Geneva, 3 March 2022 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) jointly welcome the announcement that the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) will offer several technologies to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) for potential licensing through MPP. The announcement was made today at the U.S. COVID-19 Dialogue with Ministers of Health meeting in the presence of WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and NIAID Director and Chief Medical Advisor to the President of United States, Anthony Fauci.
“I thank NIH for its offer of innovative therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostic methods for COVID-19,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Voluntary sharing of technologies through non-exclusive agreements will not only help us put the pandemic behind us; it will also empower low- and middle-income countries to produce their own medical products and achieve equitable access.”
“NIH were the first to share their patents with MPP for an HIV product back in 2010 when we were created,” said Charles Gore, MPP Executive Director. “We will be honoured to sign public health-driven transparent non-exclusive licence agreements with NIH under the auspices of C-TAP when the negotiations have concluded, with the goal to provide access of these innovative technologies to people in need around the world and help put an end to the pandemic.”
Launched in 2020 by the WHO Director-General and the President of Costa Rica, and supported by 43 Member States, C-TAP aims to facilitate timely, equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 health products by boosting their production and supply through open, non-exclusive licensing agreements. MPP provides the licensing expertise to this initiative and holds the licences.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome - World leaders and experts today called for global action to reduce antimicrobial pollution recognising this as critical to combatting rising levels of drug resistance and protecting the environment.
The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance today called on all countries to reduce the amount of antimicrobial waste entering the environment. This includes researching and implementing measures to safely dispose of antimicrobial waste from food, human health and animal health systems, and manufacturing facilities.
The call comes ahead of the UN Environment Assembly which takes place in Nairobi and online from 28 February to 2 March 2022 where countries will discuss the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance includes heads of state, government ministers, and leaders from private sector and civil society. The group was established in November 2020 to accelerate global political momentum, leadership and action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is co-chaired by Their Excellencies Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Global Leaders Group’s call to action calls for all countries to improve measures for the management and disposal of antimicrobial-containing waste and runoff from manufacturing sites, farms, hospitals and other sources.
Antimicrobials given to humans, animals and plants are entering the environment and water sources (including drinking water sources) via wastewater, waste, run-off and sewage and through this spreading drug-resistant organisms and antimicrobial resistance.
This could fuel a rise in the emergence and spread of ‘superbugs’ that are resistant to several types of antimicrobial drugs [1]. It could also harm organisms in the environment.
Reducing the amount of antimicrobial pollution entering the environment is crucial to conserving the effectiveness of antimicrobial medicines
The Global Leaders Group calls for all countries to develop and implement regulations and standards to better monitor and control the distribution and release of antimicrobials and drug-resistant organisms into the environment.
In the manufacturing sector, developing national antimicrobial manufacturing pollution standards to better control and monitor antimicrobial pollution.
In the human and animal health sector, enforcing laws and policies to reduce or eliminate antimicrobial use that is not under the guidance of a trained healthcare provider.
In food systems, implementing standards to treat and manage discharge from food-animal farms, aquaculture farms and crop fields.
Antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, antifungals and antiparasitics, are used in human and veterinary medicine all over the world. They are used to treat and prevent diseases in humans and animals, and sometimes in food production to promote growth in healthy animals. Antimicrobial pesticides are also used in agriculture to treat and prevent diseases in plants.
Current antimicrobial drug usage in humans, animals and plants is leading to a concerning rise in drug-resistance and making infections harder to treat.
Drug-resistant microbes and disease-causing pathogens can pass between humans, animals, plants and food, and in the environment.
The climate crisis may also be contributing to a rise in antimicrobial resistance. [2]
Drug-resistant diseases contribute to nearly 5 million deaths every year. Urgent action is needed to curb the rise and spread of antimicrobial resistance across all countries. Without action, the world is rapidly approaching a tipping point where the antimicrobials needed to treat infections in humans, animals and plants will no longer be effective.
The impact on local and global health systems, economies, food security and food systems will be devastating.
“The connections between antimicrobial resistance, environmental health and the climate crisis are becoming increasingly stark.” says co-chair of the Global Leader Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, Her Excellency Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. “We must act now to protect the environment, and people everywhere, from the damaging effects of antimicrobial pollution.’’
Antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, antifungals and antiparasitics, are used in human and veterinary medicine all over the world. They are used to treat and prevent diseases in humans and animals, and sometimes in food production to promote growth in healthy animals. Antimicrobial pesticides are also used in agriculture to treat and prevent diseases in plants.
Current antimicrobial drug usage in humans, animals and plants is leading to a concerning rise in drug-resistance and making infections harder to treat.
Drug-resistant microbes and disease-causing pathogens can pass between humans, animals, plants and food, and in the environment.
The climate crisis may also be contributing to a rise in antimicrobial resistance. [2]
Drug-resistant diseases contribute to nearly 5 million deaths every year. Urgent action is needed to curb the rise and spread of antimicrobial resistance across all countries. Without action, the world is rapidly approaching a tipping point where the antimicrobials needed to treat infections in humans, animals and plants will no longer be effective.
The impact on local and global health systems, economies, food security and food systems will be devastating.
“The connections between antimicrobial resistance, environmental health and the climate crisis are becoming increasingly stark.” says co-chair of the Global Leader Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, Her Excellency Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. “We must act now to protect the environment, and people everywhere, from the damaging effects of antimicrobial pollution.’’
Reducing Antimicrobial Discharges from Food Systems, Manufacturing Facilities and Human Health Systems into the Environment
Call to Action by the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance
March 2022
Disposal of untreated or inappropriately managed waste and runoff from various sources including food systems, manufacturing facilities and human health systems can contain biologically active antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistant organisms, unmetabolized antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance determinants (e.g. resistance-conferring genes) that are released into the environment. These discharges can contaminate the environment and contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The most important approach to controlling AMR spread from food systems and human health systems is responsible and sustainable use of antimicrobials in humans, terrestrial and aquatic animals and plants/crops. In addition, adequate measures to treat and safely dispose of waste are required, including human, animal and manufacturing waste.
The GLG commends ongoing efforts - particularly by the G7 countries - to address antimicrobial discharges into the environment and encourages countries to implement the Codex Code of practice to minimize and contain foodborne AMR and Guidelines on Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance approved in November 2021.
To improve the management of discharges into the environment that may contribute to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, the Global Leaders Group calls for the following:
In general, countries should: Develop or build on and implement regulatory frameworks, guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and standards to establish safe levels, better control and monitor the distribution and release of antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance determinants from food systems, manufacturing facilities and human health systems into the environment; and
Include prevention and management measures in national action plans on AMR to minimize the impacts of environmental discharges.
In the manufacturing sector specifically, countries should:
Develop and implement legal and policy frameworks with a lifecycle approach for antimicrobials manufacturing. Such an approach considers the entire timespan that a pharmaceutical is active and can impact the surrounding systems, would help to effectively address AMR environmental risks and ensure resilient antibiotic supply chains and stimulate the design, development, manufacture, and commercialization of needed new antibiotics and alternatives to antimicrobials;
Promote and develop balanced and staged environmental policies and approaches to manage and regulate manufacturing facilities and support environmental inspections, recognizing the current fragility of supply chains and significant access gaps;
Incentivize industry for compliance and excellence, including highlighting their contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; and
Develop national antimicrobial manufacturing pollution standards based on best available evidence, treatment technology and situational analysis, and strengthen the capacity of environmental authorities to conduct audits and monitor compliance.
In the human health sector specifically, countries should:
Develop and implement antimicrobial stewardship policies and protocols in human health systems that include responsible and sustainable use and procurement of antimicrobials, and effective waste management approaches; and
Implement and enforce laws and policies to reduce or eliminate antimicrobial use that is not under the guidance of a trained health care provider, while ensuring equitable access to quality antimicrobials.
In food systems specifically, countries should:
Develop or build on and implement regulatory frameworks, guidelines, SOPs and standards to effectively treat and/or manage waste discharge from food-producing animal farms, aquaculture farms and crop fields, as well as waste used to irrigate crops and run-off from crop fields; and
Develop and implement antimicrobial stewardship policies and protocols in fixed and mobile animal health facilities that include responsible and sustainable use of antimicrobials and effective waste management approaches.
