Distinguished Dr Keizo Takemi, President of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians Forum; Hon’ble parliamentarians from across Asia Pacific; my distinguished colleague Dr Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director, WPRO,
It is a privilege to address you today to discuss the three most pressing issues of the moment – virus, variants and vaccines.
The pandemic shows no signs of easing, with global case incidence and death increasing at a concerning rate since mid-February.
A third of the global cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths have been reported in the last three months alone, and in some countries, we are seeing record numbers of reported cases, almost daily.
The South-East Asia Region last week reported more than a million new cases. Between weeks 14 and 15 the Region experienced a 57.3% increase in new cases, which is the highest percentage change across all WHO regions.
India, Nepal and Thailand showed a significant increase in new cases over the past week; however, other countries, such as Bangladesh, reported a drop.
Test positivity continues to be above 10% in several countries of the Region, indicating continued transmission and the risk of further spread.
The current resurgence is causing untenable strains on health systems in affected countries and is likely driven in part by the emergence of variants of concern and the inconsistent use or early easing of public health and social measures.
All three variants of concern have been reported in the South-East Asia Region. Six countries have reported the UK variant. Four countries have reported the South Africa variant. One country has reported the Brazilian variant.
Several countries are experiencing the occurrence of new mutants with potential high transmissibility, which is a cause of serious concern in the Region and beyond.
Investigations are ongoing and WHO continues to support countries to carry out genomic sequencing on a subset of cases and encourages wider sharing of sequences along with their metadata.
Vaccination campaigns continue to be rolled out.
As of 23 April, nearly 136 million people in the Region have received the first dose, of which more than 29 million have also received the second dose.
As of 1 May, India will start vaccinating all people over the age of 18.
All countries have prioritized health and frontline workers, older persons and people with co-morbidities, in alignment with SAGE recommendations and efforts to advance health equity.
Countries continue to struggle with the non-availability of doses; however, we are hopeful that the situation will improve as the year progresses and as additional vaccines become available.
A COVAX Manufacturing Task Force will soon be launched to optimize and prioritize for COVAX the number of doses manufactured in the short term, with a special emphasis on lower middle- and low-income countries to ensure greater equity.
The Task Force is also expected to kickstart the establishment of sustainable regional manufacturing of vaccines with a view to build long-term regional health security.
As vaccine roll-outs proceed, it is imperative that political leaders and people from all walks of life continue to promote public health measures that can control this virus.
Physical distancing works. Masks work. Hand hygiene works. Ventilation works. Testing, contact tracing, isolation, and providing treatment – they all work to stop transmission and save lives.
WHO will continue to support countries to strengthen the response while ensuring all people can access the essential health services they require to stay healthy and well – a defining feature of the Region’s response thus far, and a critical priority in the weeks and months to come to avoid indirect mortality.
My message today for Hon’ble parliamentarians is to continue to highlight the value of investing in health systems and creating adequate and sustainable sources of health financing.
The prospects for economic recovery in 2021 are mixed. Uncertainties remain as to how the pandemic will evolve and how fast countries will be able to scale up vaccinations. And even if growth is positive, economic output will take longer to revert to pre-crisis levels.
By sustaining and scaling up investments in health, including health care workers, countries can return to normal sooner. And they can also build health systems that are more resilient and better able to manage such crises in future.
Health is an investment, not a cost, and I trust that Forum members will continue to deliver this message at every opportunity, for which I thank them.
I wish you productive and engaging deliberations.