New ACT-Accelerator strategic plan sets out urgent actions to address crucial gaps in access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines and personal protective equipment in low- and middle-income countries, using the latest epidemiological, supply and market information.
Delivering this plan is crucial to reaching globally agreed targets for COVID-19 tools, to help prevent at least 5 million potential additional deaths, save the global economy more than US$5.3 trillion, and accelerate the end of the pandemic everywhere.
The ACT-Accelerator needs US$23.4 billion until September 2022 to implement this plan, reflecting a fresh scope, advances in science and supply, and new actors joining the pandemic response.
The new plan also responds to the recent independent Strategic Review’s key recommendations and will be implemented alongside global health, government, civil society and private sector partners.
GENEVA, 28th October 2021 – The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator has today launched its strategic plan and budget for the next 12 months, outlining the urgent actions and funding needed to address deep inequities in the COVID-19 response, save millions of lives and end the acute phase of the pandemic.
Inequitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines is prolonging the pandemic everywhere and risking the emergence of new, more dangerous variants that could evade current tools to fight the disease. So far, only 0.4% of tests and 0.5% of vaccines administered worldwide have been used in low-income countries, despite these countries comprising 9% of the global population.
The ACT-Accelerator partnership of leading global health agencies needs US$23.4 billion to help the most at-risk countries secure and deploy COVID-19 tools between now and September 2022. This figure pales in comparison to the trillions of dollars in economic losses caused by the pandemic and the cost of stimulus plans to support national recoveries.
The new strategic plan, which integrates key findings of the recent Strategic Review, will see the ACT-Accelerator leverage its progress to date, to shift to a more targeted focus on addressing access gaps in underserved countries, delivering vaccines, treatments, tests and personal protective equipment where they’re most needed.
Fully funding the new strategic plan and budget will enable the partnership to:
Support the vaccination objectives of 91 lower-income countries in the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) and other countries, by delivering sufficient doses and supporting vaccination campaigns to achieve 43% coverage in AMC countries – contributing to the global target of 70% coverage in all countries by mid-2022.
Assist the 144 countries in the Diagnostics Consortium in reaching a minimum testing rate of at least 1 per 1000 people per day, and ensuring sufficient genetic sequencing capacity globally to rapidly detect new variants of concern.
Ensure 120 million COVID-19 patients in low- and middle-income countries have access to existing and emerging treatments, including medical oxygen.
Keep 2.7 million health workers in low- and middle-income countries safe with personal protective equipment (PPE).
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said: “To end the pandemic, governments, manufacturers and donors must fully fund the ACT-Accelerator to address inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. In focusing its energies on addressing the great equity gap for these tools, the ACT-Accelerator is bolstering its role as an ally for countries side-lined by market forces in securing life-saving interventions. Fully funding the ACT-Accelerator is a global health security imperative for us all – the time to act is now.”
The ACT-Accelerator’s plan to address inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments will help avert more than 5 million potential deaths. It is also essential to the global economic recovery. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates a loss of US$5.3 trillion in global revenues by 2026 if large parts of the world remain unprotected from COVID-19.
The ACT-Accelerator Facilitation Council provides high-level political leadership and advice on global advocacy and resource mobilization to the initiative, and is co-chaired by Norway and South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said: “South Africa welcomes the launch of this new strategic plan, which seeks to address the escalating inequities in the global COVID-19 response. Nowhere is this inequity more apparent than on the African continent, where just 8% of the population has received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Every delay in fully funding the ACT-Accelerator will see the pandemic prolonged, more lives will be lost and more livelihoods will be devastated. We need equitable access now to COVID-19 treatments, tests and vaccines, and this is a plan to achieve that.”
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway said: “While a new normal is emerging for people who have access to COVID-19 tools, this is still a distant prospect for the majority of the world’s population. Without access to COVID-19 tools, we will not be able to achieve full economic and social recovery. The new ACT-Accelerator strategy is key to address inequities in access to COVID-19 tools. This is a collective effort. Now we must ensure inclusive and effective implementation.”
The new strategic plan integrates key recommendations from an independent Strategic Review of the ACT-Accelerator that was published on 8 October 2021, including to extend the mandate of the ACT-Accelerator, enhance focus on delivery, and to further strengthen engagement with low- and middle-income countries and civil society organisations to maximise impact.
A key element of the new plan is the reconfigured Health Systems & Response Connector (HSRC). The connector will ensure closer engagement with countries and that they have the necessary technical, operational, and financial resources to deploy tools.
From research to rollout, the ACT-Accelerator remains the world’s only end-to-end solution for accelerating the development and fair distribution of COVID-19 tools. Through the COVAX pillar – led by Gavi, CEPI and WHO, alongside UNICEF as key delivery partner – and the Diagnostics Pillar – led by FIND and the Global Fund – the ACT-Accelerator is working to address challenges of equitable access and to help the world meet the global targets of 70% vaccination coverage by mid-2022 and minimum testing rates of at least 1 per 1000 people per day in 2022.