Countries should:
Strengthen One Health surveillance of antimicrobial use in, and discharges of antimicrobials and AMR determinants from, food systems, human health systems and manufacturing facilities, as well as in sewage systems. This should be done taking into account factors such as the need to build on existing systems, cost-effectiveness, data comparability and key knowledge gaps relating to the fate, concentration and impact of discharges on the environment and organisms in the environment (e.g. soil microbes, aquatic organisms). Priority should be given to collecting data that can support targeted action, such as enhanced understanding of risks to human and animal health and the environment and release pathways into the environment, and supporting the development of guidance on waste management approaches and antimicrobial discharge limits; and
Promote industry data disclosure, transparency and public access to waste and wastewater management data and mitigation practices in order to build credibility and public confidence. Data disclosure could initially be made to regulators and independent third parties (for example as part of certification schemes), followed by efforts to enable wider public access to increase awareness and understanding, contribute to ongoing studies and reflect environmental standards in procurement practices.
In general, all countries should:
Reduce the need for antimicrobial use through implementation of effective infection prevention and control measures in all sectors, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), vaccination, biosecurity and animal husbandry and welfare measures;
Develop, implement and monitor systems for proper segregation, treatment and/or disposal of antimicrobials and antimicrobial-containing substances in all sectors (including antimicrobial feed and human and animal waste);
Develop mechanisms for collection and proper disposal of unused and expired antimicrobials from individuals and organizations; and
Ensure availability of affordable and environmentally safe incinerators and innovative technologies for destruction and degradation of unused or expired antimicrobials.
In general, relevant international technical organizations and their partners should develop guidance and showcase best practices on proper waste management practices across sectors.
In food systems:
All countries should:
Create and implement manure, wastewater, runoff and farm waste management plans, SOPs, guidance, standards and measures such as composting for manure and its application into agriculture fields; and
Implement evidence-based manure management approaches so that manure can continue to be safely used as a natural fertilizer in agriculture fields and support agro-ecological farming practices while minimizing the risks of transfer of antimicrobial resistant bacteria or antimicrobial resistance determinants.
International technical organizations should:
Expedite the development of tools and guidance to support the implementation of the Codex Code of practice to minimize and contain foodborne AMR and Guidelines on Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance along the food chain (e.g. food processing and production facilities, wet markets, slaughterhouses) to minimize the impacts of antimicrobial discharge into the environment.
Companies involved in the slaughter and processing of food animals should:
Assess current food production practices to implement measures to reduce discharges of by-products, including biocides, into the environment and comply with legal standards and requirements.
In the manufacturing sector:
Manufacturing companies should:
Commit to prevention and management measures to minimize the impacts of manufacturing discharges into the environment. This can be done through effective waste management technologies and practices, adoption and implementation of the common antibiotic manufacturing framework and the proposed independent certification schemes of the AMR Industry Alliance.
All stakeholders should:
Evaluate options and support efforts to create an enabling environment that influences and supports investment through incentives and efforts in pharmaceutical waste management without jeopardizing access to antimicrobials. Such evaluations may include an assessment of sustainable procurement policies, inclusion of environmental considerations in good manufacturing practices, environmental risk assessment before antimicrobial authorization and an independent product-certification scheme.
International technical, financing and research and development organizations and partners should:
Enhance and coordinate research for a comprehensive understanding of risks to human and animal health from the environmental presence of antimicrobials, resistance microbes and mobile genetic elements in discharges, as well as potential hot spots, environmental impacts and antimicrobial resistance pathways, and mitigation measures;
Promote research and development across public and private sectors into cost-effective and greener waste management technologies including methods to remove antimicrobial residues, resistance genes and resistant organisms and other tools (e.g., climate-sensitive incinerators and measurement technologies) and standardized monitoring methods, and support mainstreaming of best practices in process and waste management across sectors; and
Develop policy briefs on antimicrobial resistance and organize policy dialogues among policymakers to support evidence-based policymaking.
Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance background
The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance was established in November 2020 and performs an independent global advisory and advocacy role with the primary objective of maintaining urgency, public support, political momentum and visibility of the AMR challenge on the global agenda. The mission of the group is to collaborate globally with governments, agencies, civil society and the private sector through a One Health approach to advise on and advocate for political action for the mitigation of drug-resistant infections through responsible and sustainable access to and use of antimicrobials.
