Good morning, good afternoon and good evening,
I want to start by marking some significant progress in how we improve access to quality, safe and effective medicines and vaccines.
WHO has designated 33 national and regional regulatory authorities as WHO Listed Authorities, recognized for meeting the highest standards in regulatory practices for quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and vaccines.
As WHO Listed Authorities, these agencies can be relied on to assure quality and safety of medicines and vaccines and to streamline processes, optimize resources, and expedite access to medicines and vaccines.
This brings the total to 36 listed authorities from 34 Member States since March 2022, when the initiative was launched.
Newly approved listed authorities include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Regulatory Network.
And the approval covers all regulatory functions for generic and new medicines, biotherapeutics and vaccines.
Singapore's Health Sciences Authority previously designated as a listed authority, received approval for an expanded scope, which now includes market surveillance and control, covering all regulatory functions.
With leading regulatory authorities joining our list, we are stronger and more united to improve access to quality, safe and effective medicines and vaccines for millions more people.
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Next, new data shows sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in most regions.
New syphilis cases among adults aged 15-49 years increased by nearly 1 million in 2022, reaching 8 million. And there were 230 000 syphilis-related deaths.
The highest increases occurred in the Region for the Americas and the African Region.
New data also show an increase in multi-resistant gonorrhoea.
As of 2023, out of 87 countries where enhanced gonorrhoea antimicrobial resistance surveillance was conducted, nine countries reported elevated levels of resistance to the last line of treatment for gonorrhoea.
WHO has updated its recommended treatment to reduce the spread of this multi-resistant gonorrhoea strain.
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Next week, leaders from around the world will participate in the World Health Assembly.
This year could be one of the most significant in our 76-year history as two years of government-led negotiations to strengthen the global pandemic and response apparatus are high on the agenda.
And there is progress.
Member States have in principle agreed to a package of amendments to strengthen the International Health Regulations.
These amendments set out to improve how countries prepare for, detect and respond to Public Health Emergencies of International Concern, and will be part of a package put forward at the Assembly.
This process has been running in parallel to negotiations around a complementary international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
The International Health Regulations focus on raising countries capacities to detect and respond to public health events that are an international risk.
The pandemic agreement focuses on strengthening coordination for an international response to pandemics, with equitable access to personal protective equipment, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics at the core.
Along with strengthened International Health Regulations, the pandemic agreement remains our best shot, and indeed our generational opportunity, at making sure next time a virus hits, we have a plan to get critical health tools to people quickly, effectively and fairly.
It will save lives and I’m asking country leaders to give it one last big push to get it over the line next week.
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Also, at the Assembly, WHO will be launching a new global health strategy – developed in partnership with 194 Member States and partners – which sets a course for getting the world back on track to hit the health related-Sustainable Development Goals.
Crucial decisions are expected on a range of health priorities such as climate and health, WHO’s work in health emergencies, access to transformative tools, communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, women’s health and the reform of WHO itself.
On 26 May, WHO will be launching our first Investment Round, a new mechanism for WHO, which the Executive Board approved in January.
The Investment Round is designed to ensure that voluntary contributions, which are currently the majority of our funding, will be more predictable, flexible, and sustainable.
Our new Investment Case outlines why and how supporting WHO is essential for progress in global health and saving millions of lives.
It will be launched on 28 May during the Assembly.
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Now to Gaza, where the situation remains beyond catastrophic.
In north Gaza, the Al-Awda hospital remains under siege since Sunday.
Inside, 148 hospital employees, including administrators, health workers, cleaners, and volunteers, along with 22 patients and their companions, remain trapped.
This is the second time Al-Awda Hospital has been besieged since the beginning of the conflict.
During the war, the hospital has suffered significant losses, including the deaths of 14 employees and injuries to dozens more.
Intense hostilities near Kamal Adwan hospital have compromised its ability to provide care and made it harder for patients to reach.
As these are the only two functional hospitals remaining in northern Gaza, ensuring their ability to deliver health services is imperative.
In Rafah, heavy military attacks are continuing and casualties are increasing.
People have been given an impossible choice of staying in a place that is being attacked or moving to another place, which is also not safe.
Over 800 000 people have now fled but many hundreds of thousands remain.
Rafah’s hospitals were overwhelmed and the An-Najjar hospital has had to shutdown, meaning there are 220 fewer hospital beds for the injured and the sick.
Crossings from Egypt into Gaza have remained closed for two weeks, cutting off the primary pipeline for emergency health supplies into Gaza.
All over Gaza, the impact of the incursions and evacuation orders are being felt.
Six hospitals and nine primary health centres have been impacted. Over 70 shelters have now lost access to their medical points.
Daily consultations have fallen by close to 40%, and immunization by 50%.
Approximately 700 seriously ill patients, who would have otherwise been evacuated for medical care elsewhere, are stuck in a war zone.
At a time when the people of Gaza are facing starvation, we urge Israel to lift the blockade and to let aid through.
WHO has pre-positioned some supplies in warehouses and hospitals, but without more aid flowing into Gaza, we cannot sustain our lifesaving support to hospitals and the population.
WHO and partners have managed to deliver small amounts of fuel to hospitals in recent days, but this falls far short of the 50-to-60 thousand litres of fuel that are needed each day for health operations.
Without fuel, ambulances can’t reach patients, and life-saving services like dialysis can’t continue.
What is needed now more than ever is a ceasefire and to get aid flowing into Gaza.
Fadéla, back to you.
