WHO press conference on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - 28 October 2021

Summary
WHO regular press briefing on COVID-19, 28 October 2021
WHO Team
Department of Communications (DCO)

Transcript


00:00:47

MH         Hello, everybody. This is Margaret Harris welcoming you today, October 28th, to our regular global press conference on COVID-19. Today it is focusing on the launch of the new Access to COVID-19 Tools, ACT Accelerator strategy and budget. Speaking today will be, as ever, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, our WHO Director-General, and he will be introducing a very special guest.

We also have, as usual, our full team of experts available to answer your COVID-19 questions during the Q&A session following the opening remarks. In the room we have with us Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical Lead for COVID-19, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, our Chief Scientist, Dr Mariangela Simao and Dr Bruce Aylward, who's the Lead for the ACT Accelerator.

We also have a number of our experts online and, as ever, we're providing simultaneous translation in the six official UN languages so please use the opportunity to ask your questions and listen in the languages of your preference. I thank the interpreters in advance for their extraordinary work.

Now without further ado I will hand over to Dr Tedros for his opening remarks. Dr Tedros, you have the floor.

00:02:12

TAG        Thank you. Thank you, Margaret. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening. First it's a great honour to welcome His Excellency, Jonas Gahr Støre, the new Prime Minister of Norway. Tusen takk for joining us and, Your Excellency, congratulations on your election and thank you for joining us again today. Gratulerer, Statsminister. We look forward to your comments in a few moments.

The global number of reported cases and deaths from COVID-19 is now increasing for the first time in two months, driven by an ongoing rise in Europe that outweighs declines in other regions. It's another reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over.

The pandemic persists in large part because inequitable access to tools persists. 80 times more tests and 30 times more vaccines have been administered in high-income countries than low-income countries. If the 6.8 billion vaccine doses administered globally so far had been distributed equitably we would have reached our 40% target in every country by now.

As it is, health workers and vulnerable people in low and middle-income countries remain unprotected. Oxygen isn't getting to those who need it and a lack of testing is leaving many countries blind to how the virus is circulating and the world blind to emerging variants.

00:04:04

This is the scenario that the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator was set up last year to prevent and we have shown that the ACT Accelerator works. So far WHO and our partners have delivered 425 million vaccine doses to 144 countries through COVAX including 300 million doses just in the past four months.

We have delivered more than 128 million tests and we have increased the supply of oxygen, personal protective equipment and treatments including nearly three million doses of dexamethasone.

But the ACT Accelerator has so far been prevented from fulfilling its potential by severe supply and financing constraints. Unless the pandemic is controlled everywhere the virus will mutate and continue to circulate everywhere. All countries including high-income countries are at continued high risk of being exposed to new variants, infecting those who are fully vaccinated, risking the effectiveness of the tools we have and risking the introduction of more stringent public health measures.

00:05:26

The high transmissibility of the delta variant has reinforced what we have been saying since we set up the ACT Accelerator - vaccines alone will not end the pandemic. We need all tools, vaccines, tests, treatments, PPE and public health measures to fight COVID-19 and save lives and livelihoods now.

Alongside vaccination testing is needed to identify disease hot spots, track the emergence of new, dangerous variants and guide the use of COVID-19 treatments. Treatments including medical oxygen are needed especially for those severely affected by COVID-19 and for at-risk groups and we need effective health systems to turn vaccines into vaccinations and tests into testing.

WHO is working with our partners in countries to use these tools most effectively. For all of this the ACT Accelerator must be fully funded and fully enabled. Global co-ordination is the only way to defeat this virus. Market forces and bilateral deals alone will not close the equity gap.

Today we're releasing the new planning budget for the ACT Accelerator with an ask of US$23.4 million to meet our global targets and deliver the tools that are needed to countries over the next 12 months.

00:07:08

Fully funding the ACT Accelerator is an essential component of WHO's strategic preparedness and response plan, our overarching plan for bringing the pandemic under control. Making these investments could save more than five million lives, primarily in low and lower-middle-income countries and they are a drop in the ocean compared with the cost of failing to end the pandemic.

If the COVID-19 pandemic is not brought under control the IMF warns that global GDP will be reduced by more than US$5 trillion over the next five years. This weekend the leaders of the G20 countries will meet in Rome. Together these countries have the ability to make the political and financial commitments that are needed to end this pandemic and to prevent future crises.