The group is co-chaired by Their Excellencies Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and is composed of heads of state, serving or former ministers and/or senior government officials acting in their individual capacities, together with senior representatives of foundations, civil society organizations and the private sector. It also includes principals of the Tripartite organizations - the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) - in an ex-officio capacity.
The Tripartite Joint Secretariat (TJS), a joint effort by FAO, OIE and WHO, and UNEP, provides Secretariat support for the Group.
Background on the UN Environment Assembly
The UN Environment Assembly is the world’s highest environmental decision-making body. Through its resolutions and calls to action, the Assembly provides leadership and catalyzes intergovernmental action on the environment. Its resumed fifth session (UNEA5.2) will held in Nairobi, Kenya, and online from 28 February to 2 March 2022.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Wake-up call to all countries to step up mental health services and support.
2 March 2022 - In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO) today. The brief also highlights who has been most affected and summarizes the effect of the pandemic on the availability of mental health services and how this has changed during the pandemic.
Concerns about potential increases in mental health conditions had already prompted 90% of countries surveyed to include mental health and psychosocial support in their COVID-19 response plans, but major gaps and concerns remain.
“The information we have now about the impact of COVID-19 on the world’s mental health is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This is a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of supporting their populations’ mental health.”
One major explanation for the increase is the unprecedented stress caused by the social isolation resulting from the pandemic. Linked to this were constraints on people’s ability to work, seek support from loved ones and engage in their communities.
Loneliness, fear of infection, suffering and death for oneself and for loved ones, grief after bereavement and financial worries have also all been cited as stressors leading to anxiety and depression. Among health workers, exhaustion has been a major trigger for suicidal thinking.
The brief, which is informed by a comprehensive review of existing evidence about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and mental health services, and includes estimates from the latest Global Burden of Disease study, shows that the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people and that they are disproportionally at risk of suicidal and self-harming behaviours. It also indicates that women have been more severely impacted than men and that people with pre-existing physical health conditions, such as asthma, cancer and heart disease, were more likely to develop symptoms of mental disorders.
Data suggests that people with pre-existing mental disorders do not appear to be disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. Yet, when these people do become infected, they are more likely to suffer hospitalization, severe illness and death compared with people without mental disorders. People with more severe mental disorders, such as psychoses, and young people with mental disorders, are particularly at risk.
This increase in the prevalence of mental health problems has coincided with severe disruptions to mental health services, leaving huge gaps in care for those who need it most. For much of the pandemic, services for mental, neurological and substance use conditions were the most disrupted among all essential health services reported by WHO Member States. Many countries also reported major disruptions in life-saving services for mental health, including for suicide prevention.
By the end of 2021 the situation had somewhat improved but today too many people remain unable to get the care and support they need for both pre-existing and newly developed mental health conditions.
Unable to access face-to-face care, many people have sought support online, signaling an urgent need to make reliable and effective digital tools available and easily accessible. However, developing and deploying digital interventions remains a major challenge in resource-limited countries and settings.
Since the early days of the pandemic, WHO and partners have worked to develop and disseminate resources in multiple languages and formats to help different groups cope with and respond to the mental health impacts of COVID-19. For example, WHO produced a story book for 6-11-year-olds, My Hero is You, now available in 142 languages and 61 multimedia adaptations, as well as a toolkit for supporting older adults available in 16 languages.
At the same time, the Organization has worked with partners, including other United Nations agencies, international nongovernmental organizations and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to lead an interagency mental health and psychosocial response to COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, WHO has also worked to promote the integration of mental health and psychosocial support across and within all aspects of the global response.
WHO Member States have recognized the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and are taking action. WHO’s most recent pulse survey on continuity of essential health services indicated that 90% of countries are working to provide mental health and psychosocial support to COVID-19 patients and responders alike. Moreover, at last year’s World Health Assembly, countries emphasized the need to develop and strengthen mental health and psychosocial support services as part of strengthening preparedness, response and resilience to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. They adopted the updated Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030, which includes an indicator on preparedness for mental health and psychosocial support in public health emergencies.
However, this commitment to mental health needs to be accompanied by a global step up in investment. Unfortunately, the situation underscores a chronic global shortage of mental health resources that continues today. WHO’s most recent Mental Health Atlas showed that in 2020, governments worldwide spent on average just over 2% of their health budgets on mental health and many low-income countries reported having fewer than 1 mental health worker per 100 000 people.
