WHO on Global Health July 19 2023

Source:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/depictionsmedia/who-on-global-health-july-19-2023

Yesterday, WHO and UNICEF published new data which show promising signs that immunization services are rebounding in some countries after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, 4 million more children received immunizations than in 2021.

This is encouraging news, but large gaps remain, and global and regional averages mask severe and persistent inequities, especially in low-income countries.

More than 20 million children missed out on one or more vaccines last year, and almost 15 million missed out entirely.

While these numbers are lower than 2021, they’re still higher than pre-pandemic levels.

We’re still falling behind with our targets to reach children with measles, HPV, yellow fever and many other vaccines, risking outbreaks and suffering as a result of diseases that can be easily prevented.

Of the 75 countries with substantial declines in immunization, only 15 have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with the rest stagnant or even declining further.

Most concerningly, low-income countries are not yet showing signs of recovery.

In response, WHO, UNICEF and other partners have launched the Big Catch-up, working with the most-affected countries to catch-up, recover, and strengthen immunization infrastructure.

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This week, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate the pandemic accord is holding its sixth meeting.

Next week, the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations will hold its fourth meeting.

As the negotiations of both processes are entering a critical stage, with less than a year to finalize their work, later this week the two groups will hold their first joint meeting. The meeting will be webcast.

The groups will discuss topics including the definition and declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, and a pandemic.

However, just as mis- and disinformation undermined the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so mis- and disinformation is undermining these efforts to keep the world safer from future pandemics.

20 years ago, the tobacco industry tried to undermine negotiations on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The same thing is happening now. Groups with vested interests are claiming falsely that the accord is a power grab by WHO, and that it will stymie innovation and research.

Both claims are completely false.

I need to put this plainly: those who peddle lies about this historic agreement are endangering the health and safety of future generations.

If two companies sign a business contract, and use lawyers to help them develop it, that doesn’t give the lawyers control over the contract, nor make them a party to it.

It’s the same here. The pandemic accord is an agreement between countries, and WHO is helping them to develop that agreement.

But WHO will not be a party to the agreement. As the countries themselves have pointed out repeatedly, this is an agreement between countries, and countries alone.

This accord aims to address the lack of solidarity and equity that hampered the global response to COVID-19.

It’s a historic opportunity for the world to learn the painful lessons COVID-19 taught us, and make the world safer for generations to come.

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Earlier this week, I had the privilege of addressing the meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors.

I made the point that the global economy and global health are inextricably linked, as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated.

And of course, pandemics are far from the only threat to health and economies.

Every day, diseases, conditions and injuries incur huge costs to governments, in terms of health sector spending and lost productivity.

Many of these diseases, conditions and injuries could be prevented at a fraction of the cost of dealing with their consequences.

Investments in health are therefore an economic no-brainer. If they were bonds, they would be rated triple-A.

It’s time to rethink financing for health.

It’s time to see health not as a cost, but an investment;

Not as a consumptive sector, but a productive sector – as the anchor for more inclusive, more equitable and more prosperous societies and economies.

Over the past three years, the G20 has played an important role in bringing together finance and health to respond to COVID-19, and to strengthen the global architecture for pandemic preparedness.

I appreciate especially the G20’s leadership in establishing the Joint Finance-Health Task Force, which is supporting countries to identify and mitigate economic vulnerabilities, and finance pandemic response.

WHO is proud to host the Task Force secretariat, with the support of our partners at the World Bank.

On the other hand, it’s concerning that at this meeting, G20 countries were not able to reach agreement on debt relief for low-income countrie