WHO chief bats for a 'healthy, safe, fair' world at 73rd WHA speech | Full Statement here

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros ham Ghebreyesus on May 18 said we need a  'healthy, safe, fair' world while dressing opening of 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA). Dr Tedros opened his speech by lauding “ incredible contribution that nurses and midwives make every day, in every country.” However, he also ted that amid coronavirus pandemic “ world is facing a shortfall of 6 million nurses to achieve and sustain universal health cover.” Here is full statement of WHO chief at first-ever virtual WHA.
 

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Nurses, midwives me ultimate sacrifice in service of humanity

Dr Tedros said year was supposed to be an opportunity to thank nurses and midwives for ir incredible contribution but pandemic “has robbed us of that opportunity”. Furr he ted sacrifices me by healthcare workers who have been at frontline of fight against pandemic.

“As you kw, this year is International Year of Nurse and Midwife. This Assembly was intended to be a moment of recognition for incredible contribution that nurses and midwives make every day, in every country. pandemic has robbed us of that opportunity. But it has only served to illustrate why nurses, midwives and all health workers are so important. Nurses and midwives have been on frontlines of fight against COVID-19, putting mselves in harm’s way. Many have me ultimate sacrifice in service of humanity.” 

“w more than ever, world needs nurses and midwives,” he ded.

“From nurses, doctors & midwives to technicians & ministrators, millions of healthcare workers are putting mselves in harm's way every day to protect us. We owe m our deepest appreciation and solidarity.”

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Coronavirus is ‘a dangerous enemy’

“ world has confronted several pandemics before. This is first caused by a coronavirus. This is a dangerous enemy, with a dangerous combination of features: this virus is efficient, fast, and fatal. It can operate in dark, spre silently if we’re t paying attention, n suddenly explode if we aren’t rey. And moves like a bushfire.  We have seen same pattern repeated in cities and countries world over. We must treat this virus with respect and attention it deserves. More than 4-and-a-half million cases of COVID-19 have w been reported to WHO, and more than 300,000 people have lost ir lives. But numbers don’t even begin to tell story of this pandemic. Each loss of life leaves a scar for families, communities and nations. health impacts of pandemic extend far beyond sickness and death caused by virus itself. disruption to health systems threatens to unwind deces of progress against maternal and child mortality, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, ncommunicable diseases, mental health, polio and many or of most urgent health threats.”

“Early serology studies are painting a consistent picture: even in worst-affected regions, proportion of population with tell-tale antibodies is more than 20 percent, and in most places, less than 10 percent. In or words: majority of world’s population remains susceptible to this virus. risk remains high and we have a long ro to travel.”
This is so much more than a health crisis

WHO chief said that health impacts of pandemic extend far beyond sickness and death caused by virus itself. 

“ disruption to health systems threatens to unwind deces of progress against maternal and child mortality, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, ncommunicable diseases, mental health, polio and many or of most urgent health threats. And yet this is so much more than a health crisis. Lives and livelihoods have been lost or upended. Hundreds of millions of people have lost ir jobs. Fear and uncertainty abound. global ecomy is heed for its sharpest contraction since Great Depression. pandemic has brought out best – and worst – of humanity. Fortitude and fear; solidarity and suspicion; rapport and recrimination. This contagion exposes fault lines, inequalities, injustices and contrictions of our modern world.”

“It has highlighted our strengths, and our vulnerabilities. Science has been hailed and scorned. Nations have come toger as never before, and geopolitical divisions have been thrown into sharp relief. We have seen what is possible with cooperation, and what we risk without it. pandemic is a reminder of intimate and delicate relationship between people and planet.  Any efforts to make our world safer are doomed to fail unless y dress critical interface between people and pathogens, and existential threat of climate change that is making our earth less habitable.”

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WHO raised alarm early

Amid criticism that global health ncy took too long to declare state of emergency, WHO chief defended global health body and said, “WHO raised alarm early” ding that “We supported countries to implement guidelines.” Tedros said that WHO h tified countries, issued guidance for health care workers within 10 days. He also ded that organisation h also declared a global health emergency on January 30, when re were less than 100 cases and death outside China. 

“Since day one, WHO has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with countries in se darkest of hours. WHO sounded alarm early, and we sounded it often. We tified countries, issued guidance for health workers within 10 days, and declared a global health emergency — our highest level of alert — on 30th of January. At time, re were less than 100 cases and deaths outside China. We have provided technical guidance and strategic vice, based on latest science and experience.” 

