Good morning, good afternoon and good evening,
Yesterday, WHO was shocked and saddened by the passing of Dr Faustine Ndugulile, Regional Director-elect for Africa, at the age of 55. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Dr Ndugulile, of the United Republic of Tanzania, was nominated for the post of Regional Director by the Regional Committee for Africa in August this year.
His appointment was due to be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its meeting in February next year.
I offer my deepest condolences to Dr Ndugulile’s family and friends, and to the parliament and people of the United Republic of Tanzania.
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At the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil last week, I had the honour of announcing the outcome of the first WHO Investment Round, alongside His Excellency President Lula da Silva of Brazil.
The Investment Round is about mobilizing the resources to implement WHO's global strategy to help keep the world safe and save 40 million lives over the next four years.
Through a series of events, WHO has received 70 pledges worth US$1.7 billion.
Of these pledges, 39 are first-time voluntary contributors to WHO, including 21 from middle-income countries.
Some of the world’s poorest countries have contributed, because they see the difference that WHO makes on the ground.
Along with other funding agreements and partnerships, we can now count on at least US$3.8 billion, or 53% of the voluntary contributions needed for the next four years.
This is truly significant, because for decades, only a small portion of WHO’s total budget was predictable.
The funding from the Investment Round gives us more predictability and flexibility, and the ability to respond rapidly to continually evolving health threats around the world.
I thank all countries and partners who have contributed.
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Now to mpox.
Last Friday, the Emergency Committee met and advised me that the outbreaks of mpox in Africa continue to represent a public health emergency of international concern. I accepted that advice.
Yesterday, the Emergency Committee issued updated temporary recommendations, adding some new recommendations, and extending or modifying others.
As we have said many times, we are not dealing with one outbreak of one virus, but several simultaneous and overlapping outbreaks of different strains, or clades of the virus, affecting different groups in different places.
So far this year, 20 countries in Africa have reported more than 14 thousand confirmed cases, including 55 deaths.
More than 75% of all confirmed cases and deaths in Africa this year have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the outbreak of clade 1b has now spread to six provinces, including the capital Kinshasa.
Clade 1b has also spread to four neighbouring countries:
In Burundi, more than 2 000 cases have been reported, largely in urban areas;
In Uganda, there are 649 cases and a fast-expanding epidemic, especially in the capital Kampala,
In Rwanda, 37 cases have been confirmed and in Kenya there are 19 cases;
And cases have also been reported in at least 8 other countries in Africa, the Americas and Europe.
WHO, Africa CDC and our partners are continuing to support countries to respond to these outbreaks and prevent further ones under our joint continental preparedness and response plan.
Together, we are strengthening the “five Cs” of outbreak response:
Coordination;
Collaborative surveillance and detection;
Community protection;
Care that is safe and scalable;
And countermeasures, including vaccines.
So far, six million vaccine doses have been pledged, of which 1.6 million are ready for distribution by the end of the year.
Almost 56 000 people have been vaccinated in 7 provinces of the DRC, and health officials there are preparing to administer a second dose, with vaccination starting in Kinshasa this week.
We still face many challenges to bring these outbreaks under control.
To meet them, we need stronger political commitment to scale up response activities;
We need fully resourced preparedness and response plans;
We need further contributions of medical countermeasures including diagnostics and vaccines;
And we need continued transparency and collaboration between affected countries and partners.
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WHO welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect yesterday, and we very much hope it is respected and becomes a lasting peace.
Although the fighting has stopped for now, the health needs are huge and will only increase.
Those needs are more acute now that winter has arrived.
In Gaza, a year ago almost all those displaced by the conflict were sheltered in public buildings or by family members.
Now, 90% are living in tents.
This leaves them vulnerable to respiratory and other diseases.
Cold weather, rain, and flooding are expected to exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition.
At the same time, the ongoing blockade of northern Gaza is limiting the entry of essential resources, including blankets, fuel and food, all of which are already in short supply.
This week, WHO and our partners conducted a three-day visit to the north of Gaza. The team visited 13 health facilities, including 5 hospitals.
They saw a high number of trauma patients and increasing numbers of patients with chronic diseases needing treatment.
There are critical shortages of essential medicines, and significant psychological stress among health workers.
WHO and our partners are doing everything we can – everything Israel allows us to do – to deliver health services and supplies.
One of the most important ways that happens is through Emergency Medical Teams, made up of health professionals from around the world who have volunteered to serve.
So far, WHO has supported the deployment of 45 teams from 25 partner organizations.
Since January this year, they have delivered more than 2 million consultations.
But once again, the ultimate solution to this suffering is not aid, but peace. As we always say, the best medicine is peace.
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Monday this week marked the start of WHO’s annual 16-day campaign to draw attention to gender-based violence, which affects at least one in three women and girls globally.
It harms women in all countries and cultures, but some are more at risk – especially those living through wars, conflicts and other humanitarian emergencies.
Often, sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, as it has been in Sudan.
Armed groups terrorize women and girls in their homes, on displacement routes, in temporary shelters or at border crossings.
There are reports of kidnapping, trafficking, sexual slavery, genital mutilation, and child marriage.
Many survivors face immense hurdles to access essential health and support services – because of destruction of infrastructure, the danger of moving through conflict zones, or fear of stigma and reprisals.
For the past six years, WHO has been working to address gender-based violence in 30 countries with humanitarian emergencies, with guidelines and training for health workers to manage rape and domestic violence.
We have also supported Ministries of Health and partners to train at least 10,000 health workers in survivor-centred clinical care.
All parties to a conflict have a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girls. It’s preventable and never inevitable.
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Finally, this Sunday marks World AIDS Day.
This year’s theme is, “Take the rights path”, reminding us of the critical importance of human rights in the response to HIV.
Since the first World AIDS Day in 1988, we have come a long way in expanding access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment for HIV.
But these gains are at real risk, and reductions in new infections and deaths have stalled.
While nearly 30 million people are now on antiretroviral treatment, another 9 million need treatment and are not getting it.
More than half of those, nearly 5 million, are still unaware that they are living with HIV.
Many of these gaps are among key populations who are marginalized, criminalized or discriminated against: men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender people, sex workers and prisoners.
The most effective way to close these gaps and reach these populations is by recognizing and respecting their human rights.
Together this World AIDS Day, let’s take the right path – let’s take the rights path.
Margaret, back to you.