Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, esteemed colleagues,
Thank you for joining us for this week’s Member State briefing.
As you know, I have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
As you can see, I am addressing you from my home today.
I am well and without symptoms but I am self-quarantining, in line with WHO protocols.
At this time, it is critically important that we all comply with health guidance.
This is how we will break chains of transmission, suppress the virus, and protect health systems.
Our first presentation today will an update from Dr Anders Nordstrom, the head of the Secretariat for the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, the IPPR.
As you’ll see, things are moving forward quickly. The Independent Panel has submitted a progress report to WHO, which should now be available.
And next week, on Tuesday, the co-chairs will brief the World Health Assembly on its progress.
Next, we will hear an update on the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.
Earlier this week, the ACT Accelerator Facilitation Council had its second meeting, in which it discussed the big political decisions the world needs to take to turn the tide on this pandemic.
The Council deliberated on concrete ways that we can close the ACT Accelerator financing gap and ensure equitable access to emerging COVID tools.
Following the Assembly, I will be inviting the Council co-Chair, Ministers from Norway and South Africa, to brief Member States on the outcomes of the Facilitation Council in a special session.
Today, we will be giving you a preview of a new document that we have developed with the ACT Accelerator partner agencies, in which we present the sharpened priorities, financing needs and investment case.
It will be published in the coming days.
Dr Bruce Aylward will take you through the main content of this new publication, which makes an even stronger case for the ACT Accelerator as the exit strategy for the pandemic.
Finally, we will hear from Assistant Director General Mariângela Simão, who will update you on the work of the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool Secretariat.
C-TAP is working to accelerate the scale-up of manufacturing and the removal of barriers to access, through the pooling and voluntary sharing of knowledge, intellectual property and data, in line with WHA resolution 73.1
ADG Simão, who heads the secretariat, will explain how C-TAP is being structured and how it is operating.
She will also discuss the mechanisms for consultation with Member States and other key stakeholders.
Thank you all once again for your continued support and commitment.
We look forward to your questions.
I thank you.