Thread by @WHO

LIVE: Media briefing on World report on the health of refugees & migrants, & other global health issues with @DrTedros twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

"Today, WHO is proud to launch the first World Report on the health of refugees and migrants. 1 in every 8 people on our planet is a refugee or migrant, and the numbers are growing"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "With conflicts, #ClimateChange, growing inequality, and global emergencies such as the #COVID19 pandemic, more and more people will be on the move. Like anyone else, refugees and migrants have the right to the highest attainable standard of health"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "But the health needs of refugees and migrants are often neglected or unaddressed in the countries they pass through, or settle in. They face multiple barriers including out-of-pocket costs, discrimination and fear of detention and deportation"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Many countries do have health policies that include health services for refugees and migrants. But too many are either ineffective or are yet to be implemented effectively"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "The World Report on the health of refugees & migrants is a landmark & an 🚨 bell. It provides a comprehensive overview of refugee & migrant health, demonstrating wide disparities between the health of refugees & migrants & the wider populations in their host countries"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "For example, many migrant workers are engaged in the so-called “3-D” jobs – dirty, dangerous, and demanding – without adequate social and health protection, or sufficient occupational health measures"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549745717882884097?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "The report also highlights a fundamental knowledge gap: refugees and migrants are virtually absent from global surveys and health data, making these vulnerable groups almost invisible in the design of health systems and services"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "But it’s not all bad news. The report also highlights policy trends and examples of good practices from around the world. And it offers a strategic vision for a set of collective responses to protect and promote the health of migrants and refugees"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "We hope governments will use this report to develop evidence-informed policies and actions. And we hope advocates will use it in their efforts to call for inclusive health systems"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "WHO is calling on govts & orgs that work with refugees & migrants to:
-empower them through participatory governance
-include them in the data
-prioritize them in research
-include them in social protection schemes & 💰 protection in accessing health systems 🌍"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Because #HealthForAll means all, including refugees and migrants"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549746378288599042?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "In the past 6 weeks, the global weekly number of reported cases of #COVID19 has almost doubled. Deaths are also increasing, but for the moment, not as rapidly as cases. However, more cases means we can expect to see more hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "There are many sublineages of the Omicron variant, most notably BA.5, which is the most transmissible variant detected yet. We have said consistently that this virus will continue to evolve, and we must be ready for whatever it throws at us"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "That could be a new version of the variants we already know, or something completely new. We know that for any future variant to become widespread, it must be more transmissible than previous variants. But we can’t know how deadly it will be"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549747740414025729?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "So all countries must be ready. Countries that have dismantled some parts of their pandemic response systems are taking a huge risk. All countries have gaps"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549747819711528960?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "Now is the time, when hospitals are not full, for all countries to address those gaps in surveillance, immunity, workforce, supplies and resilience"-@DrTedros #COVID19

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549747920714567680?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "We will see continued waves of [#COVID19] infection, but we need not see continued waves of hospitalization and death. We have the tools to save lives – vaccines, tests, therapeutics and public health tools"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549747986414161922?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "Our current vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease and death. The focus in every country must be to vaccinate all health workers, all older people and all people at the greatest risk"-@DrTedros #COVID19

@DrTedros "We will need more vaccines that are better at protecting against infection. And if and when we get those vaccines, we cannot afford the same horrific inequity that stained the rollout of vaccines last year-@DrTedros #VaccinEquity

@DrTedros "On #monkeypox, almost 14,000 confirmed cases have now been reported to WHO this year, from 70+ countries and territories. So far, 5 deaths have been reported, all in Africa. Most cases continue to be reported from Europe, primarily among men who have sex with men"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "We're seeing a declining trend in some countries, others are still seeing an increase, & 6 countries reported their 1st cases last week. Some of these countries have much less access to diagnostics & 💉, making the outbreak harder to track, & harder to stop"-@DrTedros #monkeypox

@DrTedros "WHO is validating, procuring and shipping tests to multiple countries and will continue to provide support for expanded access to effective diagnostics"-@DrTedros #monkeypox

@DrTedros "One of the most powerful tools we have against #monkeypox is information. The more information people at risk of monkeypox have, the more they are able to protect themselves"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "That’s why WHO is continuing to work with patients and community advocates to develop and deliver information tailored to the affected communities, and more likely to be accepted and implemented"-@DrTedros #monkeypox

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549749143618322432?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q

@DrTedros "This week, WHO updated its [#monkeypox] guidance for men who have sex with men, to include additional advice and information for the affected community"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549313658194378752?s=20&t=jk9D597rk3R-p_hJ1tSxBg

@DrTedros "Tomorrow, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee will reconvene to review the latest data, and to consider whether the [#monkeypox] outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern"-@DrTedros

@DrTedros "Regardless of the committee’s recommendation, WHO will continue to do everything we can to support countries to stop #monkeypox transmission and save lives"-@DrTedros

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1549749454911295488?s=20&t=rN6Ff_TFEJiJ7eVcNHX04Q