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I was pleased to be part of this joint forum with @commissioncovid head @JeffDSachs to look into how countries in @WHO's @WHOWPRO Region have responded to the #pandemic.
Our subject: From containment to suppression: #COVID19 Lessons from countries in the Western Pacific Region. https://twitter.com/WHOWPRO/status/1338879518736482306
Our subject: From containment to suppression: #COVID19 Lessons from countries in the Western Pacific Region. https://twitter.com/WHOWPRO/status/1338879518736482306
Prof @JeffDSachs mentioned dramatically lower #COVID19 cases in the Western Pacific Region compared to other parts of the world.
I’d like to echo his words that every day is still a challenge and there’s no room for complacency.
I’d like to echo his words that every day is still a challenge and there’s no room for complacency.
Compared to other parts of the world, the Western Pacific Region has been comparatively fortunate.
We've had ~1% of confirmed cases & 1% of confirmed deaths.
Most countries have avoided the "red line" where health systems are totally overwhelmed.
https://bit.ly/37rMCyK
We've had ~1% of confirmed cases & 1% of confirmed deaths.
Most countries have avoided the "red line" where health systems are totally overwhelmed.
https://bit.ly/37rMCyK
Of course, 2020 has still been a very difficult year – in particular for health care workers, and for those who have lost loved ones and livelihoods. My thoughts are with the families of these people every day.
And so we need to remain vigilant, in order to keep case numbers down, health systems operating, and as far as possible, transmission of the #coronavirus in check.
There are several reasons why the Western Pacific Region has fared relatively well, and important lessons that can be learned from countries in our Region's experience.
Clearly, long term investment is critical. Countries in the Western Pacific have spent years using the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED) to strengthen health systems in anticipation of such a pandemic.
https://iris.wpro.who.int/handle/10665.1/13654
https://iris.wpro.who.int/handle/10665.1/13654
Under our shared strategy, countries set up systems which have proven critical in the #COVID19 response.
As a result, most have been able to scale up the right mix of #PublicHealth actions at the right time, to avoid the “red line” where health systems are totally overwhelmed.
As a result, most have been able to scale up the right mix of #PublicHealth actions at the right time, to avoid the “red line” where health systems are totally overwhelmed.
I'd like to mention 3 factors:
Communication from trusted sources to change behaviours & build community support
Community commitment to protect the most vulnerable
Solidarity: Countries have come together, recognizing that no country is safe until every country is safe.
Communication from trusted sources to change behaviours & build community supportCommunity commitment to protect the most vulnerableSolidarity: Countries have come together, recognizing that no country is safe until every country is safe.
None of these factors are unique to our Western Pacific Region.
But they have come together this year in a unique way – sparing us from the scale of devastation from this virus that we are currently seeing in other parts of the world.
But they have come together this year in a unique way – sparing us from the scale of devastation from this virus that we are currently seeing in other parts of the world.
But this is obviously no time to be complacent: the pandemic is far from over, and how it evolves in the next phase depends on our individual and collective actions.
