[ad_1]
In his year-end message for 2020, the WHO Director-General says there is light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against Covid-19, and in 2021 we must share vaccines fairly and offer compassion and care to all. those who need it. .
Video statement by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus:
As people around the world celebrated New Year’s Eve 12 months ago, a new global threat emerged.
Since that time, the Covid-19 pandemic has claimed so many lives and caused massive disruption to families, societies and economies around the world.
But it also unleashed the fastest and most far-reaching response to a global health emergency in human history.
The hallmarks of this response have been an unrivaled mobilization of science, the search for solutions and a commitment to global solidarity.
Acts of generosity, large and small, equipped hospitals with the tools healthcare workers needed to stay safe and care for their patients.
Kindness has helped the most vulnerable in society through difficult times.
Vaccines, therapies and diagnostics have been developed and implemented, at record speed, thanks to collaborations including Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator.
Equity is at the core of ACT Accelerator, and its vaccine arm, COVAX, which has secured access to 2 billion doses of promising vaccine candidates.
Vaccines offer great hope of turning the tide of the pandemic.
But to protect the world, we must ensure that everyone at risk everywhere, not just in countries that can afford vaccines, are immunized.
To do this, COVAX urgently needs just over US $ 4 billion to purchase vaccines for low- and lower-middle-income countries.
This is the challenge we must face in the new year.
My brothers and sisters, the events of 2020 have provided eye-opening lessons and reminders for all of us to take in 2021.
First, 2020 has shown that governments must increase investment in public health, from funding access to Covid vaccines for all, to better preparing our systems to prevent and respond to the next inevitable pandemic.
At the center of all this is investing in universal health coverage to make health for all a reality.
Second, since it will take time to vaccinate everyone against Covid, we must continue to adhere to proven measures that keep each and every one of us safe.
This means keeping physical distance, wearing face masks, practicing hand and respiratory hygiene, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and meeting people outside.
These simple but effective measures will save lives and reduce the suffering that so many people faced in 2020.
Third, and above all, we must commit to working together in solidarity, as a global community, to promote and protect health today and in the future.
We have seen how divisions in politics and communities fuel the virus and fuel the crisis.
But collaboration and partnership save lives and protect societies.
In 2020, a health crisis of historic proportions showed us how closely connected we all are.
We saw how acts of kindness and care helped neighbors in times of great struggle.
But we also witnessed how acts of malice and misinformation caused preventable harm.
Looking ahead to 2021, we have a simple but profound decision to make:
Do we ignore the lessons of 2020 and allow island and partisan approaches, conspiracy theories and attacks on science to prevail, creating unnecessary suffering for the health of people and society at large?
Or do we walk the last miles of this crisis together, helping each other along the way, from sharing vaccines fairly, to offering accurate advice, compassion and care to all who need it, as a global family?
The choice is simple.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, and we will get there by taking the path together.
WHO is with you – We are family and we are in this together.
I wish you and your loved ones a peaceful, safe and healthy New Year.