We are at a decisive moment, requiring decisive leadership to make the world safer and I have three requests for the G20 leaders. First, fully fund the ACT Accelerator. Second, support the creation of an overarching framework for global health security through a legally binding treaty on pandemic preparedness and response. And third, support the creation of a health threats financing board supported by a financial intermediary fund hosted by the World Bank.

00:08:42

Since we launched the ACT Accelerator 18 months ago the Government of Norway has been one of its strongest supporters, including as Co-Chair with South Africa of the Act Accelerator Facilitation Council. It's therefore my great pleasure to welcome His Excellency, Jonas Gahr Støre, the Prime Minister of Norway. Prime Minister Støre also once worked for WHO.

So, Prime Minister, welcome back to you to WHO and thank you for Norway's support for the ACT Accelerator so far. Tusen takk and you have the floor.

JGS        Director-General, Dr Tedros, it's a great pleasure for me to be back in the executive boardroom, which I can see there. I'm really honoured to be speaking with you in this fine organisation that I was happy to serve under Dr Brundtland when she was Director-General.

00:09:44

Colleagues and friends, from a global perspective we are in a different phase of the pandemic than we were when the ACT-A Facilitation Council met for the first time. We now have made progress, we have an effective vaccine, new effective treatments are being introduced and rapid diagnostics make it possible to test for infection, identify illness and reduce transmission. All that is good news.

While a new normal is emerging for people who have access to COVID-19 tools this is still a distant prospect for the majority of the world's population that you highlighted, Mr Director-General. Health workers and individuals in high-risk groups are vulnerable and particularly at risk and it's worthwhile reminding that as long as some people are exposed and vulnerable we all are in this globalised world.

Without access to COVID-19 tools we will not be able to achieve full economic and social recovery and scientists warn us that the new viral strains may evolve. Inequities in access could lead to millions more deaths, deaths that could be averted.

So the COVID-19 pandemic has increased inequities in a world that has plenty of it already. We must correct these. The ACT-A partnership is our best bet for doing so so following the strategic review of ACT-A South Africa and Norway as Facilitation Council Co-Chairs have proposed changes aimed at increasing countries' engagement.

00:11:25

We want to strengthen the voice of low-income countries and of civil society. We are seeking to increase accountability and transparency on fulfilment of pledges made by donors, by industry, multilateral organisations and others.

So we call on the vaccine manufacturers to provide the required doses of vaccines in a transparent and predictable way. This is essential. We will support integration of efforts with important bilateral and multilateral initiatives.

So, Director-General and friends, promoting stronger global health collaboration and improving global health preparedness and response remain priorities for Norway, as they have done before the pandemic, during the pandemic and beyond. We want to reduce fragmentation in the area of global health.

We also believe a more comprehensive and binding set of rules is needed to enhance the ability to prevent and respond to health emergencies. So in short, why is this important, how can we learn from what we have been through?

00:12:38

I think first of all it is a reminder, so amply demonstrated, that global health security is a global public good, global health security is not just a health issue, it's a social, economic and security issue as well.

It should be and it is really in everyone's interests that we invest in vaccines, diagnostics and treatments as a global public good. This is in addition sound macroeconomic policy and will help all countries to improve their chances to recover and build back better and faster.

Norway has for its part contributed almost US$500 million to the ACT-A. I believe, Mr Director-General, that is more than our stipulated share and I would take this opportunity to call on others to follow suit. In addition to financing ACT-A countries must share vaccine doses through COVAX in line with their pledges and as quickly as possible. Facilitating the sharing of vaccines must be a priority for countries, GAVI and the industry.

It is evident that we were not prepared for a pandemic when it hit the world as we entered 2020. Ad hoc solutions developed during the COVID-19 pandemic should be now replaced by sustainable, well-thought-through mechanisms for the long term.

00:14:10

This is highly relevant for the G20 discussions later this week. I hope and urge that the G20 will make a commitment to end the COVID-19 pandemic and set out a pathway for achieving pandemic preparedness because this may happen again and as we heard from experts, it will happen again in a different shape or form. We have to prepare for that.

COVID-19 has demonstrated the risk to macroeconomic stability posed by the widespread outbreak of disease. Norway supports the establishment of an inclusive joint high-level political forum that can ensure better preparedness and response, to take political responsibility.

The G20 can play of course a crucial role by initiating such an initiative. Mr Director-General and friends, I take this opportunity this afternoon, Oslo time, to say the following. Important global targets were set at the recent COVID-19 summit hosted by President Biden and Vice-President Harris.

00:15:19

ACT-A and the multilateral leaders' taskforce must now do their part to ensure that those targets are followed and ultimately met. The impact of inequities in access to COVID-19 tools are obvious, we can all see them, observe them.

