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11 May 2023
POST PRESSER LINKS
11 May 2023 Virtual Press Conference
Please find below links from the virtual press conference held today, 11 May 2023 at WHO. Included are the full audio and video files and news edit from the presser on global health issues, covering the Fifth meeting of the IHR Emergency Committee on the multi-country outbreak of mpox.
LINKS: WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 11 May 2023
mpox Emergency Committee Statement: https://www.who.int/news/item/11-05-2023-fifth-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-(ihr)-emergency-committee-on-the-multi-country-outbreak-of-monkeypox-(mpox)
Multi-country outbreak of mpox, External situation report #22 - 11 May 2023 (who.int)
AUDIO files from today: Download and listen: https://who.canto.global/b/SIIG5
Length 48mins
Weblink: https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-AUDIO_Emergencies_Press_Conference_11MAY2023.mp3
VIDEO Full file from today: Duration: 48mins: Link: https://who.canto.global/b/LE98M
VIDEO News edit: Duration: 06:08
Link: https://who.canto.global/b/UA016
Shows: (approximative transcription, please check against delivery)
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
In July last year, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the multi-country outbreak of mpox as the virus spread rapidly across the world. In total, more than 87 thousand cases and 140 deaths have been reported to WHO, from 111 countries.
WHO has been very encouraged by the rapid response of countries. We now see steady progress in controlling the outbreak based on the lessons of HIV and working closely with the most affected communities.
Almost 90% fewer cases were reported in the past three months, compared with the previous three months.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Yesterday, the emergency committee for mpox met and recommended to me that the multi-country outbreak of mpox no longer represents a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice, and am pleased to declare that mpox is no longer a global health emergency.
However, as with COVID-19, that does not mean that the work is over. Mpox continues to pose significant public health challenges that need a robust, proactive and sustainable response.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Integration of mpox prevention and care into existing health programmes is recommended, to allow continued access to care, and rapid response to address future outbreaks.
WHO will continue to work towards supporting access to countermeasures as more information on effectiveness of interventions becomes available.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
While the emergencies of mpox and COVID-19 are both over, the threat of resurgent waves remains for both. Both viruses continue to circulate, and both continue to kill.
Dr Nicola Low, Vice-Chair of the international Health Regulations Emergency Committee on mpox
So the committee recognises this need to… for ongoing commitments to maintain plans to control mpox with the long term goal that the human to human transmission will be eliminated as well as mitigation of zoonotic transmission where possible. And that transition requires many integrated activities which include integrating mpox prevention, preparedness and response within national surveillance and control programs including those for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Dr Rosamund Lewis, Head, Technical lead for mpox, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
It is absolutely critically important that we continue the efforts that have been initiated already because as we are all aware through the past few years that as long as a virus is given the opportunity to continue to transmit from person to person, it also has the opportunity to change, to mutate, to evolve and this is particularly true in the instance when people who are immunocompromised are affected.
Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
It is a neglected disease and it has been totally neglected during this outbreak, in fact, WHO had to fund all of this international response purely on the basis of a contingency fund.
Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
It's not that will it become a neglected disease? It was a neglected disease, it is a neglected disease and it will continue to be a neglected disease and it may come back and it may shock us in the future. We need to keep monitoring this virus.
Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
We are dealing currently with 56 graded health emergencies around the world and of those, 14 are grade 3 which is our highest grade of emergency. We’ve over 24 outbreaks of cholera going on in many countries, particularly in Africa and I think anyone who works right now on immunisation will see a huge increase in measles outbreaks we are seeing around the world so, the world is not quiet from the point of view of infectious diseases, nor other health emergencies.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Ongoing fighting in Khartoum and across Sudan continues to cost lives and cripple the country economically and socially. As well as facing shelling and insecurity, people are dealing with dwindling supplies of water, food, medicines and electricity. 70% of health facilities in areas affected by fighting are out of service, and WHO has verified 30 attacks on health. Outbreaks of malaria, dengue and measles have been reported, and millions of children and pregnant and breastfeeding women are estimated to be acutely malnourished.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
I thank the governments of Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan for welcoming refugees from Sudan; WHO is supporting these countries to provide health services to people who have had to leave their homes. We have managed to deliver a significant quantity of supplies to Port Sudan, but unless these supplies can be distributed to health facilities, they are of no use.
Establishing safe routes for humanitarian aid is critical. But the ultimate solution is peace.
LINKS: WHO Newsroom: Newsroom (who.int)
Media briefing on Twitter: World Health Organization (WHO) on Twitter: "Media briefing on global health issues with @DrTedros https://t.co/fpYRR5EHng" / Twitter
WHO Sudan country page: WHO EMRO | Sudan | Countries
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