1 year ago, as the πβs richest countries rolled out #COVID19 vaccines while the poorest countries watched on, WHO set an ambitious but attainable π― to vaccinate 7β£0β£% of the population of every country by the mid-2022.
The deadline is upon us, have we achieved #VaccinEquity?
#COVID19 vaccination has saved almost 2β£0β£ million
lives in 2021 alone, according to a new study in @TheLancetInfDis
Hundreds of thousands of deaths could have been averted if the πππ had reached WHO's target to vaccinate 40% of the population of every country against #COVID19 by the end of 2021. Most of these lives could have been saved in low income countries:
π bit.ly/3OxL6y7
1β£3β£6β£ countries have not yet reached 70% #COVID19 vaccine coverage.
With #COVID19 transmission continuing the risk of new, more dangerous and deadly variants emerging remains very real, posing a continued threat to lives, livelihoods and the global economy.
Vaccine effectiveness is waning over time: this means it is even more crucial that in all countries 100% of at-risk groups should be vaccinated and boosted against #COVID19 as soon as possible.
WHO as part of the #COVID19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership is supporting countries furthest behind to turn vaccines into vaccinations asap:
β by getting vaccines to where people are
β through mobile units, πͺ-to-πͺ campaigns
β by mobilizing community leaders bit.ly/3neA7xu
The #COVID19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership is doing this by:
1οΈβ£ Helping countries access funding to facilitate delivery
2οΈβ£ Engaging with political leaders
3οΈβ£ Providing technical assistance such as advising on targeting vaccination campaigns at at risk populations
To reduce 5β£0β£% of road traffic deaths & injuries by 2030, many countries have already made progress through better legislation around key areas like:
π speeding
π drinking and driving
π seat-belts
π΅ helmets
@DrTedros "#COVID19, driven by BA.4 and BA.5 in many places, cases are on the rise in 110 countries, causing overall global cases to increase by 20% and deaths have risen in 3 of the 6 WHO regions even as the global figure remains relatively stable"-@DrTedros
@DrTedros "This pandemic is changing but itβs not over. Our ability to track the #COVID19 virus is under threat as reporting and genomic sequences are declining meaning it is becoming harder to track Omicron and analyse future emerging variants"-@DrTedros
WHO has issued πΒ tools to help countries respond to unusual cases of severe acute #hepatitisΒ (liver inflammation) in children, incl. how to find & report cases.
The detection of cases across 5 WHO Regions is unusual & warrants detailed investigation.
As of 22 June 2022, 33 countries have reported 920 probable cases:
πΈcause remains unknown & it is being investigated
πΈactual number of cases may be underestimated due to limited surveillance in some places
πΈcase count likely to βοΈΒ as more info & verified data become available
While a few cases of acute #hepatitis in children of unknown cause are reported, every year, some countries indicated that this year this number has been unusually high.
The IHR Emergency Committee for multi-country #monkeypox outbreak advised the WHO DG that the event, currently, does not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). @DrTedros accepted the Committeeβs advice.
The IHR Emergency Committee unanimously acknowledged the emergency nature of the event & that controlling the further spread of #monkeypox outbreak requires intense response efforts. bit.ly/3niOHUM
The Committee provided advice based on scientific evidence presented by WHO & several countries, & discussions on:
πΉ latest epidemiological trends
πΉ contact tracing activities
πΉ impact of large gatherings
πΉ access to vaccines & medicines
πΉ risk of stigma for groups at risk
Each month WHO delivers supplies to 200 π₯ in NW #Syria, incl:
β’ Medicines for chronic diseases & common illnesses
β’ #COVID19 treatments
β’ Surgical supplies
β’ Vaccines for children
β’ Supplies for health workers
Over 1/3 of health facilities there rely on this support
Since January 2022, WHO has provided over 2 million medical treatments in northwest #Syria.
πWHO is also supporting ongoing #COVID19, measles and polio vaccination campaigns
It is essential to continue the cross-border response in NW #Syria.
Without it, malnutrition, disease outbreaks & mortality will increase, and 2.5 million Syrians - including 1.5 million in IDP camps - may not have access to essential health services