Tedros says WHO has worked around the clock to support countries prepare and respond to this coronavirus

World Health Organisation general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Today, almost 35M cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and 1M+ people are reported to have lost their lives Numbers can blind us to the reality that every single life lost is someone who loved and was loved by others someone’s mother, father, someone’s sister, someone’s brother, daughter or son.They are the reason we’re here. 

Although all countries have been affected by COVID19, we must remember that this is an uneven pandemic.

10 countries account for 70% of all reported cases and deaths, and just 3 countries account for half What we’ve learned in every region of the world is that with

-Strong leadership

-Clear and comprehensive strategies

-Consistent communication

-Engaged, empowered and enabled population

it’s never too late. Every COVID19 situation can be turned around Since the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic WHO has worked around the clock to support countries to prepare and respond to this new virus On the 30th of January, I declared a public health emergency of international concern  the highest level of alarm under international law.he added

Just 4 days later, WHO published our first strategic preparedness and response plan But even before that, one of our highest priorities was to rapidly identify the new virus and enable countries to test for it.

He said With in 2 weeks of the 1st cases being reported to WHO, we developed and published the 1st protocol for developing a PCR test On the 2nd of February the first COVID19 tests were produced and we began shipping them around the world

At the same time, we worked to expand PCR testing capacity around the world, leveraging national influenza centres and building capacity where it was lacking Since then we have distributed millions of COVID19 tests to more than 150 countries.

No laboratory test in history has been developed and deployed as rapidly WHO didn’t isolate the virus, we didn’t sequence or publish the genome, we didn’t manufacture the assays and we don’t make PCR machines he added

But it was WHO that connected the dots to give countries the capacity to find and respond to this new 10 months ago, COVID19 was completely unknown to the world. We've now published more than 400 guidance documents for individuals, communities, schools, businesses, industries, health workers, health facilities and governments

Through the online learning platform, we have built country capacity by providing free training in 133 COVID19 courses, from infection prevention and control to clinical management, operational planning, data collection and much more Our country teams have worked closely with governments to write national plans and identify needs, and to match those needs with more than 600 partners and 74 donors through the groundbreaking COVID19 Partners Platform 

WHO and our partners sent expert missions to more than 130 countries to provide operational and technical support We have sourced, validated, purchased and delivered masks, gloves, respirators, gowns, goggles, swabs, tests, reagents, thermometers, oxygen concentrators, ventilators and more, to 177 countries and territories around the world More than 12,000 patients have now been enrolled in the WHO COVID19 Solidarity Therapeutics Trial, in nearly 500 hospitals in 29 countries in April. 

the Access to COVID19 Tools Accelerator was born an unprecedented global partnership that is delivering tangible results, based on two objectives accelerating development of products fair distribution he added