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STORY: WHO / HEALTH EMERGENCIES PRESSER
TRT: 5:41
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTION: PLEASE CREDIT WHO FOOTAGE ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 12 FEBRUARY 20245, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1.Wide shot, press briefing room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
We regret the announcement that the United States intends to withdraw from WHO, and we would welcome the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue.
3. Wide shot, press briefing room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“There are also actions that the US government is taking that are unrelated to its intended withdrawal from WHO, but which we are concerned are having a serious impact on global health.”
5. Wide shot, press briefing room
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“For example, the suspension of funding to PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, caused an immediate stop to HIV treatment, testing and prevention services in the 50 countries that PEPFAR supports based on bilateral agreements.”
7. Wide shot, press briefing room
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Although a waiver has been granted for life-saving services, it does not include prevention services for some of the most at-risk groups.”
9. Wide shot, press briefing room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We ask the US to consider continuing its funding at least until solutions can be found.”
11. Wide shot, press briefing room
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Director (a.i) Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, WHO:
“There are incredible scientists at US CDC, and across U.S. institutions, as well as the institutions in all of the member states that we work with. We hope that this exchange resumes soon. We are continuing to reach out to our colleagues in the US government agencies. We haven't heard back from them, but we will continue to reach out. And we hope again that that exchange resumes.”
13. Wide shot, press briefing room
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Director (a.i) Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, WHO:
“The US has reported human cases of avian influenza through IHR. That has continued and we do hope that there will be more uploads to the different websites and through the different portals, related to influenza as well as other diseases. So it's not just influenza, obviously, that we're concerned about, but all of them and this this ask is for all of our member states.”
15. Wide shot, press briefing room
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“I feel sad when the US decided to withdraw because I know its leadership and impact at country level and the same at global level.”
17. Wide shot, press briefing room
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“If the US wants to pay less, it's actually in line with what we're doing. And as part of our reform, because we have started in 2017, the sustainable financing reform that is helping us to broaden the donor base.”
19. Wide shot, press briefing room
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We are building a transparent organization, an accountable organization, a responsive organization, and we would respond to any queries or issues that are and we hope, the US will reconsider and work with us to continue the reform that we have started seven years ago.”
21. Wide shot, press briefing room
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Now to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. So far, the government has reported 9 confirmed cases, including one death. More than 260 contacts have been identified and are being monitored. I thank the Government of Uganda for its leadership and partnership.”
23. Wide shot, press briefing room
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“WHO is on the ground supporting the government’s response. We’re providing surge support for surveillance, laboratories, logistics, infection prevention and control in hospitals, treatment centres and research.”
25. Wide shot, press briefing room
26. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“There are no authorized vaccines or therapeutics against the species of Ebola virus responsible for this outbreak. But thanks to preparedness measures that the government took after the previous outbreak, and a global research collaboration led by WHO, we were able to start a trial of a candidate vaccine just four days after the outbreak was declared.”
27. Wide shot, press briefing room
28. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Now to the recent surge in violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has led to significant loss of life, injuries, displacement, and the destruction of critical health infrastructure.”
29. Wide shot, press briefing room
30. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“More than 900 deaths have been reported, and more than 4000 injuries. At most, only one-third of people who need health services in North and South Kivu are able to receive them.”
31. Wide shot, press briefing room
32. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Anticipating an escalation of violence, we have been working since November to preposition supplies including medicines and fuel. However, these supplies are running out, and others are running dangerously low or have been looted. We are continuing to respond as best we can. As always, the best medicine is peace.”
33. Wide shot, press briefing room
34. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Now to Gaza. Since the ceasefire began in January, WHO has sent 139 trucks with supplies for 1.6 million people.”
35. Wide shot, press briefing room
36. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We have supported the evacuation of 414 patients and 588 companions.”
37. Wide shot, press briefing room
38. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We have also sent emergency supplies to hospitals in response to the escalating violence in the West Bank.”
39. Wide shot, press briefing room
40. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We urge all sides to ensure the ceasefire in Gaza holds, hostages are released, and the violence in the West Bank stops.”
41. Wide shot, press briefing room
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “We regret the announcement that the United States intends to withdraw from WHO, and we would welcome the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue.
Tedros spoke to reporters today (12 Feb) in Geneva.
He said, “There are also actions that the US government is taking that are unrelated to its intended withdrawal from WHO, but which we are concerned are having a serious impact on global health.”
For example, the Director-General explained, “the suspension of funding to PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, caused an immediate stop to HIV treatment, testing and prevention services in the 50 countries that PEPFAR supports based on bilateral agreements.”
Tedros added, “Although a waiver has been granted for life-saving services, it does not include prevention services for some of the most at-risk groups.”
The WHO chief asked the US to “consider continuing its funding at least until solutions can be found.”
WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove also spoke to reporters.
She said, “There are incredible scientists at US CDC, and across U.S. institutions, as well as the institutions in all of the member states that we work with. We hope that this exchange resumes soon.”
Kerkhove added, “We are continuing to reach out to our colleagues in the US government agencies. We haven't heard back from them, but we will continue to reach out. And we hope again that that exchange resumes.”
The WHO senior official said, “The US has reported human cases of avian influenza through IHR. That has continued and we do hope that there will be more uploads to the different websites and through the different portals, related to influenza as well as other diseases. So it's not just influenza, obviously, that we're concerned about, but all of them and this this ask is for all of our member states.”
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said, “I feel sad when the US decided to withdraw because I know its leadership and impact at country level and the same at global level.”
He added, “If the US wants to pay less, it's actually in line with what we're doing. And as part of our reform, because we have started in 2017, the sustainable financing reform that is helping us to broaden the donor base.”
“We are building a transparent organization, an accountable organization, a responsive organization, and we would respond to any queries or issues that are and we hope, the US will reconsider and work with us to continue the reform that we have started seven years ago,” Tedros reiterated.
Moving onto the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, the Director-General said, “So far, the government has reported 9 confirmed cases, including one death. More than 260 contacts have been identified and are being monitored. I thank the Government of Uganda for its leadership and partnership.”
He added, “WHO is on the ground supporting the government’s response. We’re providing surge support for surveillance, laboratories, logistics, infection prevention and control in hospitals, treatment centres and research.”
The Director-General also said, “There are no authorized vaccines or therapeutics against the species of Ebola virus responsible for this outbreak. But thanks to preparedness measures that the government took after the previous outbreak, and a global research collaboration led by WHO, we were able to start a trial of a candidate vaccine just four days after the outbreak was declared.”
Moving onto the recent surge in violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the WHO chief said, it has “led to significant loss of life, injuries, displacement, and the destruction of critical health infrastructure.”
Tedros said, “More than 900 deaths have been reported, and more than 4000 injuries. At most, only one-third of people who need health services in North and South Kivu are able to receive them.”
He added, “Anticipating an escalation of violence, we have been working since November to preposition supplies including medicines and fuel. However, these supplies are running out, and others are running dangerously low or have been looted. We are continuing to respond as best we can. As always, the best medicine is peace.”
Speaking about Gaza, “Since the ceasefire began in January, WHO has sent 139 trucks with supplies for 1.6 million people,” the WHO chief said.
He also said , “We have supported the evacuation of 414 patients and 588 companions,” adding that the Organization has sent emergency supplies to hospitals in response to the escalating violence in the West Bank.
Tedros urged all sides to “ensure the ceasefire in Gaza holds, hostages are released, and the violence in the West Bank stops.”