Through the Therapeutics Pillar – led by Unitaid and Wellcome – the ACT-Accelerator is working to provide treatments for up to 120 million COVID-19 cases expected in the next 12 months in low-income countries, lower middle-income countries and underserved upper middle-income countries, focused on equitable access to effective tools, including existing and potential new treatments and medical oxygen. The Health Systems & Response Connector priorities for the next year include connecting countries with financing, tracking needs in real time, and addressing surge staffing requirements for vaccine rollouts, with work being led by the Global Fund, the World Bank, WHO, with UNICEF and the Global Financing Facility as implementing partners.
The ACT-Accelerator’s impact so far includes:
Delivering more than 425 million vaccine doses to 144 countries and territories through COVAX;
Halving the cost of COVID-19 rapid tests, transferring technology to low and middle-income countries, and delivering more than 128 million tests through the Diagnostics Consortium;
Increasing essential oxygen, personal protective equipment (PPE) and treatment supplies, including through the advance purchase of nearly 3 million doses of dexamethasone and more than US$4 billion worth of support from the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism (C19RM).
To provide enough vaccines, tests and treatments for distribution to all in need, the ACT-Accelerator has also helped build a robust development pipeline of COVID-19 tools through investments in areas from research and clinical trials to product development, rapid regulatory approvals and market shaping.
Carl Bildt, WHO Special Envoy for the ACT-Accelerator, said: “Fully funding the ACT-Accelerator is the best way for the world to avert further economic losses caused by the pandemic. Vaccine inequity kills. Efforts on tests and treatments are seriously underfunded, blinding and weakening us in fighting this virus. We have the tools to end this pandemic, but they will only succeed in doing so if every community in every country has access to them. Equitable pandemic policy is also good economic policy and will help minimise the costs of this crisis. The time for warm words is over, the deadline to act is now.”
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: “The pandemic is far from over so the ACT-Accelerator, as the only global initiative dedicated to equitable access, remains critical to global health security. However, the ACT-Accelerator cannot deliver on its promises unless it receives dramatically more funding. The global community must step up and support our mission to get life-saving tools to people who need them, wherever they are in the world, so we can finally put an end to this pandemic.”
Dr Bill Rodriguez, CEO of FIND, said: “The ACT-Accelerator has made critical updates to its strategy and plan to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes acknowledge the reality of the two-track pandemic we are now fighting, and the ongoing inequity of access to the tests, treatments, and vaccines that were so quick to be developed and so slow to reach billions of people. It is also clear that no single tool is a panacea – while the roll out of vaccines must continue, it is equally important to hit the new testing targets so that we can track and defeat variants, break chains of transmission, and link people to new treatments and life-saving care.”
Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said: “It is vitally important that governments, donors, industry and others support the ACT-Accelerator and its efforts to remedy the inequity in access to vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. In 2022, COVAX will be supporting countries’ vaccination objectives, focusing particularly on those that rely on it for access to safe and effective vaccines. We have seen the consequences of not having resources in place to make deals for doses: with the race to secure doses for 2022 already underway, early funding will be essential to ensuring COVAX participants can achieve equitable coverage.”
Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said: “Inequity in access to COVID-19 tools remains unacceptably high while we face new variants, acute oxygen shortages and the urgent need to protect health workers in low- and middle-income countries. Only by fully funding the ACT-Accelerator and working even more closely with the countries and communities can we fill those gaps and make vaccines, personal protective equipment, tests and treatments accessible to everyone. As long as the poorest are left behind, the pandemic will not go away and any progress against COVID-19 will be at risk."
Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, said: "The pathway out of the pandemic is paved by equal access to vaccines, treatments and tests. Until we achieve this, we all remain at risk. UNICEF is delivering these vital supplies where they are most needed, and helping countries prepare for their vaccination efforts. However, we cannot do this without the help and support of our donors and partners. Together, we can stop the pandemic from continuing to upend the lives of children and their families everywhere."
Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid, said: “To fight COVID-19 we need medicines such as oral antivirals, tests and vaccines. Unitaid, the co-lead of the ACT Accelerator’s Therapeutics Pillar, is committed to rapidly bring state-of-the-art treatments to those in need, when approved by WHO. Getting new lifesaving medicines available to low- and middle-income countries at the same time as they come to wealthy countries, is not just key to speeding up an end to the pandemic; it’s a moral imperative. For that we need to create a quality generic market.”
Juan Pablo Uribe, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank; Director for Global Financing Facility (GFF), said: “The World Bank is an active partner of ACT-A and we fully support the newly restructured Health Systems & Response Connector (HSRC). While vaccines, tests and treatments are key to fight the pandemic, it is as important to help countries be able to effectively deploy these tools to the people who need them. That’s what the HSRC will be focusing on.”
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.
BRAZZAVILLE - 28 October - Just five African countries, less than 10% of Africa’s 54 nations, are projected to hit the year-end target of fully vaccinating 40% of their people, unless efforts to accelerate the pace take off. This comes as the Region grapples to meet rising demand for essential vaccination commodities, such as syringes.