It is our obligation as leaders to end this pandemic and do it in an equitable way. The new ACT-A strategy and budget is a plan for doing so. This is not a single-country effort. This is a collective effort and we must work together to ensure inclusive and effective implementation.

So thank you, Mr Director-General, for letting me speak at this event. I wish you all luck in your endeavour and I salute your staying power and your ability to keep focus on this agenda, servicing your broad membership and the whole world. Thank you.

TAG        Thank you. Thank you so much, Your Excellency, thank you so much, Prime Minister Støre and thank you once again for Norway's leadership and partnership. Margaret, back to you.

MH         Thank you very much, Dr Tedros and Your Excellency, Prime Minister of Norway. We've got quite a lot of you in the queue but I see some people are not raising your hands so I would remind you all, please raise your hands so that we know you have a question.

00:16:50

The first question in the queue is Belisa Godenho, W Magazine, Portugal. Belisa, please go ahead and ask your question.

BE          Thank you for taking my question. I'm Belisa Godenho from W Magazine media in Portugal. Portugal is one of the countries to lead [?] full vaccination with the taskforce globally, reaching more than 18% of the population.

Today the contamination rate has risen slightly. We know that some European countries are already starting to face new cases more seriously. What advice does WHO give Portugal in order to avoid a new outbreak of the disease? Thank you.

MH         Thank you, Belisa. I think Dr Maria Van Kerkhove will answer that one.

MK         Thank you for the question and, yes, you have pointed out the situation in Portugal. It has very high vaccination coverage and the case numbers are quite lower than they have been over the course of this pandemic.

00:18:03

But the death rate in Portugal is also quite low, very low, less than 50 per week or so even though every single one of these deaths is tragic. With the high vaccination coverage what we are seeing across a number of countries is that the intended use of the vaccines, as you know, is to prevent severe disease and death and the COVID-19 vaccines that are in use are incredibly effective against preventing hospitalisations, preventing people needing admission to an intensive care unit and dying.

I think what we see across Portugal and across many countries is in fact this is what is happening, the data is supporting that. That is good news but, as you know, WHO's recommendation is even though we are working very hard to address vaccine inequity around the world, working very hard to increase vaccination coverage particularly among those who are most at risk in all countries, we still strongly advise on using other tools such as distancing, mask-wearing, improving ventilation, avoiding crowds to minimise the spread because vaccines alone are not enough to end the pandemic.

We've said this over and over again and we will say it again. There are so many tools that exist right now. We have the tools at hand right now that can not only save people's lives but can also drive down transmission and this is what we would like to see.

00:19:32

Europe has seen an increase in cases over the last five weeks, an increase in deaths over the last six weeks and entering the autumn, we're in the autumn now and entering the winter months where people tend to spend much more time indoors, in close proximity, perhaps in rooms where there is not good ventilation.

Cases will increase. We have the delta variant. The delta variant is evolving. We are tracking more than 30 sublineages of this so the pandemic will continue. We can end this pandemic, we can take out the severe disease and death with vaccination.

We can also drive transmission down with other tools so please, regardless of vaccine uptake continue to practise distancing, wearing of a mask, cleaning your hands, avoiding crowded spaces. We have to put in this work to end this pandemic and the more we do this the closer we will be to ending this pandemic.

00:20:26

MH         Thank you, Dr Van Kerkhove. Dr Aylward has something to add.

BA          Yes, thanks also. Just to emphasise that it's for this reason, to Maria's point, that the new ACT-A strategic plan emphasises again the integrated, end-to-end approach which is crucial to stopping this crisis. That axiom, again proven true - we're seeing in so many countries, you can't vaccinate your way out of this.

You've got to have those complementary tools and that's why we want to make sure those are available not only in high-income countries but globally. Hence, as the Director-General said, the importance of the G20 this weekend looking at that ACT Accelerator plan and saying, this is the minimum amount of money, $20 billion.

Remember we'll lose four times that every single month that it goes unfunded but that's what it takes to do exactly what Maria said, ensure that full, integrated approach in the countries that are going to need it most in the face of what is still a surging delta virus in so many places.

MH         Thank you very much, Drs Van Kerkhove and Aylward. We'll go to India for the next question and that goes to Shivank Misra from Z News. I apologise if I've pronounced your name incorrectly. Shivank, please unmute yourself and ask your question.