“We have supported countries to apt and implement that guidance. We have shipped diagstics, personal protective equipment, oxygen and or medical supplies to more than 120 countries. We have trained more than 2.6 million health workers, in 23 langus. We have driven research and development, through Solidarity Trial. We have called for equitable access to vaccines, diagstics and rapeutics through ACT Accelerator;  We have informed, engd and empowered people. We have fought infodemic, combating myths with reliable information. And we have called consistently for two essential ingredients for conquering this virus: national unity and global solidarity.”

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Pandemic has encircled globe

WHO chief ted that In less than five months, pandemic has encircled globe. He ded that all countries have faced challenges in coming to grips with this virus.

“Six months ago, it would have been inconceivable to most that world’s biggest cities would fall eerily quiet; that shops, restaurants, schools and workplaces would be closed; that global travel would grind to a standstill; that simply shaking hands could be life-threatening. Terms once used only by epidemiologists, like “reproduction number”, “physical distancing” and “contact tracing” have become common parlance.” 

“In less than five months, pandemic has encircled globe. All countries have faced challenges in coming to grips with this virus, rich and poor, large and small. Low-income countries, small island developing states and those suffering from violence and conflict are trying to confront this threat in most challenging of circumstances.” 

“Some countries are succeeding in preventing widespre community transmission; some have issued stay-at-home orders and imposed severe social restrictions to suppress community transmission; some are still bracing for worst; and some are w assessing how to ease restrictions that have exacted such a heavy social and ecomic toll.”

“WHO fully understands and supports desire of countries to get back on ir feet and back to work. It’s precisely because we want fastest possible global recovery that we urge countries to proceed with caution. Countries that move too fast, without putting in place public health architecture to detect and suppress transmission, run a real risk of handicapping ir own recovery.”

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WHO welcomes  proposed resolution

WHO chief welcomed proposed resolution seeking an independent and impartial probe into COVID-19 response. 

“WHO is committed to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement. For us, change is a constant. In fact, existing independent accountability mechanisms are alrey in operation, since pandemic started. Independent Oversight visory Committee has today published its first report on pandemic, with several recommendations for both Secretariat and Member States.”

“In that spirit, we welcome proposed resolution before this Assembly, which calls for a step-wise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation. To be truly comprehensive, such an evaluation must encompass entirety of response by all actors, in good faith.” 

“So, I will initiate an independent evaluation at earliest appropriate moment to review experience gained and lessons learned, and to make recommendations to improve national and global pandemic preparedness and response.”

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World will never be same

Dr Tedros furr warned, “But one thing is abundantly clear. world must never be same.”

“We do t need a review to tell us that we must all do everything in our power to ensure this never happens again. Whatever lessons re are to learn from this pandemic, greatest failing would be to t learn from m, and to leave world in same vulnerable state it was before. If re is anything positive to come from this pandemic, it must be a safer and more resilient world.”

Lessons from previous outbreaks

WHO chief highlighted that some of lessons learnt from earlier virus outbreaks were implemented while ors went unheeded after review. He said said that earlier reviews of SARS, H1N1 pandemic and Ebola epidemic underlined shortcomings in global health security and me numerous recommendations for countries to dress those gaps.

"Reviews after SARS, H1N1 pandemic & West African Ebola epidemic highlighted shortcomings in global health security & me numerous recommendations for countries to dress those gaps. Some were implemented; ors went unheeded. SARS outbreak gave rise to revision of International Health Regulations, in 2005. H1N1 pandemic saw creation of Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework. And Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 15 led to establishment of Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility, WHO Emergencies Programme and Independent Oversight visory Committee."

" time has come to weave toger disparate strands of global health security into an unbreakable chain – a comprehensive framework for epidemic & pandemic preparedness. Today I am calling on all nations to resolve that y will do everything it takes to ensure that 2020 COVID-19 pandemic is never repeated. To be successful, we must all commit to mutual ownership and accountability.”

WHO Results Report launched

“ WHO Results Report, launched today, provides a comprehensive picture of what WHO, its Member States and partners have achieved in past two years. On healthy populations, we’ve me important progress to improve air people brea, food y eat, water y drink, ros y use, and conditions in which y live and work are most important, actually, in bringing health.”