WHO / TUBERCULOSIS HEALTH EMERGENCIES
23-Mar-2023
00:06:13
On the occasion on World TB Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is announcing the expanded scope of the WHO Director-General’s (DG) Flagship Initiative on tuberculosis over the period from 2023 to 2027 to support fast-tracking progress towards ending TB and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. WHO
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STORY: WHO / TUBERCULOSIS HEALTH EMERGENCIES
TRT: 6:13
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 MARCH 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
TRT: 6:13
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 23 MARCH 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Wide shot, press briefing room
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“On Tuesday, Tanzania confirmed its first known cases of Marburg virus disease. So far, eight cases have been confirmed, including five deaths. More than 160 contacts have been identified and are being monitored.”
3. Wide shot, press briefing room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“National responders trained jointly by WHO and the US CDC have been deployed to the affected region to carry out further investigations, monitor contacts and provide clinical care. Tanzania was able to confirm the outbreak because the first samples were tested at a mobile lab that was set up as a result of work supported by WHO last year to prepare for outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fever, including Ebola and Marburg. WHO has offered further support to the government of Tanzania.”
5. Wide shot, press briefing room
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“A month ago, Equatorial Guinea also reported an outbreak of Marburg virus disease. Since then, eight additional laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, bringing the total to nine confirmed and 20 probable cases. WHO has deployed experts to Equatorial Guinea to support the government’s response, and to strengthen community engagement.”
7. Wide shot, press briefing room
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Marburg belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola, causes similar symptoms, transmits between humans the same way, and like Ebola, has a very high fatality ratio. While there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for Marburg, WHO is leading an effort to evaluate candidate vaccines and therapeutics, in the context of the outbreak. The developers are on board, the clinical trial protocols are ready, the experts and donors are ready, once the national government and the researchers give the green light. In the meantime, we are not defenseless. Careful contact tracing, isolation and supportive care are powerful tools to prevent transmission and save lives.”
9. Wide shot, press briefing room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdi Rahman Mahamud, Director (a.i.) Alert & Response Coordination Department, WHO:
“We start, firstly on Tanzania, we don't have the information on the genetic sequencing, we are working with the national public laboratory. WHO recommends sending to the collaborating centre, so we are working with the country office so that we have the result in terms of the sequencing. For Equatorial Guinea, with thanks to IP Dakar, they are initially done, although we are waiting for the whole genomic to be published.”
11. Wide shot, press briefing room
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdi Rahman Mahamud, Director (a.i.) Alert & Response Coordination Department, WHO:
“We are waiting for the samples from Tanzania and also for the other eight samples that were detected so that to understand better, we are dealing with one single outbreak within Equatorial Guinea or its linked to Tanzania? These are separate events within Equatorial Guinea?. So more questions than answers, but as soon as we get, we'll share with you.”
13. Wide shot, press briefing room
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sylvie Briand, Director, Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, WHO:
“If we are successful in this initial phase, we can prevent further spread of the disease within the same country, but also to neighbouring countries. But again, it's the endeavour that requires the input and collaboration of everyone because this it at this very first stage of the outbreak that we can prevent further amplification.”
15. Wide shot, press briefing room
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We continue to see misinformation on social media and in mainstream media about the pandemic accord that countries are now negotiating. As I said last week, the claim that the accord will cede power to WHO is quite simply false. It’s fake news. Countries will decide what the accord says, and countries alone. And countries will implement the accord in line with their own national laws. No country will cede any sovereignty to WHO. If any politician, business person or anyone at all is confused about what the pandemic accord is and isn’t, we would be more than happy to discuss it and explain it.”
17. Wide shot, press briefing room
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Tomorrow is World Tuberculosis Day. TB is a preventable, treatable and curable disease. And yet it still kills 1.6 million people each year and affects millions more, with enormous impacts on families and communities. We cannot truly end TB unless we address its drivers: poverty, malnutrition, diabetes, HIV, tobacco and alcohol use, poor living and working conditions, stigma and discrimination, and more.”
19. Wide shot, press briefing room
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Tereza Kasaeva, Director, Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO:
“Yesterday WHO and over 10 key partners including civil society, launched a Call to Action, urging governments and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the novel, 6-months all-oral regimen for the treatment of drug-resistant TB.”
21. Wide shot, press briefing room
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Tereza Kasaeva, Director, Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO:
“We at WHO are calling for countries to fast-track efforts to ensure all people with TB, access quality prevention and care, in line with WHO's drive towards achieving UHC, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.”
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“On Tuesday, Tanzania confirmed its first known cases of Marburg virus disease. So far, eight cases have been confirmed, including five deaths. More than 160 contacts have been identified and are being monitored.”