SH          Hi. This is Shivank Misra from Z News in India. My question to WHO is, as we are watching there's a delay in the approval process of Covaxin, our indigenous vaccine while on every occasion or in every meeting Covaxin is not getting approved.

On every meeting Covaxin is only given new dates by WHO. Also what we are seeing here is when it comes to the Chinese vaccine WHO has given an approval to the Chinese vaccine with a lack of data, as in the case of Sinovac and in the case of Sinopharm.

The World Health Organization has given approval to both of the vaccines as their efficacy was not established in the 60-plus population but still they have given approval for those vaccines. Don't you people think that it's a classic case of the partial approach of WHO on Indian vaccines and can you...?

MH         Shivank, can you ask your question? Sorry, we're running short of time. Is your question, you would like to know about the approval process for Covaxin, is that correct?

00:23:04

SH          Yes.

MH         Yes? I'll hand the question over to Dr Mariangela Simao.

MS         Thank you for the question and I think it's very important to highlight that the process that WHO uses for issuing an emergency use listing is a very transparent process. It is on WHO's website as well as the assessment.

On WHO's assessment there's also a table that's updated almost weekly where you have the status of the assessment of each vaccine that has been submitted for emergency use listing. For WHO that includes the date that the process started and when it was finalised.

So there're no secrets on this except for the confidential information. Everything else, the procedures that WHO uses are independent of which countries manufacture the vaccine. First of all I think we want to reassure that and it's based on the best international standards available.

It's important to clarify again the way the process works. The manufacturer does submit to WHO data, information. The WHO internal experts analyse the data. Sometimes WHO needs to inspect the manufacturer if it hasn't done an inspection in the short term, if it wasn't a short time ago. It wasn't the case of Bharat, we did not to inspect Bharat.

00:24:41

Then once WHO, the manufacturer has completed submitting all the data to WHO - and let me say that Bharat has been submitting data regularly and very quickly but they submitted the last batch of data on 18th October.

Once that is done WHO puts for the assessment of an external technical advisory group. This technical advisory group for the emergency use listing is comprised of experts from six different nationalities and they look at all the data that has been collected by WHO and provided by manufacturers and recommend the listing.

Or on occasions - and it happened with the two Chinese vaccines that were mentioned here - they can ask for additional clarifications and that happened on Tuesday 26th when this technical advisory group met. They asked for additional clarifications and we are meeting next week on Wednesday again to analyse.

00:25:46

We're in touch, we have daily conversations with Bharat, calls and meetings clarifying what additional data needs to be put to the expert group.

Let me just clarify and without wanting to mention any specific manufacturer but we have assessed an Indian manufacturer earlier in the year and it took 30 days. On the vaccines for China the assessment followed the entire process I just described and one of them was issued emergency use listing one month after the first technical advisory group meeting and the second six weeks later.

So this is not about moving quicker with one or another vaccine based on precedence. We really trust the Indian industry. India produces the majority of vaccines in the world, high-quality vaccines. We are right now at the last stage of the assessment by this external advisory group and we hope to have a final recommendation to WHO next week. I hope that's well understood.

00:27:05

MH         Thank you so much, Dr Simao. Dr Aylward will add some comments as well.

BA          Thanks so much, Shivank, for flagging the issue. I do want to highlight though in the stressful situation we're all working under in this pandemic it is so important that we're accurate in the information that we use and that we share.

We just want to highlight and I want to be on the record that there are a number of inaccuracies in the way the issue was presented and I want to highlight again that, as Mariangela said and as is clear, the actual information around dates, process is actually all available transparently on WHO's website.

So to all journalists, again you've been so fantastic in this response, so important, such conduits for accurate information to make sure there's no misrepresentation on such an important issue as the speed with which we get any promising vaccine available for use.

We're committed, the organisation from the very top under the Director-General, to move these processes as rapidly as possible but let's be very clear. The timeline for EULing a vaccine depends 99% on manufacturers, the speed, the completeness with which they can get data to the independent groups that assess this for WHO.

00:28:31

So we just want to be very, very clear on that point. Our job is to save as many lives as possible as fast as possible. That means making sure no product lies unused and those processes under Mariangela's leadership move as fast as possible.

Certainly the organisation does everything. We need manufacturers, the regulatory agencies, others we work with to make sure they have the information they need to make those determinations. We need to make sure the products are safe and effective and produced to the right quality. That takes a little bit of time but it's in the interest of global safety.

MH         Thank you, Dr Aylward. Dr Swaminathan will add something as well.