Dévora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at WHO, sums up the situation: ”While the pandemic has generated interest in and concern for mental health, it has also revealed historical under-investment in mental health services. Countries must act urgently to ensure that mental health support is available to all.”
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Over 1 billion people aged 12 to 35 years risk losing their hearing due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music and other recreational sounds. This can have devastating consequences for their physical and mental health, education, and employment prospects.
Ahead of World Hearing Day 2022, under the theme To hear for life, listen with care! WHO has issued a new international standard for safe listening at venues and events. The standard applies to places and activities where amplified music is played.
“Millions of teenagers and young people are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices and exposure to damaging sound levels at venues such as nightclubs, bars, concerts and sporting events,” said Dr Bente Mikkelsen, WHO Director for the Department for Noncommunicable Diseases.
She added: “The risk is intensified as most audio devices, venues and events do not provide safe listening options and contribute to the risk of hearing loss. The new WHO standard aims to better safeguard young people as they enjoy their leisure activities.”
The Global standard for safe listening at venues and events highlights six recommendations for implementation to ensure that venues and events limit the risk of hearing loss to their patrons while preserving high-quality sound and an enjoyable listening experience. The six recommendations are:
(1) a maximum average sound level of 100 decibels
(2) live monitoring and recording of sound levels using calibrated equipment by designated staff
(3) optimizing venue acoustics and sound systems to ensure enjoyable sound quality and safe listening
(4) making personal hearing protection available to audiences including instructions on use
(5) access to quiet zones for people to rest their ears and decrease the risk of hearing damage; and
(6) provision of training and information to staff.
The new standard was developed under WHO’s Make Listening Safe initiative which seeks to improve listening practices especially among young people, drawing on the latest evidence and consultations with a range of stakeholders including experts from WHO, government, industry, consumers, and civil society.
Exposure to loud sounds causes temporary hearing loss or tinnitus. But prolonged or repeated exposure can lead to permanent hearing damage, resulting in irreversible hearing loss. Young people can better protect their hearing by:
· keeping the volume down on personal audio devices
· using well-fitted, and if possible, noise-cancelling earphones/headphones
· wearing earplugs at noisy venues
· getting regular hearing check-ups
WHO encourages governments to develop and enforce legislation for safe listening and raise awareness of the risks of hearing loss. The private sector should include WHO’s recommendations for safe listening features in their products, venues, and events. To motivate behaviour change, civil society organizations, parents, teachers, and physicians can educate young people to practice safe listening habits.
“Governments, civil society and private sector entities such as manufacturers of personal audio devices, sound systems, and video gaming equipment as well as owners and managers of entertainment venues and events have an important role to play in advocating for the new global standard,” said Dr Ren Minghui, WHO Assistant Director-General. “We must work together to promote safe listening practices, especially among young people.”
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Please find below links from the Virtual Press Conference on Ukraine situation, COVID-19 and other global health issues held on Mrach 2, 2022
WHO participants included:
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response
Dr Mariângela Batista Galvão Simão, Assistant Director-General, Access to Medicines and Health Products
Dr Bruce Aylward, Senior Advisor to the Director-General
Dr Kate O'Brien, Director of WHO Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical Lead
Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative to Ukraine and Head of Ukraine Country Office
Dr Heather Papowitz, Incident Manager, Ukraine Response, WHO/Europe
Dr Adelheid Marschang, Senior Emergencies Officer, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
WHO is deeply concerned about the unfolding humanitarian emergency in Ukraine.
WHO is on the ground, working with our partners to respond, to assess the impact of the conflict on the health of Ukraine’s people and its health system, and to deliver essential medical supplies from our hub in Dubai.
The first shipment will arrive in Poland tomorrow, including 36 metric tonnes of supplies for trauma care and emergency surgery to meet the needs of 1,000 patients, and other health supplies to meet the needs of 150,000 people.
Prior to the conflict, WHO distributed emergency supplies to 23 hospitals, although our prepositioned supplies in Kyiv are currently inaccessible.
There is an urgent need to establish a corridor to ensure humanitarian workers and supplies have safe and continuous access to reach people in need.
To support our response, WHO has so far released US$5.2 million US dollars from our Contingency Fund for Emergencies. Our needs for the next three months are US$45 million for Ukraine, and 12.5 million dollars to support neighbouring countries to care for refugees.
