Mary Wilson
Well-known member
27 September 2023
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening,
First, as the northern hemisphere winter approaches, we continue to see concerning trends for COVID-19.
Among the relatively few countries that report them, both hospitalizations and ICU admissions have increased in the past 28 days, particularly in the Americas and Europe.
Meanwhile, vaccination levels among the most at-risk groups remain worryingly low.
Two-thirds of the world’s population has received a complete primary series, but only one-third has received an additional, or “booster” dose.
COVID-19 may no longer be the acute crisis it was two years ago, but that does not mean we can ignore it.
Countries invested so much in building their systems to respond to COVID-19.
We urge countries to sustain those systems, to ensure people can be protected, tested and treated for COVID-19 and other infectious threats.
That means sustaining systems for collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures and coordination.
===
Now to cholera.
Last week, WHO published new data showing that cases reported in 2022 were more than double those in 2021.
Preliminary data for this year suggest 2023 is likely to be even worse. So far, 28 countries have reported cases this year, compared with 16 during the same period last year.
The countries with the most concerning outbreaks right now are Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq and Sudan.
Significant progress has been made in countries in Southern Africa, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, but these countries remain at risk as the rainy season approaches.
The worst affected countries and communities are poor, without access to safe drinking water or toilets.
They also face shortages of oral cholera vaccine and other supplies, as well as overstretched health workers, who are dealing with multiple disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
WHO is providing essential supplies, coordinating the on-the-ground response with partners, supporting countries to detect, prevent and treat cholera, and informing people how to protect themselves.
To support this work, we have appealed for 160 million U.S. dollars, and we have released over 16 million dollars from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies.
But the real solution to cholera lies in ensuring everyone has access to safe water and sanitation, which is an internationally recognized human right.
===
Now to Libya, which is no longer in the headlines, but remains in a state of crisis following the devastating floods a few weeks ago.
Officially, more than 4000 people are dead, more than 8500 are missing, and more than 30,000 have been displaced.
Only a third of hospitals and half of primary health centres remain fully functional due to structural damage to health facilities and hospitals, lack of medicine and medical equipment and shortages of health workers.
Affected communities are facing the threat of mosquito- and water-borne diseases, and acute mental distress.
WHO is working closely with Libya’s Ministry of Health to assess the needs on the ground, provide supplies, and restore primary health care services, especially for routine immunization and mental health.
To support this work, we have appealed for 11 million U.S. dollars, and released 2.3 million dollars from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies. ...
https://www.who.int/director-genera...marks-at-the-media-briefing-27-september-2023
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening,
First, as the northern hemisphere winter approaches, we continue to see concerning trends for COVID-19.
Among the relatively few countries that report them, both hospitalizations and ICU admissions have increased in the past 28 days, particularly in the Americas and Europe.
Meanwhile, vaccination levels among the most at-risk groups remain worryingly low.
Two-thirds of the world’s population has received a complete primary series, but only one-third has received an additional, or “booster” dose.
COVID-19 may no longer be the acute crisis it was two years ago, but that does not mean we can ignore it.
Countries invested so much in building their systems to respond to COVID-19.
We urge countries to sustain those systems, to ensure people can be protected, tested and treated for COVID-19 and other infectious threats.
That means sustaining systems for collaborative surveillance, community protection, safe and scalable care, access to countermeasures and coordination.
===
Now to cholera.
Last week, WHO published new data showing that cases reported in 2022 were more than double those in 2021.
Preliminary data for this year suggest 2023 is likely to be even worse. So far, 28 countries have reported cases this year, compared with 16 during the same period last year.
The countries with the most concerning outbreaks right now are Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq and Sudan.
Significant progress has been made in countries in Southern Africa, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, but these countries remain at risk as the rainy season approaches.
The worst affected countries and communities are poor, without access to safe drinking water or toilets.
They also face shortages of oral cholera vaccine and other supplies, as well as overstretched health workers, who are dealing with multiple disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
WHO is providing essential supplies, coordinating the on-the-ground response with partners, supporting countries to detect, prevent and treat cholera, and informing people how to protect themselves.
To support this work, we have appealed for 160 million U.S. dollars, and we have released over 16 million dollars from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies.
But the real solution to cholera lies in ensuring everyone has access to safe water and sanitation, which is an internationally recognized human right.
===
Now to Libya, which is no longer in the headlines, but remains in a state of crisis following the devastating floods a few weeks ago.
Officially, more than 4000 people are dead, more than 8500 are missing, and more than 30,000 have been displaced.
Only a third of hospitals and half of primary health centres remain fully functional due to structural damage to health facilities and hospitals, lack of medicine and medical equipment and shortages of health workers.
Affected communities are facing the threat of mosquito- and water-borne diseases, and acute mental distress.
WHO is working closely with Libya’s Ministry of Health to assess the needs on the ground, provide supplies, and restore primary health care services, especially for routine immunization and mental health.
To support this work, we have appealed for 11 million U.S. dollars, and released 2.3 million dollars from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies. ...
https://www.who.int/director-genera...marks-at-the-media-briefing-27-september-2023