Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
I would like to begin today’s briefing with an update on the Ebola outbreak in the Equateur province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The outbreak continues to grow and spread geographically. Yesterday, the 100th case was reported, with 43 deaths in 11 health zones across the province.
There is currently a delay of about 5 days from the onset of symptoms until a warning is raised about a suspected case.
This is relevant because the longer a patient goes without treatment, the lower the chance of survival, and the longer the virus can spread invisibly in communities.
The situation is further complicated by a strike by health workers, which has affected activities including vaccination and safe burials.
DRC has the best-trained working group in the world for Ebola. This situation must be resolved as soon as possible.
WHO and our partners work intensively in communities to find cases and shorten delays.
We also support the DRC Government to take a stronger role in the response, and to advise areas that have not been affected so far.
There remains an urgent need for increased human resources and logistical capacity to support an effective response across an ever-expanding geographical area, and to help health officials identify cases earlier.
The DRC government has developed a plan that will require about US $ 40 million. We encourage partners to support this plan.
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Well, to COVID-19.
Last month, my colleague Dr Maria van Kerkhove contacted a group called Long COVID SOS, representing patients with long-term effects of COVID-19 infection.
In the afternoon I had the privilege of talking to her. They told us about their experience, and the ongoing challenges they face. These patients want three things: recognition, rehabilitation, and research.
Recognition of their disease, appropriate rehabilitation services, and more research to do into the long-term effects of this new disease.
Although we have learned so much about this disease, we only have less than 8 months of experience to register. We still know relatively little about the effects in the long run.
My message to these patients was: we hear you loud and clear, and we aim to work with countries to ensure you get the services you need, and to support research to better serve you .
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Globally, there are now more than 22 million reported cases of COVID-19, and 780,000 deaths.
But it is not just the number of cases and deaths that matter. In many countries, the number of patients requiring hospitalization and advanced care remains high, putting enormous pressure on healthcare systems and affecting the provision of services to other healthcare providers.
Several countries around the world are now experiencing fresh outbreaks after a long period with little or no transmission.
These countries are a cautious story for those who are now seeing a downward trend in cases.
Progress does not mean victory.
The fact remains that most people remain susceptible to this virus.
Therefore, it is important that countries can quickly identify and prevent clusters, to prevent transmission from the community and the possibility of new restrictions.
No country can just ride this until we have a fax machine.
A fax will be a vital tool, and we hope to have one as soon as possible.
But there is no guarantee that we will, and even if we have a vaccine, the pandemic will not end on its own.
We all need to learn to control and manage this virus with the tools we have now, and to make the adjustments to our daily lives that are necessary to keep ourselves and each other safe.
So-called lockdowns enabled many countries to suppress transmission and take the pressure off their health systems.
But lockdowns are not a long-term solution for every country.
We do not have to choose between life and subsistence, or between health and the economy. That is a wrong choice.
Conversely, the pandemic is a reminder that health and the economy are inseparable.
WHO is committed to working with all countries to enter a new stage to open their economies, societies, schools and businesses safely.
To do that, every person needs to be involved. Every single person can make a difference. Each person, family, community and nation must make their own decisions based on the level of risk in which they live.
This means that each person and family has a responsibility to know the level of transmission locally, and to understand what they can do to protect themselves and others.
At the same time, we will not – we can not – go back to the way things were.
Throughout history, outbreaks and pandemics have changed economies and societies. This will be no different.
In particular, the pandemic has given new impetus to the need to accelerate efforts to respond to climate change.
The pandemic has given us a glimpse of our world as it could be: cleaner skies and rivers.
Better build up means greener rebuilding.
In May, WHO published our “Manifesto for a Healthy and Green Recovery”, with 6 policy presentations for nature protection, investing in water and sanitation, promoting healthy food systems, transitioning to sustainable energy, building viable cities, and stopping subsidies on fossil fuels.
In July, we added “action resources” for each of these policy presentations, and delivered 81 concrete steps for policymakers to build a healthier, fairer, greener world.
Since then, more than 40 million healthcare professionals from 90 countries have sent a letter to G20 leaders calling for a healthy recovery of COVID-19.
And we have seen many examples of countries trading to protect lives, livelihoods and the planet on which they depend.
Nairobi, Kenya improves parks, adds urban forests, builds more sidewalks and improves drainage.
Pakistan has introduced a “green incentive” scheme, which gives workers who are out of work as a result of lockdown an opportunity to earn money by planting trees.
In the United Kingdom, the use of coal, the most polluting form of energy, fell to its lowest level in 250 years.
Spain is becoming one of the fastest-growing nations in the world, with 7 of the country’s 15 coal mines recently closed.
Portugal has announced that it will be coal next year.
Chile has committed itself to reducing air pollution and black carbon.
Large cities such as Paris have committed themselves to becoming “15 minute cities”, where every service is easily accessible on foot or by bicycle, thus reducing air pollution and climate change.
Heartiness is always an opportunity to learn, grow and change.
COVID-19 is a once-in-a-century health crisis. But it also gives us the opportunity once a century to shape the world our children will inherit – the word we want.
I thank you.