Anyone can contribute to support our response through the WHO Foundation appeal page, by going to www.who.foundation and clicking on “donate”.
We are also deeply concerned about reports of attacks on health facilities and health workers.
We have received several unconfirmed reports of attacks on hospitals and health infrastructure, and one confirmed incident last week, in which a hospital came under heavy weapons attack, killing four people and injuring ten, including six health workers.
We are currently in the process of verifying several other incidents.
The sanctity and neutrality of health care – including of health workers, patients, supplies, transport and facilities – and the right to safe access to care, must be respected and protected.
Attacks on health care are in violation of international humanitarian law.
Prior to the conflict, Ukraine had experienced a recent surge of cases of COVID-19.
Low rates of testing since the start of the conflict mean there is likely to be significant undetected transmission.
Coupled with low vaccination coverage, this increases the risk of large numbers of people developing severe disease.
Critical shortages of oxygen will have an impact on the ability to treat patients with COVID-19 and many other conditions.
At least three major oxygen plants in Ukraine have now closed, and we are seeking ways of accessing oxygen from neighbouring countries and ways to deliver it safely to where it’s needed.
Mass population movements are likely to contribute further to transmission of COVID-19, potentially increasing pressure on health systems in neighbouring countries.
As of yesterday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 870,000 refugees have left Ukraine, and we expect that number to increase rapidly.
WHO is supporting neighbouring countries to address key health issues among refugees and forcibly displaced persons, including mental health and psychological assistance, as well as treatment for diseases including HIV, TB and cancer.
WHO remains committed to meeting the health needs of the people of Ukraine.
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Now, to COVID-19.
It’s encouraging to see that deaths from COVID-19 are now declining globally, and in most regions.
And it's pleasing to see some countries being able to relax restrictions, without their health systems being overwhelmed.
But it's far too early to declare victory over COVID-19.
There are still many countries with high rates of hospitalization and death, and low rates of vaccine coverage.
And with high transmission, the threat of a new and more dangerous variant remains very real.
We continue to urge all people in all countries to exercise caution, and we urge all governments to support their people to protect themselves and others.
The only sustainable way out of the pandemic is to reach high vaccine coverage in all countries.
Globally, 56% of the world's population has been fully vaccinated, but only 9% of the population of low-income countries.
We are now overcoming many of the supply and delivery constraints we faced last year, with more than 1.3 billion doses of vaccine delivered by COVAX, and the supply outlook for this year is positive.
We must now turn our attention to addressing the crucial question of how we turn vaccines into vaccinations, how we ensure all countries have enough tests, enough oxygen to treat patients, and enough PPE to keep health workers safe.
And we call on all governments to continue with surveillance, to track the virus, as well as testing to make sure patients receive the right treatment.
To achieve all our targets, we are calling on all countries to fill the urgent financing gap of US$16 billion for the ACT Accelerator.
Germany has become the first country to pledge to meet its ‘fair share’, with a generous contribution of US$ 1.22 billion. Vielen dank Germany, and we look forward to other countries following your lead.
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We must also remember that the effects of the pandemic go far beyond the death and disease caused by the virus itself.
In particular, COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on mental health.
A new WHO report estimates that in the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by more than 25%.
The greatest increases in depression and anxiety were found in places that were the most affected by COVID-19, where infections were high and social interaction was restricted.
Our review found that females were more affected than males, and younger people, especially those aged between 20 and 24, were more affected than older adults.
This increase in the prevalence of mental health problems coincided with severe disruptions to mental health services, and underscored chronic underinvestment in mental health, leaving huge gaps in care for those who need it most.
By the end of last year, some services had been restored, but too many people remain unable to get the care and support they need.
WHO has worked with partners to lead an inter-agency response to the mental health impacts of COVID-19, by disseminating guidance, tools and resources for responders and the general public, and by supporting countries to integrate mental health and psychosocial support in their response.