Three African countries, Seychelles, Mauritius and Morocco, have already met the goal that was set in May by the World Health Assembly, the world’s highest health policy-setting body. At the current pace just two more countries, Tunisia and Cabo Verde, will also hit the target.
In addition, limited access to crucial commodities such as syringes may slow the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Africa. UNICEF has reported an imminent shortfall of up to 2.2 billion auto-disable syringes for COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization in 2022. This includes 0.3ml auto-disposable syringes for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination.
There is no global stockpile of the 0.3ml specialized syringes, which differ from the 0.5ml syringes used for other types of COVID-19 vaccines and routine vaccination. The market for 0.3ml auto-disable syringes is tight and extremely competitive. As such, these are in short supply and will remain so through at least the first quarter of next year.
Already some African countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, have experienced delays in receiving syringes.
“The looming threat of a vaccine commodities crisis hangs over the continent. Early next year COVID-19 vaccines will start pouring into Africa, but a scarcity of syringes could paralyze progress. Drastic measures must be taken to boost syringe production, fast. Countless African lives depend on it,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa.
The COVAX Facility is working to address this threat by securing deals with syringe manufacturers, and through better planning to avoid deliveries outpacing the supply of syringes.
In October to date, around 50 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have arrived in Africa, which is almost double what was shipped in September. COVAX, the global platform to ensure equitable access to vaccines, has delivered almost 90% percent of the vaccines deployed this month and has accelerated its shipments since July. However, at the current pace, Africa still faces a 275 million shortfall of COVID-19 vaccines against the year-end target of fully vaccinating 40% of its people.
Africa has fully vaccinated 77 million people, just 6% of its population. In comparison, over 70% of high-income countries have already vaccinated more than 40% of their people.
Countries still need to improve their readiness for COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. Forty-two percent of countries in the African Region have not yet completed district level plans for their campaigns, while nearly 40% have not yet undertaken intra-action reviews which are key to refining and improving their vaccination campaigns.
“In Africa, planning must become much more granular. This way we can spot challenges before they arise and nip any problems in the bud. WHO is supporting African countries in developing, improving and implementing their National Vaccine Deployment Plans and continually refining their COVID-19 vaccine rollouts as they proceed,” said Dr Moeti.
WHO is conducting emergency support missions to five African countries to help support, speed up and improve their COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, with plans for missions to another 10 countries this year. WHO experts are working with local authorities and partners on the ground to analyze the reasons for any delays, and how best to address them. In South Sudan, authorities aim to ensure that the WHO mission will help the country meet its goal of achieving a tenfold increase in the daily COVID-19 vaccination rate, from 2 000 to 2 5000.
Nearly 8.5 million COVID-19 cases and more than 217 000 deaths have been recorded in Africa. In the week ending on October 24, there were more than 29 300 new cases, a drop of nearly 30% compared with the previous week. But 10 African countries are still in resurgence, including four with upward trend or high plateau: Gabon, Congo, Cameroon and Egypt. The Delta variant has been found in 41 countries, the Alpha variant in 47, and Beta in 43.
Dr Moeti spoke during a virtual press conference today, facilitated by APO Group. She was joined by Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, Director-General, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and Mr Sibusiso Hlatjwako, Director of External Affairs for PATH in the Africa Region & PATH Country Representative, South Africa.
Also on hand to respond to questions were WHO’s Dr Phionah Atuhebwe, New Vaccine Introduction Officer, and Dr Thierno Balde, Deputy Incident Manager for COVID-19 response.
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.
The global number of reported cases and deaths from COVID-19 is now increasing for the first time in two months, driven by an ongoing rise in Europe that outweighs declines in other regions. The pandemic persists in large part because inequitable access to tools persists.
This is the scenario that the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator was set up last year to prevent. We have shown that the ACT Accelerator works. But the ACT Accelerator has so far been prevented from fulfilling its potential by severe supply and financing constraints.
Today, we are releasing the new Plan and budget for the ACT Accelerator, with an ask of 23.4 billion US dollars, to meet our global targets and deliver the tools that are needed to countries over the next 12 months.
This weekend, the leaders of the G20 countries will meet in Rome. Together, these countries have the ability to make the political and financial commitments that are needed to end this pandemic, and to prevent future crises.
We’re proud today to launch the third edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival. We invite independent film makers, production companies, public institutions, NGOs, communities, students – anyone – to submit original short films of three to eight minutes.
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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
First, it’s a great honour to welcome His Excellency Jonas Gahr Støre, the new Prime Minister of Norway. Tusen takk for joining us.
Your Excellency, congratulations on your election, and thank you for joining us today. Gratulerer, statsminister, and we look forward to your comments in a few moments.
The global number of reported cases and deaths from COVID-19 is now increasing for the first time in two months, driven by an ongoing rise in Europe that outweighs declines in other regions.
It’s another reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over.
The pandemic persists in large part because inequitable access to tools persists.
Eighty times more tests, and 30 times more vaccines, have been administered in high-income countries than low-income countries.
If the 6.8 billion vaccine doses administered globally so far had been distributed equitably, we would have reached our 40% target in every country by now.
