Thread by @WHO

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

@DrTedros "The volcanic eruption near #Tonga & tsunami require an urgent response. With telecommunications down, WHO is on the ground helping coordinate the response by channelling information between @UN agencies, humanitarian partners & the government"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHOWPRO/status/1483357290673893379?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "Information on the degree of destruction is still being gathered but WHO will do all it can to support the people and government of #Tonga"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1483464594081333252?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "I visited #Tonga myself in 2019. I recognize how vulnerable to natural disaster and the #ClimateCrisis the country is but also how resilient and resourceful the people are"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1166412689314394112?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "Omicron continues to sweep the 🌍. Last week, there were over 18 million reported cases. The number of deaths remains stable for the moment but we are concerned about the impact Omicron is having on already exhausted 👨‍⚕️👩‍⚕️ and overburdened health systems"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @UN "In some countries, #COVID19 cases seem to have peaked, which gives hope that the worst of this latest wave is done with but no country is out of the woods yet"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN "I remain particularly concerned about many countries that have low #COVID19 vaccination rates, as people are many times more at risk of severe illness and death if they are unvaccinated"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN "Omicron may be less severe, on average, but the narrative that it is a mild disease is misleading, hurts the overall response and costs more lives"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1483147998259466241?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "Make no mistake, Omicron is causing hospitalizations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1483471618651439108?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "#COVID19 is circulating far too intensely with many still vulnerable. For many countries, the next few weeks remain really critical for 👩‍⚕️ & health systems. I urge everyone to do their best to reduce risk of infection so that you can help take pressure off the system"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN "Now is not the time to give up and wave the 🏳. We can still significantly reduce the impact of the current wave by sharing and using health tools effectively and implementing public health and social measures that we know work"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #ACTogether

@DrTedros @UN "I am proud #COVAX delivered its one-billionth dose over the weekend. At a time of Omicron, it remains more important than ever to get vaccines to the unvaccinated"-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1482679316110622720?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "Vaccines may be less effective at preventing infection and transmission of Omicron than they were for previous variants, but they still are exceptionally good at preventing serious disease and death"-@DrTedros #COVID19 #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros @UN "This pandemic is nowhere near over and with the incredible growth of Omicron globally, new variants are likely to emerge, which is why tracking and assessment remain critical"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros @UN "New formulations of vaccines are being developed and assessed for how they perform against Omicron and other strains. I am concerned that unless that if we change the current model we’ll enter a second and even more destructive phase of vaccine inequity"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN "We need to make sure we share current vaccines equitably and we develop distributed manufacturing around the world. We can only beat this virus if we #ACTogether and share health tools equitably. It’s really that simple"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1483473239867338754?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "On Friday, WHO recommended two new #COVID19 treatments, based on data from 7 trials, increasing the arsenal of tools used to fight severe illness & death: a rheumatoid arthritis drug called baricitinib & a monoclonal antibody called sotrovimab"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1481949672419831810?s=20

@DrTedros @UN "Again, the challenge is that high prices & limited supply means access is limited. WHO is working with partners in @ACTAccelerator to negotiate lower prices with manufacturers & ensure supply will be available for low- & middle-income countries"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1483473718932291585?s=20

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "We urge manufacturers to use WHO’s #COVID19 Technology Access Pool to share technology, know-how and voluntary licensing in order to facilitate increased production capacity globally, which would save the most lives"-@DrTedros #ACTogether

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "WHO’s #COVID19 clinical management guidelines have been critical to policy makers and #healthworkers on how best to treat the patients. Sharing clinical data remains critical so that WHO can generate up-to-date scientific evidence regarding Omicron"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "WHO invites all Member States, health facilities and research networks to voluntarily contribute to the WHO Global Clinical Platform for #COVID19, which is available through our website"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1483475055170539521?s=20

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "Next week, the WHO #EB150 will meet to discuss the 🌍’s health challenges. The pandemic will remain at the forefront, particularly how to more effectively share tests, treatments& vaccines equitably & to meet the 70% vaccine target by July 2022"-@DrTedros
bit.ly/WHOEB150

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "However, the impact of the pandemic on other health issues has also been devastating and Member States will be discussing how we can stop the backsliding and recover together"-@DrTedros #EB150

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "WHO will be working to accelerate progress on negotiations around a #PandemicAccord, as well as sustainable financing"-@DrTedros #EB150

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "If we’re serious about strengthening health systems, preparing for future pandemics and tackling the litany of health challenges we collectively face in a heating world, WHO and the whole global health infrastructure will need to be sustainably financed"-@DrTedros #EB150

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator "Reports from @TheGPMB, the @TheIndPanel and the Review Committee on the Functioning of the International Health Regulations all recognized the need for predictable and sustainable financing at all levels of the organization"-@DrTedros #EB150 #WHOImpact

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator @TheGPMB @TheIndPanel "We don’t need more reports or speeches, now is the moment for financing that fits the health challenges of our time"-@DrTedros #EB150 #WHOImpact

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator @TheGPMB @TheIndPanel "This month is #CervicalCancer Awareness month & I'm pleased to see both action & advocacy taking place. Yesterday, #Serbia announced that this year they would introduce vaccination against human papillomavirus, the pathogen responsible for 99% of cervical cancers"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator @TheGPMB @TheIndPanel "#Serbia will join 116 countries worldwide that are vaccinating against this cancer causing virus"-@DrTedros #CervicalCancer

https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1483379472212672512?s=20

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator @TheGPMB @TheIndPanel "And my sister Princess @dinamired, who is a Member of WHO Expert Group for the Elimination of #CervicalCancer marked the anniversary of WHO’s global strategy by calling for a comprehensive approach to vaccination, screening and treatment"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros @UN @ACTAccelerator @TheGPMB @TheIndPanel @dinamired "She rightly concluded that #CervicalCancer elimination is both possible and smart economics"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1483477348515209221?s=20

The full remarks by @DrTedros at the #COVID19 media briefing - 18 January 2021 ⬇️ bit.ly/3fynjy7