Christian, back to you.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge call for critical medical supplies to safely reach those who need them, and are working with partners to establish safe transit for shipments through Poland
During the crisis in Ukraine, health must remain a priority pillar of the humanitarian response, with health systems and facilities remaining protected, functional, safe and accessible to all who need essential medical services, and health workers protected so they can continue to save lives
This must include the safe and reliable provision of essential medical supplies, including life-saving medicinal oxygen supplies, which are crucial for patients with a range of conditions, including those with COVID-19 (which number 1,700 in hospital now), and those with other critical illnesses (from neonates to older persons) stemming from complications of pregnancy, childbirth, chronic conditions, sepsis, and injuries and trauma.
The oxygen supply situation is nearing a very dangerous point in Ukraine. Trucks are unable to transport oxygen supplies from plants to hospitals across the country, including the capital Kyiv. The majority of hospitals could exhaust their oxygen reserves within the next 24 hours. Some have already run out. This puts thousands of lives at risk.
Further, medical oxygen generator manufacturers in several areas are also facing shortages of zeolite, a crucial, mainly imported chemical product necessary to produce safe medical oxygen. Safe deliveries of zeolite from outside Ukraine to these plants is also needed.
Compounding the risk to patients, critical hospital services are also being jeopardized by electricity and power shortages, and ambulances transporting patients are in danger of getting caught in the crossfire.
In recent years, with WHO support, Ukraine had made significant strides in strengthening its health systems under an ambitious health reform programme. This included the rapid scale-up of oxygen therapy capacity for severely ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the over 600 health facilities nationwide assessed by WHO during the pandemic, close to half were directly supported with supplies, technical know-how and infrastructure investments, enabling health authorities to save tens of thousands of lives.
This progress is now at risk of being derailed during the current crisis.
WHO is helping health authorities identify the country’s immediate oxygen supply surge needs, assuming a 20% to 25% increase over previous needs before the crisis escalated last week.
Despite the challenges posed by the current situation, WHO is working to ensure a supply of oxygen-related medical devices and trauma treatment supplies.
To achieve this, WHO is actively looking at solutions to increase supplies that likely would include the importation of oxygen (liquid and cylinders) from regional networks. These supplies would need safe transit, including via a logistics corridor through Poland. It is imperative to ensure that lifesaving medical supplies – including oxygen – reach those who need them.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
Dear colleagues and friends,
Just over two years ago, as the world was still coming to grips with the spread of this novel coronavirus, WHO did what only WHO can do – we brought scientists together from around the world to identify the most urgent priorities for research and development.
It’s incredible to think that at the time, there were just over 1,000 reported deaths in China, and only one reported death in the rest of the world.
24 months later, and almost 6 million people have lost their lives.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis unlike any that any of us have experienced in our lifetimes.
It is teaching us all many painful lessons.
The first is that pandemic preparedness is a constant, long-term investment.
As you know, there have been many reviews, reports and recommendations about the global response.
And there are many ongoing discussions about how to make the world safer. Today, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body is holding its first meeting here at WHO to discuss a new global accord on pandemic preparedness and response.
But underlying all of them is the reality that we cannot make the world safer without investments in science, research and innovation.
The second lesson is that by embedding research at the heart of the pandemic response, we can achieve two goals: to help us end the acute phase of the current pandemic, and to protect us from the epidemics and pandemics of the future.
It is vital that our research efforts now focus not only on the current variants of concern, but also to understand how the virus is evolving, so that our research efforts can help us with whatever may come.
And the third lesson is that even as we invest in research now, we must also be making longer-term investments in research capabilities around the globe, to prepare us for future viruses and other health threats.
It is critical that we come together to support and develop the capacity of research institutions and researchers in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO and partners have maintained a network of global researchers and experts that have produced a Global Research Roadmap to focus research efforts on COVID-19, debate research priorities, develop methods and critically appraise emerging evidence.
This effort involves hundreds of virtual scientific consultations with thousands of scientists around the world.
These global research efforts have filled in many of the key knowledge gaps around COVID-19 identified in the roadmap, including the epidemiological behaviour of the virus, supporting the development of safe and effective vaccines in record time, and evaluating potential therapeutics.
This rapid scale-up and coordination of research was facilitated by work over years by WHO’s Research and Development Blueprint for Epidemics, which was established after the West African Ebola epidemic to identify and stimulate research and development for high-risk pathogens.
Scaling up our collective efforts quickly during this pandemic was possible because we were already collaborating globally on shared priorities. This is the essence of collaborative foresight and collective preparedness that we need in future.