As it is, health workers and vulnerable people in low- and middle-income countries remain unprotected, oxygen isn’t getting to those who need it, and a lack of testing is leaving many countries blind to how the virus is circulating, and the world blind to emerging variants.
This is the scenario that the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator was set up last year to prevent.
And we have shown that the ACT Accelerator works.
So far, WHO and our partners have delivered 425 million vaccine doses to 144 countries through COVAX, including 300 million doses just in the past four months.
We’ve delivered more than 128 million tests;
And we have increased the supply of oxygen, personal protective equipment and treatments, including nearly 3 million doses of dexamethasone.
But the ACT Accelerator has so far been prevented from fulfilling its potential by severe supply and financing constraints.
Unless the pandemic is controlled everywhere, the virus will mutate and continue to circulate everywhere.
All countries, including high-income countries, are at continued high risk of being exposed to new variants – infecting those who are fully vaccinated, risking the effectiveness of the tools we have, and risking the re-introduction of more stringent public health measures.
The high transmissibility of the Delta variant has reinforced what we have been saying since we set up the ACT Accelerator: vaccines alone will not end the pandemic. We need all tools – vaccines, tests, treatments, PPE and public health measures - to fight COVID-19 and save lives and livelihoods now.
Alongside vaccination, testing is needed to identify disease hotspots, track the emergence of new, dangerous variants and guide the use of COVID-19 treatments;
Treatments, including medical oxygen, are needed especially for those severely affected by COVID-19 and for at-risk groups;
And we need effective health systems to turn vaccines into vaccinations and tests into testing.
WHO is working with our partners in countries to use these tools most effectively.
For all of this, the ACT Accelerator must be fully funded and fully enabled.
Global coordination is the only way to defeat this virus. Market forces and bilateral deals alone will not close the equity gap.
Today, we are releasing the new Plan and budget for the ACT Accelerator, with an ask of US$23.4 billion, to meet our global targets and deliver the tools that are needed to countries over the next 12 months.
Fully funding the ACT Accelerator is an essential component of WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, our overarching plan for bringing the pandemic under control.
Making these investments could save more than 5 million lives, primarily in low- and lower-middle income countries.
And they’re a drop in the ocean compared with the cost of failing to end the pandemic. If the COVID-19 pandemic is not brought under control, the IMF warns that global GDP will be reduced by more than US$5 trillion over the next five years.
This weekend, the leaders of the G20 countries will meet in Rome. Together, these countries have the ability to make the political and financial commitments that are needed to end this pandemic, and to prevent future crises.
We are at a decisive moment, requiring decisive leadership to make the world safer. I have three requests for the G20 leaders.
First, fully fund the ACT Accelerator.
Second, support the creation of an overarching framework for global health security, through a legally-binding treaty on pandemic preparedness and response.
And third, support the creation of a Health Threats Financing Board, supported by a Financial Intermediary Fund, hosted by the World Bank.
Since we launched the ACT Accelerator 18 months ago, the Government of Norway has been one of its strongest supporters, including as co-chair, with South Africa, of the ACT Accelerator Facilitation Council.
It’s therefore my great pleasure to welcome His Excellency Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister of Norway.
Prime Minister Støre also once worked for WHO, so Prime Minister, welcome back to WHO, and thank you for Norway’s support for the ACT Accelerator so far. Tusen takk, and you have the floor.
[H.E. JONAS GAHR STØRE ADDRESSED THE MEDIA]
Thank you so much, Your Excellency Prime Minister Støre, and thank you once again for Norway’s leadership and partnership.
Margaret, back to you.
Dr Tedros made the following remarks at the conclusion of the media briefing
Finally, we’re proud today to launch the third edition of the WHO Health for All Film Festival.
The first two editions of the festival were very successful, attracting an average of 1,250 films from 110 countries.
Last year’s winning films tell powerful stories about people facing health challenges of all kinds, from female genital mutilation to rheumatic heart disease, from leukaemia to disabilities – and about the health workers who have devoted their lives to protecting people from COVID-19.
This year’s call for films opens today, and will close on the 30th of January next year. We invite independent film makers, production companies, public institutions, NGOs, communities, students – anyone – to submit original short films of three to eight minutes.
Like last year, there are three themes, matching WHO’s three strategic priorities: universal health coverage; health emergencies; and healthier populations.
A Grand Prix will be awarded in each category, as well as special prizes for a student-produced film, a health innovation film, and a film about rehabilitation.
I’m delighted to announce that the Golden Globe winning actress, producer and advocate Sharon Stone has agreed to join this year’s jury, and we are calling for at least six distinguished professionals, artists and activists to join her.
I look forward to seeing this year’s entries, and I look forward to another successful Health for All Film Festival, and many more to come.
Thank you, and see you next week.
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.
Khartoum, Sudan, 24 October — The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered critical medicines and health supplies from its logistics hub in Dubai to Khartoum, Sudan to address the health needs of 1.5 million people, including the protection of over 300,000 front-line health workers.
This operation represents the single largest air bridge conducted between the United Arab Emirates and Sudan.
