| No images? Click here  11 July 2024 POST PRESSER LINKS 11 July Virtual Press Conference WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 11 July 2024
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, First, an update on H5N1 avian influenza. Last week, the United States reported a fourth human case of H5N1 following exposure to infected dairy cows. Cambodia also reported two cases in children who had contact with sick or dead chickens. For the moment, no human-to-human transmission has been reported, which is why WHO continues to assess the risk to the general public as low. However, our ability to assess and manage that risk is compromised by limited surveillance for influenza viruses in animals globally. Understanding how these viruses are spreading and changing in animals is essential for identifying any changes that might increase the risk of outbreaks in humans, or the potential for a pandemic. WHO calls on all countries to: Strengthen influenza surveillance and reporting in animals and humans; To share samples of influenza viruses with WHO Collaborating Centres; To share genetic sequences of human and animal flu viruses with publicly accessible databases; To provide protection for farm workers who may be exposed to infected animals; To accelerate research on avian influenza; And to encourage closer cooperation between the animal and human health sectors. Even as we continue to study the spread of H5N1, we also continue to study COVID-19, which still kills an average of 1700 people globally every week. However, data show that vaccine coverage has declined among health workers and people over 60, which are two of the most at-risk groups. WHO recommends that people in the highest risk groups receive a COVID-19 vaccine within 12 months of their last dose. Mpox also remains a global health threat, with 26 countries reporting cases to WHO this month. The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows no sign of slowing, with more than 11,000 cases reported this year, and 445 deaths, with children the most affected. South Africa has recently reported 20 cases of mpox to WHO, including three deaths, the first cases in that country since 2022. The cases were all men, and most self-identified as men who have sex with men. None had reported any history of international travel, which suggests the confirmed cases are a small proportion of all cases, and that community transmission is ongoing. WHO is supporting both DRC and South Africa to respond to these outbreaks, to conduct surveillance, to engage the affected communities, and to develop immunization strategies to ensure the most effective response. Now to Ukraine, where the Ohmatdyt National Children’s Hospital in Kyiv was severely damaged on Monday following a series of aerial strikes. More than 600 children were in the hospital when it was struck. Two people were killed and 50 injured, including 8 children. Sixty-eight children remain under treatment in the surviving buildings, and 94 children were transported to other medical facilities in Kyiv. The remaining children, who were in the hospital for scheduled treatment, have been examined and temporarily discharged. Our WHO team arrived at the hospital immediately after the attack and saw the desperation of parents, medical staff, and volunteers evacuating the children. WHO’s biomedical engineers are assessing the damage to medical equipment to determine what we can provide to ensure continuity of care. We will also provide medical supplies to hospitals that have received patients from Ohmatdyt. Including the attack on the children’s hospital, WHO verified four attacks on health care in Ukraine on Monday, killing 9 health workers and patients and leaving another 71 injured. Since the beginning of the war, WHO has verified 1885 attacks on health care, which have been linked to 157 deaths and 435 injuries among health workers and patients. Attacks on health care are a violation of international humanitarian law. Next to Sudan, which has endured 15 months of conflict, with almost 19,000 people killed and 33,000 injured. Access to health services continues to be severely constrained due to insecurity and shortages of medicines, medical supplies and health workers. Almost 15 million people need urgent health assistance, including maternal and newborn care, treatment for cancer, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases, and protection from outbreaks of cholera, measles, malaria, dengue, meningitis, and more. The risk of famine is growing, with more than half Sudan’s population facing crisis levels of food insecurity, or worse. WHO has recently distributed 3 metric tons of pre-positioned supplies to meet the critical needs of the population in North Darfur. We call on both sides to the conflict to facilitate assistance for those in need. Opening the Adré crossing from Chad into western Darfur is absolutely vital for scaling up assistance. Access must also be facilitated elsewhere, including to Khartoum, the Kordofan states, and other hotspots. Renewed fighting has forced even more people to flee. In the past three months, the number of displaced people has increased by more than 45% to 12.7 million, including 10.5 million who are displaced internally, and 2.2 million who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Their health needs are enormous. In Chad, most arrive after multiple displacements, suffering gunshot wounds, many having survived rape and sexual violence, without sufficient food for months, and having walked for days. Host communities in Chad have been very hospitable, offering food, water, and shelter for refugees, but the needs are overwhelming. Last week, WHO experts from our Eastern Mediterranean and African regions conducted a joint mission to Chad to assess the refugee situation and scale-up cross-border operations. Our priority is to create systems that address immediate medical needs but also strengthen Chad’s health system capacity so the health needs of refugees are not dependent on aid in the long-term. Despite the increasing health needs in both Chad and Sudan, WHO has only 18% of the funds we need to meet those needs. The international community must do better than that. Sudan remains a political crisis that can only end with a political solution. Peace, access, and funding are in desperately short supply, and once again it is the innocent who suffer. Finally, to Gaza. Since the conflict began in October last year, more than 38,000 people have been killed, 88,000 injured, and about 10,000 are missing. More evacuation orders issued by Israel are further threatening the health of people who have already suffered so much. The Al Ahli and Patient Friendly hospitals in northern Gaza are the latest that are unable to function because of fighting nearby. Patients