SS          I would just like to make one additional point to what's been said by Dr Simao and Dr Aylward. I think one of the reasons for the high amount of stress that people who've received vaccines which are not yet approved either by WHO or by any of the other stringent regulatory agencies is because of restrictions on travel that have been imposed.

00:29:33

I just want to reiterate that the emergency committee that reviews the international health regulations met again last week - they meet every three months or so - to review the status of the pandemic and they have again reiterated, they have underlined their previous recommendations that countries should not use vaccination status or selective vaccination status as the sole criteria for entry for travel.

So you could use a vaccination status but also a negative test prior to entry or proof of a previous test and many countries accept one or the other.

Therefore vaccination status should not be a barrier to global travel because that is actually just increasing the inequities around the world. There are large parts of the world where people do not have access to vaccines or who have received a vaccine that's not yet approved by all countries and that should not be the criterion whether that individual can travel to other... because there are other ways of minimising the risks of transmission.

00:30:41

I just wanted to make that additional point because that is right now leading to a lot of stress around the world.

MH         Dr Simao will answer more. This is such an important topic. We thank you for asking the question.

MS         Just a quick complement, complementary information. At the moment, including Bharat, WHO is assessing eight vaccine candidates so this is a process that's very quick. We have teams now in countries doing inspections and we understand this is an urgent matter.

Just to say that based on the information that's available online and on WHO's website for example Bharat starting the rolling submission on 6th July. We have several vaccines that are entering now, in August, others that started in July, in September so this is an ongoing process.

I think this is very good because it helps countries. Having emergency use listing by WHO also helps the registration at country level for the regulatory approval so what we call the reliance.

00:31:58

During this year there was a period where in 15 days because of the vaccine being listed by WHO 101 countries were able to do the registration at country level, they authorised the use of the vaccine at country level.

So we are treating this as a very urgent matter and we have teams working seven by seven on the topic. Thank you.

MH         I've seen it. Around the clock they work and work and work. The next question goes to Simon Ateba from Today News Africa. Simon, unmute yourself, please, and ask your question.

SI           Thank you for taking my question. This is Simon Ateba with Today News Africa in Washington DC. The WHO Africa department said this morning that just five African countries, less than 10% of Africa's 54 nations, are projected to keep the year-end target of fully vaccinating 40% of their people. It seems Africa is being left behind again. What's your reaction?

If I may quickly add, the Biden administration announced this week that everyone coming to the United States from November 8th will need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination unless they are children and in that case they will need to show a negative COVID-19 test from November 8th.

00:33:21

I know you oppose vaccine mandates but are you satisfied with the requirement for kids? Thank you.

MH         Thank you, Simon. Dr Swaminathan will begin to answer your question.

SS          Thank you, Simon. I can start. I'm sure others will come in. To your first point, yes, we are very concerned and this is something the Director-General and the Regional Directors have been highlighting time and time again, that at the rate at which the vaccines are flowing through COVAX and through the African vaccine acquisition task force it's going to be very difficult for countries in Africa to make the 40% coverage targets that we have ambitiously put before the world by the end of this year.

As was pointed out in the DG's speech today, we have enough vaccine production I the world. In fact if we had shared the 6.8 billion doses of vaccines equitably we would have had 40% coverage everywhere by now.

So the issue is prioritisation of those parts of the world that don't have adequate vaccines. I want to put another fact before you. Today the number of boosters that's been administered around the world, close to a million jabs a day, is three times the amount of vaccines that have been administered in low-income countries, which is about 330,000 doses a day.

00:34:51

62 countries have started administering boosters and more are thinking about it. The WHO had called for a moratorium on boosters until the end of the year so we could move those vaccine doses to those countries and to those populations that are still below four, 5% coverage, even the front-line workers have not been fully covered.

So it is doable, it is possible and we hope that again the G20 leaders will take decisions on how to use existing supplies, how to prioritise them to parts of the world which need them desperately and also to support manufacturing at additional places around the world through the WHO manufacturing hub and make sure that there are no export restrictions for raw materials and ingredients.

So there are multiple steps. There've been pledges of over a billion doses in donations but we've only seen about 14 or 15% of those donations actually flowing through COVAX or bilaterally so we can do much more on each of those fronts to address the important issue of vaccine inequity.

00:36:06

MH         Thank you, Dr Swaminathan. Dr Bruce Aylward will add as well.

BA          Simon, thanks for highlighting this issue but let's be clear. It's not just Africa. There are 82 countries in the world that are at risk of reaching 40% coverage of their populations by the end of 2021 only because of a lack of supply so let's be super-clear on that point.

