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
The platform will help children, like Sapna, and their families who are forced to travel long distances at considerable cost to access cancer medicines.
During an initial two-year pilot phase, medicines will be purchased and distributed to 12 countries through a process involving governments, cancer centers & nongovernmental organizations already active in providing #cancer care.
The platform is being developed within the context of the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer which supports more than 50 governments in building & sustaining local cancer programmes & aims to increase survival from #ChildhoodCancer to 60% by 2030 bit.ly/3dOWB3m
@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
"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
🆕 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