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STORY: WHO / TEDROS EXECUTIVE BOARD
TRT: 3:29
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 05 OCTOBER 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, WHO emblem outside headquarters
05 OCTOBER 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, Executive Board meeting
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"It seems incredible to think that when this Board met in February, there were just 151 cases and one death outside China of what we now call COVID-19. Today, almost 35 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than one million people are reported to have lost their lives. The real number is certainly higher. Numbers can blind us to the reality that every single life lost is someone who loved and was loved by others."
4. Various shots, attendees standing in moment of silence
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
"The pandemic has demonstrated that highly infectious pathogens cannot be contained by any single sovereign state. We can only confront them by working together in solidarity, and with a One Health approach that addresses the links between human, animal and planetary health. The world needs a system of robust peer review and mutual accountability for rapid and effective surveillance, preparedness and response."
6. Wide shot, Executive Board meeting
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Currently, the financing gap for the ACT Accelerator stands at 34 billion US dollars, with 14 billion US dollars needed now to maintain momentum. History will not judge us kindly if it records that trillions of dollars were poured into domestic stimulus packages, but the international community could not find the funds to ensure equitable access for all people. This is not charity. It’s the fastest way to end the pandemic and catalyze the global economic recovery.”
8. Wide shot, Executive Board meeting
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Health and well-being, universal health coverage and emergency preparedness and response are three strands of a rope that together provide strong support for social, economic and political stability. Our first priority must be to keep people healthy and out of hospitals, by addressing the root causes of disease in the air people breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink and the environment in which they live and work. When people do need health services, those services must be accessible, affordable and high-quality.”
10. Wide shot, Executive Board meeting
11. UPSOUND (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“And please join me in showing our appreciation and solidarity for these health heroes.”
12. Med shot, Tedros standing for applause
13. Wide shot, participants standing for applause
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said financing the ACT Acceleration is “not charity” rather it is “the fastest way to end the pandemic and catalyze the global economic recovery."
Speaking at a meeting of WHO’s Executive Board, Tedros said, "It seems incredible to think that when this Board met in February, there were just 151 cases and 1 death outside China of what we now call COVID-19. Today, almost 35 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 1 million people are reported to have lost their lives. The real number is certainly higher. Numbers can blind us to the reality that every single life lost is someone who loved and was loved by others."
The WHO chief said the pandemic has demonstrated that “highly infectious pathogens cannot be contained by any single sovereign state; we can only confront them by working together in solidarity, and with a One Health approach that addresses the links between human, animal and planetary health.” He stressed that the world needed a system of robust peer review and mutual accountability for rapid and effective surveillance, preparedness and response.
Tedros said the financing gap for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator stands at 34 billion USD, “with 14 billion dollars needed now to maintain momentum.” He underscored that “history will not judge us kindly if it records that trillions of dollars were poured into domestic stimulus packages, but the international community could not find the funds to ensure equitable access for all people.”
The WHO Director-General said, “Health and well-being, universal health coverage and emergency preparedness and response are three strands of a rope that together provide strong support for social, economic and political stability. Our first priority must be to keep people healthy and out of hospitals, by addressing the root causes of disease in the air people breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink and the environment in which they live and work. When people do need health services, those services must be accessible, affordable and high-quality.”
The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is a global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. Launched at the end of April 2020, the ACT - Accelerator brings together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, and philanthropists and global health organizations to speed up an end to the pandemic.