“We are very grateful to His Excellency Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for making his royal aircraft available to WHO, and for Dubai’s continued support in making these flights happen. The expedited transport and delivery of these medicines will most certainly save lives and alleviate suffering and we are grateful for the support from all parties engaged in coordinating this historic operation,” said Dr Nima Abid, WHO Representative in Sudan.
The shipments — consisting of over 283 metric tons valued at more than US$ 2 million — also include essential paediatric medicines to support the health of children suffering from complications of acute severe malnutrition and were delivered over three rotations of a B-747 aircraft operated by Royal Air Wing.
The supplies will be immediately distributed upon arrival to health facilities in 18 States across Sudan. WHO’s Dubai Logistics Hub is also deploying technical staff with the supplies to facilitate the operation.
This year, WHO’s Logistics Hub in Dubai has delivered a total of 25 shipments to Sudan valued at US$ 1.4 million. In 2020, the hub supported eight lifeline shipments to Sudan valued at US$ 900,000.
“Sudan continues to suffer from the impact of global supply chain disruptions that affect the transport and delivery of essential medicines. These flights come at a critical time when Sudan is facing higher transmission of waterborne diseases due to the rainy season, as well as increasing numbers of vulnerable populations in need of humanitarian medical assistance,” added Dr Abid.
Through its logistics hub in Dubai, WHO is able to immediately and efficiently deliver lifesaving supplies to countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and beyond. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hub dispatched over US$ 90 million worth of health supplies to over 120 countries around the world.
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 - 21 October 2021 - WHO today published its Management Response Plan to address the findings of the Independent Commission (IC) on allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA) during the response to the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the issuing of the IC’s report on 28 September.
“I am committed to ensuring that the suffering of the survivors and their families is the catalyst for a profound transformation of WHO’s culture”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This plan outlines the changes we will make as an organisation to make good on this commitment and to create a culture in which there is no opportunity for sexual exploitation and abuse to happen, no impunity if it does and no tolerance for inaction.”
The plan outlines short-term actions focusing on the most urgent recommendations of the IC Report: supporting the survivors and their families; completing investigations; taking urgent managerial action and launching a series of internal reviews and audits; and reforming WHO structures and culture. The plan also describes the actions that WHO will undertake over the next 15 months to establish and operationalise a victim- and survivor-centered approach; ensure WHO personnel and leaders are accountable for prevention, detection and response to SEA; and initiate an overhaul of WHO’s policies, procedures and practices to increase safeguards against SEA in its programmes and operations.
WHO is committed to providing livelihood support for victims and survivors of SEA, including more comprehensive medical and psycho-social support; support for learning a trade, and resources to start a small business; as well as supporting children born as a result of SEA, through educational grants and the covering of medical fees.
Alleged managerial and potential misconduct will also continue to be investigated in respect to the failure to initiate investigation procedures as described in the IC report.
WHO has also allocated an initial US$7.6 million to strengthen its capacity to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse allegations in ten countries with the highest risk profile: Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen. In addition, WHO will ensure mandatory pre-deployment training and refresher training for any further deployments; reporting channels for alerts or complaints; prompt investigation of complaints; and monitoring.
“WHO is already putting into action many of the recommendations of the Independent Commission”, said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “During the current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, as part of our first wave of deployments we sent an expert in the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse to Beni. Together with UN partners she is giving an in-depth two- day training to staff and NGOs and is reaching out to community leaders to raise awareness.”
In the past week, nearly 40 WHO and UN partner employees have received prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse training. Many of those trained will then cascade the training to other employees. Almost 30 members of local community-based associations have been briefed on how to protect the population from sexual abuse and report suspected cases.
The response plan was developed with inputs from WHO staff across the organisation and from WHO Member states. It will be updated regularly to integrate the lessons learnt during implementation, and draw on the experience of UN agencies and humanitarian and development partners.
The Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment team in the Office of the Director-General will lead the global implementation of the plan.
The Independent Commission was appointed by the WHO Director-General on 15 October 2020 to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse during the response to the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC. It was co-chaired by Aïchatou Mindaoudou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Social Development of Niger and Julienne Lusenge of the DRC, an internationally recognized human rights activist and advocate for survivors of sexual violence in conflict. It issued its final report on 28 September 2021.
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.
KABUL/AMMAN/KATHMANDU, 18 October 2021 – WHO and UNICEF welcome the decision by the Taliban leadership supporting the resumption of house-to-house polio vaccination across Afghanistan.
The vaccination campaign, which begins on November 8, will be the first in over three years to reach all children in Afghanistan, including more than 3.3 million children in some parts of the country who have previously remained inaccessible to vaccination campaigns. A second nationwide polio vaccination campaign has also been agreed and will be synchronised with Pakistan’s own polio campaign planned in December.
“This is an extremely important step in the right direction,” said Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Afghanistan. “We know that multiple doses of oral polio vaccine offer the best protection, so we are pleased to see that there is another campaign planned before the end of this year. Sustained access to all children is essential to end polio for good. This must remain a top priority,” he said.
