Coronavirus: WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 5 March 2020

Lo siento está en inglés.

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Copio parte de las declaraciones del Director General de la Organización Mundial de la Salud realizadas ayer, 5 de Marzo de 2020.

«Although a few countries are reporting large numbers of cases, 115 countries have not reported any cases.

21 countries have reported only one case.

And 5 countries that had reported cases have not reported new cases in the past 14 days.

The experience of these countries and of China continues to demonstrate that this is not a one-way street.

This epidemic can be pushed back, but only with a collective, coordinated and comprehensive approach that engages the entire machinery of government. 

We are calling on every country to act with speed, scale and clear-minded determination.

Although we continue to see the majority of cases in a handful of countries, we are deeply concerned about the increasing number of countries reporting cases, especially those with weaker health systems.

However, this epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor. As we have said before, even high-income countries should expect surprises. The solution is aggressive preparedness.

We’re concerned that some countries have either not taken this seriously enough, or have decided there’s nothing they can do. 

We are concerned that in some countries the level of political commitment and the actions that demonstrate that commitment do not match the level of the threat we all face. 

This is not a drill. 

This is not the time to give up. 

This is not a time for excuses. 

This is a time for pulling out all the stops.

Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans.

These are plans that start with leadership from the top, coordinating every part of government, not just the health ministry – security, diplomacy, finance, commerce, transport, trade, information and more – the whole government should be involved.

Activate your emergency plans through that whole-government approach.

Educate your public, so that people know what the symptoms are and know how to protect themselves and others.

Increase your testing capacity.

Get your hospitals ready.

Ensure essential supplies are available.

Train your health workers to identify cases, provide careful and compassionate treatment, and protect themselves from infection.

If countries act aggressively to find, isolate and treat cases, and to trace every contact, they can change the trajectory of this epidemic.

If we take the approach that there’s nothing we can do, that will quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It’s in our hands.

WHO has published step-by-step guidelines for countries to develop their national action plans according to eight key areas, which are supported by detailed technical guidance.

We call on all countries to accelerate those plans, and we stand ready to work with them to do that.

More funding is being made available to support countries that need it, and that have plans in place.»

En el siguiente enlace está el discurso completo.

WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 5 March 2020