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STORY: WHO / HEALTH EMERGENCIES
TRT: 08:14
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WHO ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 12 JUNE 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, WHO Headquarters
12 JUNE 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 12 million people displaced: 10 million internally, while 2 million have fled to neighboring countries. More than 70 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected states, and 45 percent of health facilities in another five states are not working, and the remaining ones are overwhelmed with people seeking care. People are dying from a lack of access to essential health services and medicines, while there is a very real risk of mass starvation in some regions.”
4. Wide shot, press room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“As the situation in Sudan continues to decline, WHO is on the ground supporting lifesaving interventions and outbreak response. We provide expert advice, training and oversight to health operations, management of malnutrition, disease surveillance and outbreak response.”
6. Wide shot, press room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO also continues to distribute urgently needed medicines, medical supplies using all available avenues, including cross-border and crossline operations, to reach previously unreachable areas in Darfur and Kordofan, where the needs are greatest.”
8. Wide shot, press room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“We ask you, the world’s media, to continue drawing attention to Sudan, and not to allow our world to forget it.”
10. Wide shot, press room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO welcomes the UN Security Council resolution adopted on Monday, which calls for a full and immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, a permanent end to hostilities, and the reconstruction of Gaza. We urge all parties to take steps to implement the resolution immediately and bring a permanent end to the suffering of millions of people. We also welcome this week’s conference in Amman, Jordan, which aims to intensify humanitarian aid for Gaza.”
12. Wide shot, press room
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“A significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions. Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food. WHO and our partners have scaled up nutrition services. Over 8,000 children under 5 years old have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 children with severe acute malnutrition.”
14. Wide shot, press room
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“There have already been 32 deaths attributed to malnutrition, including 28 among children under 5 years old.
16. Wide shot, press room
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“While the world’s focus has been on Gaza, there is also an escalating health crisis in the West Bank, where attacks on health care and restrictions on movement of people are obstructing access to health services. Since the war in Gaza started, 508 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, including 124 children. More than 5,000 have been injured, including about 800 children. WHO has documented 480 attacks on health care in the West Bank since the 7th of October last year, resulting in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.”
18. Wide shot, press room
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“In most areas of the West Bank, clinics are only operating two days a week, and hospitals are operating at about 70 percent capacity. Illegal settlements have expanded in the occupied West Bank, impacting the population’s access to health services.”
20. Wide shot, press room
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“In the West Bank, as in Gaza, the only solution is peace. Once again, we urge all sides to implement the Security Council resolution immediately.”
22. Wide shot, press room
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Now to the United States, and the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza among dairy cattle. Since our last update five weeks ago, the number of affected dairy herds has almost tripled to 92 in 12 states, the number of human cases has increased from 1 to 3, and the number of people being monitored has more than doubled to 500. Since 2003, there have been 893 reported infections of H5N1 in humans, including 11 so far this year: five in Cambodia, three in the U.S., and one each in Australia, China, and Viet Nam.”
24. Wide shot, press room
25. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“In that time, the virus has not shown signs of having acquired the ability to spread easily among humans. That remains the case, which is why, at this time, WHO continues to assess the risk to public health as low. In recent years, H5N1 has spread widely among wild birds, poultry, land and marine mammals on several continents. WHO recommends that anyone working with any infected animals, in any country, should have access to, and use, personal protective equipment.”
26. Wide shot, press room
27. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO):
“WHO is monitoring multiple avian flu viruses in humans through the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. Surveillance of flu viruses among animals globally must also be intensified to rapidly detect any changes to the virus that could pose a greater threat to humans."
28. Wide shot, press room
29. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Director a.i., Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, World Health Organization (WHO):
“So, there’s a lot that we are learning, but specifically around the poultry and avian influenza, that work that’s at the most local level with communities using this one health approach of animal health, the environmental sector, and human health sharing information rapidly for that early detection. The earlier detection we have, the stronger biosecurity we have in the farms, the earlier we can mitigate any potential spillover into human populations and potential on-wards spread.”
30. Wide shot, press room
31. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization (WHO):
“This is what we mean by One Health. Recognizing potential threats to humans on the animal side of the barrier and putting in place measures to protect that animal, that species barrier so these viruses don't jump across. But that doesn't come for free. Unfortunately, that doesn't come for free. That requires real investment real investment in surveillance. Real investment in policies, on animal movement. Real investment in being able to diagnose and contain quickly and in the case where animals have to be culled, compensation programmes; one of the biggest problems we see on the poultry side is the absence of compensation programmes in many countries, where farmers often see their poultry culled with no compensation which is a huge disincentive to reporting.”