With only one case of wild poliovirus reported so far in 2021, Afghanistan has an extraordinary opportunity to eradicate polio. Restarting polio vaccination now is crucial for preventing any significant resurgence of polio within the country and mitigating the risk of cross-border and international transmission.
“This decision will allow us to make a giant stride in the efforts to eradicate polio,” said Hervé Ludovic De Lys, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan. “To eliminate polio completely, every child in every household across Afghanistan must be vaccinated, and with our partners, this is what we are setting out to do,” he said.
A supplementary dose of vitamin A will also be provided to children aged 6 to 59 months during the upcoming campaign.
The polio programme has started preparations to rapidly implement the nationwide vaccination campaign, which is a result of ongoing high-level dialogue between the UN and the Taliban leadership to swiftly and urgently meet the health needs of the people in Afghanistan.
“This is not only a win for Afghanistan but also a win for the region as it opens a real path to achieve wild poliovirus eradication,” said Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “The urgency with which the Taliban leadership wants the polio campaign to proceed demonstrates a joint commitment to maintain the health system and restart essential immunizations to avert further outbreaks of preventable diseases,” he said.
The overall health system in Afghanistan remains vulnerable. To mitigate against the risk of a rise in diseases and deaths, all parties have agreed on the need to immediately start measles and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. This will be complemented with the support of the polio eradication programme and with outreach activities that will urgently begin to deliver other life-saving vaccinations through the national expanded programme for immunization.
“The resumption of the polio campaign is a step closer towards achieving our shared hope of eradicating polio in the region. We all need to make sure the vaccination campaign proceeds without disruptions and reaches every child, especially those who have never been vaccinated. This is the only way to keep children across Afghanistan and Pakistan protected from this terrible virus,” said George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia.
The safety and security of health workers remain a prime concern for the polio programme. The Taliban leadership has expressed their commitment for the inclusion of female frontline workers and for providing security and assuring the safety of all health workers across the country, which is an essential prerequisite for the implementation of polio vaccination campaigns.
WHO and UNICEF call on authorities and community leaders at all levels to respect and uphold the neutrality of health interventions and ensure unhindered access to children now and for future campaigns.
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, 14 October— The COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of global progress in tackling tuberculosis and for the first time in over a decade, TB deaths have increased, according to the World Health Organization’s 2021 Global TB report.
In 2020, more people died from TB, with far fewer people being diagnosed and treated or provided with TB preventive treatment compared with 2019, and overall spending on essential TB services falling.
The first challenge is disruption in access to TB services and a reduction in resources. In many countries, human, financial and other resources have been reallocated from tackling TB to the COVID-19 response, limiting the availability of essential services.
The second is that people have struggled to seek care in the context of lockdowns.
“This report confirms our fears that the disruption of essential health services due to the pandemic could start to unravel years of progress against tuberculosis,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This is alarming news that must serve as a global wake-up call to the urgent need for investments and innovation to close the gaps in diagnosis, treatment and care for the millions of people affected by this ancient but preventable and treatable disease.”
TB services are among many others disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but the impact on TB has been particularly severe.
For example, approximately, 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020 (including 214 000 among HIV positive people).
The increase in the number of TB deaths occurred mainly in the 30 countries with the highest burden of TB. WHO modelling projections suggest the number of people developing TB and dying from the disease could be much higher in 2021 and 2022.
Challenges with providing and accessing essential TB services have meant that many people with TB were not diagnosed in 2020. The number of people newly diagnosed with TB and those reported to national governments fell from 7.1 million in 2019 to 5.8 million in 2020.
WHO estimates that some 4.1 million people currently suffer from TB but have not been diagnosed with the disease or have not officially reported to national authorities. This figure is up from 2.9 million in 2019.
The countries that contributed most to the global reduction in TB notifications between 2019 and 2020 were India (41%), Indonesia (14%), the Philippines (12%) and China (8%). These and 12 other countries accounted for 93% of the total global drop in notifications.
There was also a reduction in provision of TB preventive treatment. Some 2.8 million people accessed this in 2020, a 21% reduction since 2019. In addition, the number of people treated for drug-resistant TB fell by 15%, from 177 000 in 2019 to 150 000 in 2020, equivalent to only about 1 in 3 of those in need.
Funding in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that account for 98% of reported TB cases remains a challenge. Of the total funding available in 2020, 81% came from domestic sources, with the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) accounting for 65% of total domestic funding.
The largest bilateral donor is the Government of the United States of America. The biggest international donor is the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The report notes a fall in global spending on TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention services, from US$ 5.8 billion to US$ 5.3 billion, which is less than half of the global target for fully funding the TB response of US$ 13 billion annually by 2022.
Meanwhile, although there is progress in the development of new TB diagnostics, drugs and vaccines, this is constrained by the overall level of R&D investment, which at US$ 0.9 billion in 2019 falls far short of the global target of US$ 2 billion per year.
Reversals in progress mean that the global TB targets are off track and appear increasingly out of reach, however there are some successes. Globally, the reduction in the number of TB deaths between 2015 and 2020 was only 9.2% - about one quarter of the way to the 2020 milestone of 35%.
