WHO Media
Thursday, 15 July, 2021 POST-PRESSER LINKS Please find enclosed the link of the WHO Director-General's statement as well as other materials from the COVID-19 updates press conference on 15 July: WHO DG opening remarks - I would especially like to express my concern and condolences over the floods that are currently affecting Germany. I offer my deep condolences to those who have lost someone they love, and my sincere hopes that those who are missing will be found soon.
- Since 2020, Germany contributed close to 750 million US dollars to WHO, including more than 500 million dollars to support the COVID-19 response. Germany was also one of the main drivers behind the formation of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator last year, and we are very grateful for the further contribution of 260 million euros and 30 million vaccine doses that Minister Spahn has just announced. We will be signing the agreement under the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response plan after today’s press conference.
- As you know, the WHO Emergency Committee met yesterday and will publish its statement shortly. The Committee has expressed concern that the pandemic is being mischaracterized as coming to an end when it is nowhere near finished. It has also warned about the strong likelihood for the emergence and global spread of new and possibly more dangerous variants of concern that may be even more challenging to control.
- The Committee also expressed deep concern about the level of funding for WHO’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19, which constrains WHO’s ability to coordinate the global response to the pandemic, particularly in terms of having the flexibility we need to move at the speed this virus moves. And the committee has called on all countries to support WHO’s call to vaccinate at least 10% of the population of every country by the end of September.
Media briefing audio file (58mins): https://who.canto.global/b/JPFJU Audio web link: https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-AUDIO_Emergencies_Coronavirus_Press_Conference_15JUL2021.mp3 Full video file (58mins): https://who.canto.global/b/QVKRD Video news edit (05mins3secs) https://who.canto.global/b/H3U2T
Media assets and information on COVID-19 https://who.canto.global/v/coronavirus RELATED Statement on the eighth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic (who.int) |