services based on our needs, not our ability to pay.
That means #HealthForAll!
@DrTedros "The Omicron variant has now been reported in 57 countries and we expect that number to continue growing. Certain features of Omicron, including its global spread and large number of mutations, suggest it could have a major impact on the course of the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "Exactly what that impact will be is still difficult to know. We are now starting to see a consistent picture of rapid increase in transmission, although for now the exact rate of increase relative to other variants remains difficult to quantify"-@DrTedros