3. Wide shot, press briefing room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“National responders trained jointly by WHO and the US CDC have been deployed to the affected region to carry out further investigations, monitor contacts and provide clinical care. Tanzania was able to confirm the outbreak because the first samples were tested at a mobile lab that was set up as a result of work supported by WHO last year to prepare for outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fever, including Ebola and Marburg. WHO has offered further support to the government of Tanzania.”
5. Wide shot, press briefing room
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“A month ago, Equatorial Guinea also reported an outbreak of Marburg virus disease. Since then, eight additional laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, bringing the total to nine confirmed and 20 probable cases. WHO has deployed experts to Equatorial Guinea to support the government’s response, and to strengthen community engagement.”
7. Wide shot, press briefing room
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Marburg belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola, causes similar symptoms, transmits between humans the same way, and like Ebola, has a very high fatality ratio. While there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for Marburg, WHO is leading an effort to evaluate candidate vaccines and therapeutics, in the context of the outbreak. The developers are on board, the clinical trial protocols are ready, the experts and donors are ready, once the national government and the researchers give the green light. In the meantime, we are not defenseless. Careful contact tracing, isolation and supportive care are powerful tools to prevent transmission and save lives.”
9. Wide shot, press briefing room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdi Rahman Mahamud, Director (a.i.) Alert & Response Coordination Department, WHO:
“We start, firstly on Tanzania, we don't have the information on the genetic sequencing, we are working with the national public laboratory. WHO recommends sending to the collaborating centre, so we are working with the country office so that we have the result in terms of the sequencing. For Equatorial Guinea, with thanks to IP Dakar, they are initially done, although we are waiting for the whole genomic to be published.”
11. Wide shot, press briefing room
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdi Rahman Mahamud, Director (a.i.) Alert & Response Coordination Department, WHO:
“We are waiting for the samples from Tanzania and also for the other eight samples that were detected so that to understand better, we are dealing with one single outbreak within Equatorial Guinea or its linked to Tanzania? These are separate events within Equatorial Guinea?. So more questions than answers, but as soon as we get, we'll share with you.”
13. Wide shot, press briefing room
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sylvie Briand, Director, Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, WHO:
“If we are successful in this initial phase, we can prevent further spread of the disease within the same country, but also to neighbouring countries. But again, it's the endeavour that requires the input and collaboration of everyone because this it at this very first stage of the outbreak that we can prevent further amplification.”
15. Wide shot, press briefing room
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“We continue to see misinformation on social media and in mainstream media about the pandemic accord that countries are now negotiating. As I said last week, the claim that the accord will cede power to WHO is quite simply false. It’s fake news. Countries will decide what the accord says, and countries alone. And countries will implement the accord in line with their own national laws. No country will cede any sovereignty to WHO. If any politician, business person or anyone at all is confused about what the pandemic accord is and isn’t, we would be more than happy to discuss it and explain it.”
17. Wide shot, press briefing room
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
“Tomorrow is World Tuberculosis Day. TB is a preventable, treatable and curable disease. And yet it still kills 1.6 million people each year and affects millions more, with enormous impacts on families and communities. We cannot truly end TB unless we address its drivers: poverty, malnutrition, diabetes, HIV, tobacco and alcohol use, poor living and working conditions, stigma and discrimination, and more.”
19. Wide shot, press briefing room
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Tereza Kasaeva, Director, Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO:
“Yesterday WHO and over 10 key partners including civil society, launched a Call to Action, urging governments and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the novel, 6-months all-oral regimen for the treatment of drug-resistant TB.”
21. Wide shot, press briefing room
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Tereza Kasaeva, Director, Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO:
“We at WHO are calling for countries to fast-track efforts to ensure all people with TB, access quality prevention and care, in line with WHO's drive towards achieving UHC, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.”
STORYLINE
On the occasion on World TB Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is announcing the expanded scope of the WHO Director-General’s (DG) Flagship Initiative on tuberculosis over the period from 2023 to 2027 to support fast-tracking progress towards ending TB and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s top infectious killers, causing 1.6 million deaths each year and affecting millions more, with enormous impacts on families and communities. The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with ongoing crises such as armed conflict, food insecurity, climate change, political and economic instability, has reversed years of progress made in the fight against TB. Last year, for the first time in nearly two decades, WHO reported an increase in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug resistant TB, alongside an increase in deaths.
“TB is preventable, treatable and curable, and yet this ancient scourge that has afflicted humanity for millennia continues to cause suffering and death for millions every year,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO is committed to supporting countries to step up their response, by expanding access to services to prevent, detect and treat TB as part of their journey towards universal health coverage, and to strengthen their defences against epidemics and pandemics.”
The WHO DG flagship initiative on TB builds on the progress achieved and lessons learned from 2018-2022. It aims to scale up the delivery of quality care to people living with TB through equitable access to WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics, shorter all-oral treatment for infection and disease, increasing their access to social protection and other innovations including digital tools for health.