Globally, the number of people falling ill with TB each year (relative to population) dropped 11% from 2015 to 2020, just over half-way to the 2020 milestone of 20%.
However, the WHO European Region exceeded the 2020 milestone, with a reduction of 25%. This was mostly driven by the decline in the Russian Federation, where incidence fell by 6% per year between 2010 to 2020. The WHO African Region came close to reaching the milestone, with a reduction of 19%, which reflects impressive reductions of 4–10% per year in South Africa and several other countries in southern Africa, following a peak in the HIV epidemic and the expansion of TB and HIV prevention and care.
“We have just one year left to reach the historic 2022 TB targets committed by Heads of State at the first UN High Level Meeting on TB. The report provides important information and a strong reminder to countries to urgently fast-track their TB responses and save lives,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. “This will be crucial as preparations begin for the 2nd UN High Level Meeting on TB mandated for 2023.”
The report calls on countries to put in place urgent measures to restore access to essential TB services. It further calls for a doubling of investments in TB research and innovation as well as concerted action across the health sector and others to address the social, environmental and economic determinants of TB and its consequences.
The new report features data on disease trends and the response to the epidemic from 197 countries and areas, including 182 of the 194 World Health Organization (WHO) Member States.
In 2014 and 2015, all Member States of WHO and the UN adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO’s End TB Strategy. The SDGs and End TB Strategy both include targets and milestones for large reductions in TB incidence, TB deaths and costs faced by TB patients and their households.
The WHO End TB Strategy aims for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in the TB incidence rate by 2030, compared to the 2015 baseline. Milestones for 2020 include a 20% reduction in the TB incidence rate and a 35% reduction in TB deaths.
The UN Political Declaration on TB also included 4 new targets for the period 2018-2022:
- Treat 40 million people for TB disease
- Reach at least 30 million people with TB preventive treatment for a latent TB infection
- Mobilize at least US$13 billion annually for universal access to TB diagnosis, treatment and care
- Mobilize at least US$2 billion annually for TB research
Tuberculosis (TB), the second (after COVID- 19) deadliest infectious killer, is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. It can spread when people who are sick with TB expel bacteria into the air – for example, by coughing.
Approximately 90 percent of those who fall sick with TB each year live in 30 countries. Most people who develop the disease are adults –in 2020 - men accounted for 56% of all TB cases, adult women accounted for 33% and children for 11%. Many new cases of TB are attributable to five risk factors: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking and diabetes.
The 30 countries with the highest burden of TB include: Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, Central African Republic, China, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia.
TB is preventable and curable. About 85% of people who develop TB disease can be successfully treated with a 6-month drug regimen; treatment has the added benefit of curtailing onward transmission of infection.
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.
Brazzaville/Kinshasa, 13 October 2021 – Ebola vaccination began today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu Province where a case was confirmed on 8 October. People at high risk, including contacts of the confirmed case and first responders will receive the doses as the health authorities move to curb the spread of the virus.
The confirmed case was a two-year old boy who died on 6 October in a local health facility. He lived in the same community where three members of the same family died in September after experiencing Ebola-like symptoms.
About 1000 doses of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine and other medical supplies were delivered from the capital Kinshasa to Goma city in North Kivu and around 200 doses were sent onward to Beni city, which is near the Butsili health area where the confirmed case was detected. Vaccinators are using the “ring vaccination” approach, where contacts and contacts of contacts are vaccinated. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has more than 12 000 vaccine doses in Kinshasa that can be deployed if necessary.
“Ebola is a virulent, lethal virus that can spread aggressively and fast. But vaccines can create a firewall of protection around cases, stopping the chain of transmission, averting a potentially large outbreak and saving many lives,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “The Democratic Republic of the Congo is spearheading the efforts to halt this latest Ebola resurgence, banking on expertise built in responding to previous outbreaks.”
In addition to organizing vaccination activities, emergency response teams are working around the clock to trace contacts, decontaminate infected spaces and step up surveillance and testing. Already, more than 170 contacts have been identified and teams are monitoring their health. To support the national authorities in the response efforts, WHO has released US$ 200 000 through its Contingency Fund for Emergencies. WHO is also in the process of shipping five tons worth of response supplies, including therapeutics, personal protective equipment and laboratory materials.
Among the first members of the 15-person WHO surge team deployed to Beni is an expert in the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. The expert will brief WHO employees and partners on how to prevent any inappropriate and abusive behaviour. The expert will also work with local non-governmental organizations to sensitize communities on sexual abuse and how to report it.
Beni was one of the epicentres of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and is about 50 km from Butembo city which experienced a new Ebola outbreak earlier this year. Sporadic cases can occur following a major outbreak, but further genomic sequencing is needed to determine if this latest case is linked to the previous outbreaks. The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Institute of Biomedical Research’s main laboratory in Kinshasa is currently testing samples of the confirmed case to identify the strain and results are expected this week.
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 today called on decision-makers across the health, sport, education and transport sectors to urgently scale up provision of more inclusive programmes and services and safer environments that promote physical activity in all communities. The Organization’s new advocacy brief, Fair Play: Building a strong physical activity system for more active people, explains how this can happen.
