Director-General's opening
remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 7 July 2021
7 July 2021
ﻲﺑرﻌﻟا
ة Français
Variants are currently winning the race against vaccines because of inequitable vaccine production and distribution, which also threatens the global economic recovery.
I have called repeatedly for 10 percent of people in all countries to be vaccinated by September and for that figure to rise to 40 percent by the end of the year. It would
position the world on the path to vaccinating 70 percent of the people in all countries by the middle of 2022.
I call on the G20 Finance Ministers and other leaders to get behind these targets collectively because it is the fastest way to end the acute stage of the pandemic, save lives and livelihoods and drive a truly global economic recovery.
At present, IL-6 receptor blockers remain inaccessible and unaffordable for the majority of the world but it’s within the power of governments and manufacturers to change that. Going forward, it is key that the therapeutic arm of the ACT-Accelerator is fully funded so further research and development can uncover more lifesaving medicines for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Tomorrow, I will join Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, along with UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore and other leaders to discuss the impact of violence on the mental health of children. As well as looking to accelerate the end of this pandemic, giving children the support they need must be a top priority as we come out of it.
Finally, we’re shocked by the tragic news from Haiti and want to pass on our deep condolences for the passing of President of Haiti, Jovenal Moïse.
--- Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.
The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic.
We have just passed the tragic milestone of 4 million recorded COVID-19 deaths, which likely underestimates the overall toll.
Some countries with high vaccination coverage are now planning to rollout booster shots in the coming months and are dropping public health social measures and relaxing as though the pandemic is already over.
However, compounded by fast moving variants and shocking inequity in vaccination, far too many countries in every region of the world are seeing sharp spikes in cases and hospitalisation.
This is leading to an acute shortage of oxygen, treatments and driving a wave of death in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Vaccine nationalism, where a handful of nations have taken the lion’s share, is morally
indefensible and an ineffective public health strategy against a respiratory virus that is mutating quickly and becoming increasingly effective at moving from human-to-human.
At this stage in the pandemic, the fact that millions of health and care workers have still not been vaccinated is abhorrent.
Variants are currently winning the race against vaccines because of inequitable vaccine production and distribution, which also threatens the global economic recovery.
It didn’t have to be this way and it doesn’t have to be this way going forward.
From a moral, epidemiological or economic point view, now is the time for the world to come together to tackle this pandemic collectively.
Later this week, G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors will meet.
This is another crucial opportunity for leaders to take urgent steps to end the acute stage of this pandemic, providing the necessary funding to scale up the equitable manufacturing and
distribution of health tools.
I have called repeatedly for 10 percent of people in all countries to be vaccinated by September and for that figure to rise to 40 percent by the end of the year.
It would position the world on the path to vaccinating 70 percent of the people in all countries by the middle of 2022.
I call on the G20 Finance Ministers and other leaders to get behind these targets collectively because it is the fastest way to end the acute stage of the pandemic, save lives and livelihoods and drive a truly global economic recovery.
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We’re making scientific breakthroughs in global trials, but the impact is limited if we don’t share them equitably.
It’s not charity, it’s the best way to end the acute stage of this pandemic, slow virus variants down and drive a global economic recovery.
Just yesterday, we recommended the use of IL-6 receptor blockers, a type of monoclonal antibody, in patients with severe or critical COVID-19.
This treatment, along with corticosteroids, is strongly recommended for patients with severe or critical disease.
This followed a comprehensive new analysis of 27 randomised trials involving nearly 11,000 patients, which found that treating hospitalised COVID-19 patients with IL-6 receptor blockers reduces the risk of death and the need for mechanical ventilation.
The study was coordinated by WHO, and is an outstanding example of collaboration amongst trialists and methodologists that allowed us to transparently bring high quality evidence from around the world together, analyse it and develop timely recommendations.
The trial demonstrated that for the critically ill, the use of IL-6 receptor blockers led to approximately 28 fewer deaths for every 1,000 patients.
The medicines also meant the chance of severe and critically ill patients being put on a ventilator was reduced by 28 percent, compared with standard care.
So together with corticosteroids, these drugs help to decouple cases from deaths by saving
further lives and preventing people with COVID-19 from progressing to even more severe illness.
I also want to put on record my thanks for the global collaboration between international researchers and the patients who agreed to be part of the trials.
However, like vaccines and other health tools, this breakthrough will only be effective if we can scale up manufacturing and distribute equitably.
At present, IL-6 receptor blockers remain inaccessible and unaffordable for the majority of the world but it’s within the power of governments and manufacturers to change that.
Going forward, it is key that the therapeutic arm of the ACT-Accelerator is fully funded so further research and development can uncover more lifesaving medicines for the prevention and
treatment of COVID-19.
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The pandemic has been hard on everyone but it has been particularly difficult for children.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many more children experiencing domestic violence and psychosocial distress, which has been compounded by disruptions to their education, support networks and care services.
We know that violence affected far too many children before the pandemic. It is widespread and often hidden from public view in homes, schools, communities and online.
Children who are exposed to violence and trauma are significantly more likely to develop mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic-stress, and behavioral and substance use disorders.
They are also more likely to die by suicide.
Urgent action is required to address the mental health impacts of violence and trauma experienced during childhood and which has been amplified during this pandemic.
Tomorrow, I will join Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, along with UN Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore and other leaders to discuss the impact of violence on the mental health of children.
As well as looking to accelerate the end of this pandemic, giving children the support they need must be a top priority as we come out of it.
We must help them come to terms with what they have experienced and have a chance at a more hopeful future.
I hope you will join us.
Finally, we’re shocked by the tragic news from Haiti and want to pass on our deep condolences for the passing of President of Haiti, Jovenal Moïse.
Our condolences to his family and all the people of Haiti at this terrible time.
I will now pass back to Tarik.