WHO’s global coordination and support for the world’s leading scientists and researchers from almost every country does not always grab the media headlines.
But it has been key in underpinning the important initiatives and breakthroughs that will be presented today.
These processes and platforms will be the foundation for the research response for future epidemics, pandemics and other global health emergencies.
Thank you all for your participation today, and for contributing your time and expertise to a healthier, safer, fairer future.
I thank you.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
This updated report once again brings a spotlight to the immense and tireless global research effort to control COVID-19.
The report not only details the successes but also the priority research tasks and lessons learned that are critical in the next phase of the pandemic - as the world strives to move to ‘endemic’ status. Crucially, focusing on how global research actions and platforms that are bolstering our response to COVID-19 right now, can also be deployed in the future to help the world rapidly combat new threats from viruses and other pathogens.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
WHO releases emergency funds to purchase desperately needed medical supplies
24 February 2022 ¦ Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) is deeply concerned for the health of the people of Ukraine in the escalating crisis. The health system must continue to function to deliver essential care to people for all health issues, from COVID-19 to cancer, diabetes and tuberculosis, to mental health issues, especially for vulnerable groups such as older persons and migrants.
Maximum care must be taken by all parties to ensure that health facilities, workers, patients, transport, and supplies are not targeted. As part of WHO’s role to document attacks on health, we will continue to monitor and report such incidents.
I also call for sustained and safe access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
WHO has for decades worked closely with health authorities across Ukraine. We have a deep knowledge of the capacities and needs of the country’s health system.
Today I released a further US$3.5 million from WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) to purchase and deliver urgent medical supplies. This humanitarian health support is expected to rise following further needs assessments. This new support complements the trauma and medical supplies which we prepositioned in health facilities.
We will continue to deliver care and support the people across Ukraine affected by this crisis.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.
As part of its on-going work to track variants, WHO's Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) met yesterday to discuss the latest evidence on the Omicron variant of concern, including its sublineages BA.1 and BA.2.
Based on available data of transmission, severity, reinfection, diagnostics, therapeutics and impacts of vaccines, the group reinforced that the BA.2 sublineage should continue to be considered a variant of concern and that it should remain classified as Omicron. The group emphasized that BA.2 should continue to be monitored as a distinct sublineage of Omicron by public health authorities.
The Omicron variant of concern is currently the dominant variant circulating globally, accounting for nearly all sequences reported to GISAID. Omicron is made up of several sublineages, each of them being monitored by WHO and partners. Of them, the most common ones are BA.1, BA.1.1 (or Nextstrain clade 21K) and BA.2 (or Nextstrain clade 21L). At a global level, the proportion of reported sequences designated BA.2 has been increasing relative to BA.1 in recent weeks, however the global circulation of all variants is reportedly declining.
BA.2 differs from BA.1 in its genetic sequence, including some amino acid differences in the spike protein and other proteins. Studies have shown that BA.2 has a growth advantage over BA.1. Studies are ongoing to understand the reasons for this growth advantage, but initial data suggest that BA.2 appears inherently more transmissible than BA.1, which currently remains the most common Omicron sublineage reported. This difference in transmissibility appears to be much smaller than, for example, the difference between BA.1 and Delta. Further, although BA.2 sequences are increasing in proportion relative to other Omicron sublineages (BA.1 and BA.1.1), there is still a reported decline in overall cases globally.
Studies are evaluating the risk of reinfection with BA.2 compared to BA.1. Reinfection with BA.2 following infection with BA.1 has been documented, however, initial data from population-level reinfection studies suggest that infection with BA.1 provides strong protection against reinfection with BA.2, at least for the limited period for which data are available.
While reaching the above determination, the TAG-VE also looked at preliminary laboratory data from Japan generated using animal models without any immunity to SARS-CoV-2 which highlighted that BA.2 may cause more severe disease in hamsters compared to BA.1. They also considered real-world data on clinical severity from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, where immunity from vaccination or natural infection is high: in this data, there was no reported difference in severity between BA.2 and BA.1.
WHO will continue to closely monitor the BA.2 lineage as part of Omicron and requests countries to continue to be vigilant, to monitor and report sequences, as well as to conduct independent and comparative analyses of the different Omicron sublineages.
The TAG-VE meets regularly and continues to discuss available data on transmissibility and severity of variants, and their impact on diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.