32. Wide shot, press room
World Health Organization (WHO) chief said, “We ask you, the world’s media, to continue drawing attention to Sudan, and not to allow our world to forget it.”
Addressing the press today (12 Jun) in Geneva, Dr Tedros said “Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 12 million people displaced: 10 million internally, while 2 million have fled to neighboring countries. More than 70 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected states, and 45 percent of health facilities in another five states are not working, and the remaining ones are overwhelmed with people seeking care. People are dying from a lack of access to essential health services and medicines, while there is a very real risk of mass starvation in some regions.”
He also said, “As the situation in Sudan continues to decline, WHO is on the ground supporting lifesaving interventions and outbreak response. We provide expert advice, training and oversight to health operations, management of malnutrition, disease surveillance and outbreak response.”
He continued, “WHO also continues to distribute urgently needed medicines, medical supplies using all available avenues, including cross-border and crossline operations, to reach previously unreachable areas in Darfur and Kordofan, where the needs are greatest.”
On Gaza, Dr Tedros said, “WHO welcomes the UN Security Council resolution adopted on Monday, which calls for a full and immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, a permanent end to hostilities, and the reconstruction of Gaza. We urge all parties to take steps to implement the resolution immediately and bring a permanent end to the suffering of millions of people. We also welcome this week’s conference in Amman, Jordan, which aims to intensify humanitarian aid for Gaza.”
He also said, “A significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions. Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food. WHO and our partners have scaled up nutrition services. Over 8,000 children under 5 years old have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 children with severe acute malnutrition.”
He continued, “There have already been 32 deaths attributed to malnutrition, including 28 among children under 5 years old.
He added, “While the world’s focus has been on Gaza, there is also an escalating health crisis in the West Bank, where attacks on health care and restrictions on movement of people are obstructing access to health services. Since the war in Gaza started, 508 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, including 124 children. More than 5,000 have been injured, including about 800 children. WHO has documented 480 attacks on health care in the West Bank since the 7th of October last year, resulting in 16 deaths and 95 injuries.”
He said, “In most areas of the West Bank, clinics are only operating two days a week, and hospitals are operating at about 70 percent capacity. Illegal settlements have expanded in the occupied West Bank, impacting the population’s access to health services.”
He continued, “In the West Bank, as in Gaza, the only solution is peace. Once again, we urge all sides to implement the Security Council resolution immediately.”
About the United States, and the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza among dairy cattle, Dr Tedros said, “Since our last update five weeks ago, the number of affected dairy herds has almost tripled to 92 in 12 states, the number of human cases has increased from 1 to 3, and the number of people being monitored has more than doubled to 500. Since 2003, there have been 893 reported infections of H5N1 in humans, including 11 so far this year: five in Cambodia, three in the U.S., and one each in Australia, China, and Viet Nam.”
He continued, “In that time, the virus has not shown signs of having acquired the ability to spread easily among humans. That remains the case, which is why, at this time, WHO continues to assess the risk to public health as low. In recent years, H5N1 has spread widely among wild birds, poultry, land and marine mammals on several continents. WHO recommends that anyone working with any infected animals, in any country, should have access to, and use, personal protective equipment.”
He concluded, “WHO is monitoring multiple avian flu viruses in humans through the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System. Surveillance of flu viruses among animals globally must also be intensified to rapidly detect any changes to the virus that could pose a greater threat to humans."
Also addressing the press today, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Director a.i. of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention said, “So, there’s a lot that we are learning, but specifically around the poultry and avian influenza, that work that’s at the most local level with communities using this one health approach of animal health, the environmental sector, and human health sharing information rapidly for that early detection. The earlier detection we have, the stronger biosecurity we have in the farms, the earlier we can mitigate any potential spillover into human populations and potential on-wards spread.”
Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said, “This is what we mean by One Health. Recognizing potential threats to humans on the animal side of the barrier and putting in place measures to protect that animal, that species barrier so these viruses don't jump across. But that doesn't come for free. Unfortunately, that doesn't come for free. That requires real investment real investment in surveillance. Real investment in policies, on animal movement. Real investment in being able to diagnose and contain quickly and in the case where animals have to be culled, compensation programmes; one of the biggest problems we see on the poultry side is the absence of compensation programmes in many countries, where farmers often see their poultry culled with no compensation which is a huge disincentive to reporting.”