from Al Ahli have been evacuated to the Indonesian Hospital, which is now operating at three times its capacity. Over 10 000 patients still need medical evacuation for treatment that cannot be provided in Gaza. Multiple evacuation corridors are needed urgently, to the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan. And almost the entire population of Gaza now faces high levels of acute food insecurity. Almost one in four are facing starvation, and another one in three face acute malnutrition. At the same time, very few supplies are getting into Gaza. Only five WHO trucks were allowed into Gaza last week. More than 34 trucks are waiting at the Al Arish crossing, and 850 pallets of supplies are awaiting collection. A further 40 trucks are waiting at Ismailiya in Egypt. WHO calls for the restrictions on supplies entering Gaza to be lifted immediately. The people of Gaza who have nothing to do with this conflict must not be the ones who pay the price for it. To say more, I’m pleased to welcome WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, who visited Gaza and the West Bank last week. Hanan, thank you for joining us. You have the floor. Statement by WHO Regional Director Dr Hanan Balkhy on visit to the occupied Palestinian territory (speaking from Cairo, Egypt) I have just returned from the occupied Palestinian territory, where I visited the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jenin, and Gaza. The situation in Gaza is concerning on both a human and humanitarian level. I saw firsthand the scale of devastation: lives and homes in ruins, hospitals overwhelmed, and a fully destroyed city. Lack of fuel is compromising all health and humanitarian operations. Running sewage and garbage litter demolished streets, with the smell of fermented waste permeating the air. This situation is providing the perfect breeding ground for diseases to spread, leading to an increase in cases of acute watery diarrhea and acute respiratory infections. Ongoing violence and the breakdown of law and order are devastating an already crippled city and creating an extremely high-risk environment, not just for aid workers but everyone in Gaza. The breakdown of law and order also makes it nearly impossible to manage gender-based violence, exposing displaced Palestinians to additional life-threatening risks. I met with WHO staff in Gaza, many of whom are national staff who have faced personal loss and suffering. Despite these challenges, they continue to risk their lives to deliver fuel and medical supplies to hospitals, and transfer patients to safety and care, striving to overcome delays and obstructions along the way. As a result of increasing hostilities and soaring needs, WHO has expanded its medical supply chain for Gaza. However, much of this aid remains stuck on the wrong side of the borders, with only a fraction reaching Gaza. And even when supplies do enter Gaza, the breakdown of law and order again makes it challenging for our teams to deliver them to hospitals that urgently need them. I visited the IMC field hospital in Deir Balah, which has relocated twice and tripled its capacity over the past few months. There, I met severely malnourished 7 year old Jana, who was evacuated from Kamal Adwan in the north three months ago, and is still waiting for evacuation outside Gaza. Jana is one of more than 10,000 patients in need of specialized care outside the Strip, yet who remain unable to exit since 7 May. Their conditions range from trauma injuries to chronic diseases, to others. In my meetings with Muhannad Hadi, UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, and Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, we agreed on the need for immediate action to address suffering in Gaza. · We need Member States to swiftly fulfill their global diplomacy mandate and expedite an immediate truce. · We need all borders, including the Rafah border, to open and allow fuel, medical supplies, and other essential humanitarian aid to flow in. · And we need those who require medical care to be able to exit. Before October 7, despite the need for permits, Gazans were able to seek medical care in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This access to care must be restored. And those who need medical care in other countries must also be allowed to exit without further delay. Gazans need more than just food, water, and medicine—they need protection, peace, security, and dignity. One man told me, "We long for a ceasefire, for a chance to live without fear." A woman told me that she has one question for the world to answer. "Do you consider us human?" she asked me three times. During my 11-day visit, I travelled to the West Bank, where I saw a rapidly worsening health situation. At Jenin General Hospital and the UNRWA clinic, I learned about health workers killed or injured due to repeated attacks and saw extensive damage to infrastructure and medical equipment. With damaged roads and restricted access, WHO and partners, including the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, have set up mobile medical services to reach people at the point of injury. At Jenin General Hospital and six other West Bank hospitals, WHO has supported mass casualty management training and response planning. Our goal is seamless and effective trauma care across all levels, based on lessons from Gaza. As we support the right to health for all Palestinians, we must also work to strengthen already fragile health systems in neighboring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. We are extremely concerned about the escalation of violence along the border between Lebanon and Israel, resulting in increased deaths and injuries among civilians and health workers, displacement, and damages to health infrastructure. In our Region, entire generations have grown up knowing nothing but conflict and deprivation. Addressing the root, political causes of these emergencies is not just a humanitarian necessity but a strategic investment in Regional stability and security. Thank you.
Audio: Download and listen: https://who.canto.global/b/R04R5 Weblink: https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-AUDIO_Press_Conference_11JUL2024.mp3 Please also note that we released yesterday two packages of recent material from Gaza that might be of interest to you to illustrate this story, re. visit of the Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean to the West Bank and Gaza West Bank visit https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d323/d3234320 Gaza Visit https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/d323/d3234359
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Thursday, July 11, 2024
POST PRESSER LINKS: 11 July WHO global press conference
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