So it's not inevitable, Simon, as you said, to say that these countries won't meet it. They can meet it if the supply is there and let's be very clear. Those 82 countries only need an additional 550 million doses through the COVAX and other mechanisms to hit that target so the big question to the G20 this weekend is, are they going to say, here is where that 550 million doses are going to come from?

Because those 20 countries control the global vaccine supply and I'm sorry to be as frank as that but remember, between now and the end of this year we're going to make another three billion doses of vaccine. Can we take 550 million doses of that, about ten days of production, and make sure it goes into COVAX and the other mechanisms that can get the equitable distribution that by the end of this year will see more lives saved, more livelihoods on track and saved as well and the end of this pandemic.

00:37:37

So this is a very solvable problem. These numbers are not daunting. It's an issue of the will and the manufacturers co-operating then to make sure that those go where they're needed.

This is a test of the world's solidarity. Do we commit in three days' time to say, here's the roadmap to get to 40%, do we implement that?

MH         Thank you very much, Dr Aylward and Dr Swaminathan. The next question will go to Geneva, to Priti Patniak of Geneva Files. Priti, please unmute yourself and ask your question.

PR          Hi. Thanks so much for taking my question. My question is whether Merck approached CTAP for the licensing of molnupiravir and whether there were any consultations between CTAP and Merck, whether any attempt was made to get Merck to consider a more open licensing approach as opposed to a more limited licensing model agreement that has been signed with NTP. Thanks so much.

00:38:50

MH         Thank you, Priti. Dr Mariangela Simao will answer your question.

MS         Thank you, Priti. Actually Merck approached the CTAP partner, which is the Medicines Patent Pool, a few months ago and the licensing was finalised yesterday so they had not approached. We had discussions with Merck but Merck was already going through bilateral agreements with seven or eight generic manufacturers and now finalised the Medicines Patent Pool approach.

Let me say that the licensing through the medicines patent pool is very much welcomed by WHO because it's an open, transparent public health-oriented licence and the Medicines Patent Pool is a partner on CTAP. Thank you.

MH         Thank you very much. Dr Tedros.

MK         Just a complement also to supplement what Mariangela said. This is a drug that we are currently evaluating and we met with Merck on Friday to discuss the data from it. There are currently clinical trials that are underway in other countries. We expect to see that data in the coming days.

00:40:00

Our timeline for the development of guidance for new therapeutics - and this is reported to have a reduced risk of hospitalisation for patients who are on the mild to moderate end of the spectrum of COVID-19 so this would be good news, this is welcomed news.

Our aim is to get the guidance out from the point to which we have the data to the guidance being published of eight to ten weeks but it depends on our access to the data to see that the data from all for the clinical trials are evaluated together.

So it's a combination of efforts and the clinical team and working with partners around the world, principal investigators from those clinical trials who are carrying those out to work directly with us. We're very grateful for that collaboration to share that information with us in real time so we hope to have some good news there in the coming weeks.

MH         Thank you very much. On that very positive note, Dr Tedros will now close the meeting.

00:40:58

TAG        Thank you. Thank you, Margaret. Finally we're proud today to launch the third edition of the WHO Health For All Film Festival. As you know, the first two editions of the festival were very successful, attracting an average of 1,250 films from 110 countries.

Last year's winning films tell powerful stories about people facing health challenges of all kinds from female genital mutilation to rheumatic heart disease, from leukaemia to disabilities, and about the health workers who have devoted their lives to protecting people from COVID-19.

This year's call for films opens today and will close on 30th January next year. We invite independent film-makers, production companies, public institutions, NGOs, communities, students, anyone to submit original short films of three to eight minutes.

Like last year, there are three themes matching WHO's three strategic priorities, universal health coverage, health emergencies and healthier populations. A Grand Prix will be awarded in each category as well as special prizes for a student-produced film, a health innovation film and a film about rehabilitation.

I'm delighted to announce that the Golden Globe-winning actress, producer and advocate, Sharon Stone, has agreed to join this year's jury and we're calling for at least six distinguished professionals, artists and activists to join her.

I look forward to seeing this year's entries and I look forward to another successful Health For All Film Festival and many more to come. Thank you and see you next week.

00:43:06

 

Speaker key

MH Margaret Harris TAG Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus JGS Jonas Gahr Støre BE Belisa MK Dr Maria Van Kerkhove BA Dr Bruce Aylward SH Shivank MS Dr Mariangela Simao SS Dr Soumya Swaminathan SI Simon PR Priti