“There is an urgent need to provide people with better opportunities to live active healthy lives. Today, the possibility for people to take part in physical activity is uneven and unfair. This inequity has only gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Deputy Director-General, “This is why WHO is stepping up actions with its partners around the world to tackle the key barriers impeding people from becoming more active and healthier.”
Up to 5 million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active, however, many live in areas with little or no access to spaces where they can safely walk, run, cycle or engage in other physical activities. Where opportunities do exist, they may not have been developed to meet the needs for older adults or people with disabilities.
WHO statistics reveal that one in four adults, and four out of five adolescents, do not currently get enough physical activity. Women are less active than men, with an over 8% difference at the global level (32% men vs 23%, women). High income countries are more inactive (37%) compared with middle income (26%) and low-income countries (16%).
The Fair Play brief is being released during WHO’s final webinar in a series convened to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on sport and physical activity. The brief highlights the main challenges and opportunities of how countries can build forward a fairer physical activity and sports system, and calls for all partners to strengthen collaborations and support countries to scale actions on promoting physical activity in all its form, for all ages and abilities.
Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the Physical Activity Unit, said that the brief “is informed by the insights and experiences, and in line with WHO policies. It provides clear messages to all who work to create a more active society on what we need to do. WHO is calling for industries, civil society and governments, as well as UN agencies to build a common vision for creating more active societies through sport, walking, cycling and playing.”
There are three key actions to help increase participation: (1) stronger partnerships across sectors to deliver effective programs, services and safe environments that engage and support everyone to be active; (2) stronger governance structures and regulations to ensure environments support safe physical activity and inclusive programs and sport; and (3) broader, deeper and innovative financing mechanisms to build sustainable strong system that can provide physical activity and sport for all ages and abilities.
Fair Play: Building a strong physical activity system for more active people is an advocacy brief calling for urgent actions. It is responding to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ call for sport and physical activity to broaden its contribution to global efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals[1], and his calling on the global community to join up and work together to implement the effective solutions outlined in the global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030[2] in all countries, especially to support children, older adults and people living with disabilities. Solutions that work include sustained community campaigns, inclusive programs in local communities, and safer environments that support more walking and cycling, for everyone.
To be effective, the global community must address key barriers limiting global progress, namely 1. inadequate and inefficient use of resources; 2. insufficient policy, laws and regulatory frameworks; and 3. a fragmented delivery system of policy, partnerships and implementation.
WHO guidelines recommend everyone is regularly active for mental and physical health benefits. Adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week for all adults, and an average of 60 minutes per day for children and adolescents.
WHO encourages countries to implement the policy actions outlined in the WHO Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030 to achieve the target of an increase in physical activity by 15% by 2030.
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 - Following a public call for experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced proposed members of the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO). The SAGO will advise WHO on the development of a global framework to define and guide studies into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential, including SARS-CoV-2.
“The emergence of new viruses with the potential to spark epidemics and pandemics is a fact of nature, and while SARS-CoV-2 is the latest such virus, it will not be the last,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Understanding where new pathogens come from is essential for preventing future outbreaks with epidemic and pandemic potential, and requires a broad range of expertise. We are very pleased with the calibre of experts selected for SAGO from around the world, and look forward to working with them to make the world safer.”
Selected from more than 700 applications, the 26 proposed SAGO members have expertise in a range of areas, including epidemiology, animal health, ecology, clinical medicine, virology, genomics, molecular epidemiology, molecular biology, biology, food safety, biosafety, biosecurity, and public health. The composition of the SAGO reflects geographic and gender diversity.
As per WHO processes, there will now be a two-week public consultation period for WHO to receive feedback on the proposed SAGO members and set in place the modalities for the SAGO’s first meeting, which is planned to take place following this consultation period.
The final membership to the SAGO is subject to the above-mentioned public consultation period and relevant WHO practices and procedures.
List of proposed SAGO members
Today, Dr Tedros, Dr Michael Ryan and Dr Maria Van Kerkhove published an editorial outlining the work of the SAGO
Terms of Reference of the SAGO
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the SAGO will have the following functions:
To advise WHO on the development of a WHO global framework to define and guide studies into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential;
To advise WHO on prioritizing studies and field investigations into the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential, in accordance with the WHO global framework described in point (1) above;
a. To provide information and views to assist the WHO Secretariat in the development of a detailed work plan of the SAGO;
b. In the context of SARS-CoV-2 origins:
To provide the WHO Secretariat with an independent evaluation of all available scientific and technical findings from global studies on the origins of SARS-CoV-2;
To advise the WHO Secretariat regarding developing, monitoring and supporting the next series of studies into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, including rapid advice on WHO's operational plans to implement the next series of global studies into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, as outlined in the Joint WHO-China Global Study of Origins of SARS-CoV-2: China Part report published on 30 March 2021 and advise on additional studies as needed; and
c. To provide additional advice and support to WHO, as requested by the WHO SAGO Secretariat, which may include participation in future WHO-international missions to study the origins of SARS-CoV-2 or for other emerging 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.