Member State representatives; Ambassadors, partners from UN agencies, multilateral organizations and civil society; UN Regional Directors and Resident Coordinators; my colleagues from WHO, including country representatives,
Good morning and a warm welcome to this Regional Health Partners’ Forum.
We meet at what is a defining moment in the regional and global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic has thus far killed at least 3.5 million people globally. It has pushed more than 115 million people into extreme poverty and caused the deepest shock to the global economy since the Second World War.
In the first six months of this year, the world will report the same amount of COVID-19 deaths as were reported for the whole of last year – more than 1.8 million.
We are still very much in the acute phase of this pandemic. We must continue to aggressively respond, using all tools at our disposal.
The South-East Asia Region remains the world’s third most affected WHO region. It has reported a cumulative 32 million cases and 415 000 deaths. This accounts for 17% and 10% of global cases and deaths, respectively.
Several countries of the Region continue to experience high transmission. For five consecutive weeks, the Region has reported more than 2 million new cases. Cases have for several weeks been declining, with a 20% reduction of new cases between week 19 and 20.
India is reporting the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and the third highest number of deaths in the world. India is also reporting the highest number of new cases daily – 134 154. This accounts for 36% of new cases globally. Five states account for 52% of the total cases from India.
Over the last 25 days India has experienced a decline in daily cases of around 69%, after reporting the highest number of cases on 7 May.
The impact on health systems – already overstretched – has been immense, revealing gaps in curative and public health service delivery.
To help fill those gaps, WHO has in recent months provided more than 340 metric ton of essential medical supplies worth more than US$ 50 million. This is in addition to the 20 million units of supplies that WHO has provided to frontline workers since the beginning of the response. We continue to mobilize more.
There remains a clear and ongoing need in all countries of the Region to strengthen health system capacity, including access to critical supplies such as medical oxygen. My thanks to our partners who have come forth in this hour of need to help our Member States.
In all countries of the Region, national strategic preparedness and response plans must be fully implemented, for which they must be fully funded. The provision of ongoing technical and financial support is vital.
Last week the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution on strengthening preparedness for health emergencies, which since 2014 has been one of the Region’s Flagship Priorities.
In the months and years to come, the Region will continue to focus on achieving full compliance with the International Health Regulations – the bedrock of global health security.
To accelerate COVID-19 vaccine roll-outs, and to secure equitable access to therapeutics, diagnostics, personal protective equipment and other supplies, WHO is committed to increasing supply chain resilience, including through local manufacturing.
We will continue to promote full global buy-in to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which provides a comprehensive, end-to-end solution to see us through the acute phase.
The ACT-Accelerator has already distributed hundreds of millions of diagnostic tests and therapeutic courses, and more than 77 million vaccine doses – mostly to low- and middle-income countries. If adequately funded, it will deliver more.
As of 2 June, the Region has provided more than 271 million doses of vaccine, including more than 220 million in India.
While the development of COVID-19 vaccines has been exceedingly fast, the supply cannot currently meet demand. This has resulted in a slowing down of vaccination in several countries, including those reliant on COVAX vaccines.
Achieving vaccine equity demands extraordinary action and global collaboration. For example, countries can share doses and allow free export of critical materials. Companies can engage with the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool and provide access to key manufacturing know-how. In our Region and across the world, many of these measures have been initiated. They must continue to be strengthened.
In line with the 10 pillars of WHO’s updated Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, WHO will continue to support all countries in the Region to implement evidence-based public health and social measures; to enhance social and economic protections; and to maintain equitable access to essential health services – a core priority from the beginning of the response, which requires sustained and scaled up support.
We will soon hear from our WHO Health Emergencies Director, Dr Jos Vandelaer, who will provide a detailed technical update.
However, I want to open this meeting by appreciating the tremendous support that partners have provided to WHO, enabling us to implement a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained response.
Your support of the Partners Platform has assisted the Regional Office to deliver more than 2.2 million sample collection kits, 1.9 million manual PCR tests, 2.1 million gloves, 7 million medical masks, more than 500 000 gowns, and more than 600 000 respirators.
Through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, you have deployed to Member States experts in epidemiology and case management, drawing on a pool of 30 partner institutions.
Your support of the WHO Information Network for Epidemics has enabled governments and partners to gather and assess evidence, and to develop high impact behavioural change messages. This has been critical to counterbalance the effect of what has been an “infodemic” of misinformation.
The UN Regional Coordination Mechanism has facilitated communication and planning between and among partners. It has been complemented by the WHO Health Partners’ Forum, which has been convened on several occasions. The Forum’s last meeting focused on maintaining essential health services, which remains essential to avoid indirect morbidity and mortality.
In each of our Member States, WHO Representatives continue to work closely with national governments and partners through country level coordination mechanisms, driving impact where it matters most – at the grassroots.
To all partners, my message today is one of steadfast solidarity and steely resolve: Together, we must stay the course and see this challenge through.
As I mentioned at the outset, we are still very much in the acute phase of this pandemic. Lives and livelihoods are at stake, as is the sustainable development of a Region that accounts for more than 2 billion people.
It is only through solidarity, and by sustaining Region-wide resolve, that we can drive infection down, prepare for and prevent new waves, and bring evidence-based treatments and technologies to all who need them.
I thank you for your presence and give special thanks to our experts at country level.
From India, we have the Foreign Secretary, Mr Harsh Vardhan Shringla; Secretary Economic Affairs, Mr Ajay Seth; Mr Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary; and Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS.
From Sri Lanka, we have the President of the Medical Association, Dr Padma; from Nepal, the Director of Epidemiology, Dr Paudel; and from Bhutan, Dr Tshokey, technical advisor for COVID-19.
I look forward to your insights, and reiterate WHO’s commitment to collaborate and coordinate with you, our esteemed partners, to end this pandemic, and to prepare for and prevent the next one.
Thank you.