The initiative highlights the pressing need to increase both domestic and international investments in TB services, research, and innovation, particularly in new vaccine development. It calls for TB services and programmes, particularly in countries with a high TB burden, to be recognized as an essential component of health systems, bolstering primary healthcare and pandemic preparedness and response.
The DG’s flagship initiative aims to drive multisectoral action and accountability to tackle the key drivers of the TB epidemic - poverty, undernourishment, diabetes, HIV, tobacco and alcohol use, poor living and working conditions, among others. And its enhanced scope is much needed and timely as the international partners prepare for the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
World Tuberculosis Day this year is being commemorated under the theme 'Yes! We can end TB!' with the goal of promoting optimism and fostering high-level leadership, increased investments, rapid adoption of new WHO recommendations, and strengthened multisectoral partnerships to combat the TB epidemic.
As part of the DG Flagship initiative, a special call to action is being issued by WHO and partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.
Drug-resistant TB continues to be a pressing public health concern, taking a significant toll on individuals affected by TB, communities, and healthcare systems worldwide. In 2021, nearly half a million people fell ill with multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB), only one in three accessed treatment.
New WHO guidelines on drug-resistant TB treatment recommend rapid roll-out of the novel BPaLM/BPaL regimen that has the potential to significantly increase cure rates due to its high effectiveness, offer more extensive access because of its lower cost, and improve patients' quality of life, as it is an all-oral treatment that is considerably shorter than traditional regimens.
“2023 is our chance to push forward the agenda towards ending TB, ” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme. “On World TB Day, WHO is pressing for firm political commitment at the highest level, strong multisectoral collaboration including beyond health, and an effective accountability system. We need everyone--individuals, communities, societies, donors and governments--to do their part to end TB. Together, yes, we can end TB.”
In September 2023, the UN General Assembly will convene three High-Level Meetings focusing on UHC, pandemic preparedness and response and ending TB. There are clear linkages between these agendas and the Heads of State will deliberate to accelerate action, including on the goal to end TB.
Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s top infectious killers, causing 1.6 million deaths each year and affecting millions more, with enormous impacts on families and communities. The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with ongoing crises such as armed conflict, food insecurity, climate change, political and economic instability, has reversed years of progress made in the fight against TB. Last year, for the first time in nearly two decades, WHO reported an increase in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug resistant TB, alongside an increase in deaths.
“TB is preventable, treatable and curable, and yet this ancient scourge that has afflicted humanity for millennia continues to cause suffering and death for millions every year,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO is committed to supporting countries to step up their response, by expanding access to services to prevent, detect and treat TB as part of their journey towards universal health coverage, and to strengthen their defences against epidemics and pandemics.”
The WHO DG flagship initiative on TB builds on the progress achieved and lessons learned from 2018-2022. It aims to scale up the delivery of quality care to people living with TB through equitable access to WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics, shorter all-oral treatment for infection and disease, increasing their access to social protection and other innovations including digital tools for health.
The initiative highlights the pressing need to increase both domestic and international investments in TB services, research, and innovation, particularly in new vaccine development. It calls for TB services and programmes, particularly in countries with a high TB burden, to be recognized as an essential component of health systems, bolstering primary healthcare and pandemic preparedness and response.
The DG’s flagship initiative aims to drive multisectoral action and accountability to tackle the key drivers of the TB epidemic - poverty, undernourishment, diabetes, HIV, tobacco and alcohol use, poor living and working conditions, among others. And its enhanced scope is much needed and timely as the international partners prepare for the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
World Tuberculosis Day this year is being commemorated under the theme 'Yes! We can end TB!' with the goal of promoting optimism and fostering high-level leadership, increased investments, rapid adoption of new WHO recommendations, and strengthened multisectoral partnerships to combat the TB epidemic.
As part of the DG Flagship initiative, a special call to action is being issued by WHO and partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.
Drug-resistant TB continues to be a pressing public health concern, taking a significant toll on individuals affected by TB, communities, and healthcare systems worldwide. In 2021, nearly half a million people fell ill with multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB), only one in three accessed treatment.
New WHO guidelines on drug-resistant TB treatment recommend rapid roll-out of the novel BPaLM/BPaL regimen that has the potential to significantly increase cure rates due to its high effectiveness, offer more extensive access because of its lower cost, and improve patients' quality of life, as it is an all-oral treatment that is considerably shorter than traditional regimens.
“2023 is our chance to push forward the agenda towards ending TB, ” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme. “On World TB Day, WHO is pressing for firm political commitment at the highest level, strong multisectoral collaboration including beyond health, and an effective accountability system. We need everyone--individuals, communities, societies, donors and governments--to do their part to end TB. Together, yes, we can end TB.”
In September 2023, the UN General Assembly will convene three High-Level Meetings focusing on UHC, pandemic preparedness and response and ending TB. There are clear linkages between these agendas and the Heads of State will deliberate to accelerate action, including on the goal to end TB.
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