Chan: `My Greatest Concern Right Now Is The Novel Coronavirus’

D-G Margaret Chan – WHO

 

# 7325

 

 

If there were any doubts as to how seriously the World Health Organization views the threat posed by the MERS-CoV (novel coronavirus), they were dispelled yesterday by Director-General Margaret Chan during her closing remarks to the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

Dr. Chan devoted nearly a 1/3rd of her speech to her concerns over this emerging virus.  I’ve excerpted those portions below, but follow this link to read her speech in its entirety.

 

 

WHO Director-General praises the World Health Assembly for its work

Dr Margaret Chan
Director-General of the World Health Organization

Closing remarks at the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland
27 May 2013

(EXCERPT)

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

“Transparency” and “solidarity”. These are words I heard repeatedly during the session, and especially during discussion of the item on the International Health Regulations.

 

Looking at the overall world health situation, my greatest concern right now is the novel coronavirus.

 

We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat.

 

Any new disease that is emerging faster than our understanding is never under control.

 

We do not know where the virus hides in nature. We do not know how people are getting infected. Until we answer these question, we are empty-handed when it comes to prevention.

 

These are alarm bells. And we must respond.

 

The novel coronavirus is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself. The novel coronavirus is a threat to the entire world. As the Chair of committee A succinctly stated: this virus is something that can kill us.

 

Through WHO and the International Health Regulations, we need to bring together the assets of the entire world in order to adequately address this threat. We need more information, and we need it quickly, urgently.

 

As I have announced, joint WHO missions with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Tunisia will take place just as soon as possible. The purpose is to gather all the facts needed to conduct a proper risk assessment. I thank these countries for their cooperation and collaboration.

 

I thank Member States for supporting my views on the seriousness of this situation.

 

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Chan: WHO Over-Extended, Changes Needed

 

 

 

# 5238

 

 

In a speech today Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, provided a critical assessment on her agency’s need to make changes in how it operates.

 

Citing budget shortfalls, a global recession, increased demands upon her organization, the duplication of efforts between various public and private agencies around the world, and an ever-widening array of public health needs, Chan called for reforms in how the WHO operates.

 

“We are not functioning at the level of top performance that is increasingly needed, and expected,” Chan said to the executive board who are reviewing an 4.5 Billion dollar budget request for 2010-2011.

 

She went on to say, “From the review of events I have just provided, I think we can conclude that WHO is effective, sometimes strikingly so, in some areas. But this is not the case in all the areas covered by our vast programme of work.

 

WHO needs to change at the administrative, budgetary, and programmatic levels. We do not need to change the Constitution, but we do need to undergo some far-reaching reforms.”

 

After listing a number of recent public health achievements, Chan spoke of many of the areas that are, and are likely to continue to be, a public health challenge.

 

A few excerpts include:

 

“Treated bednets need to be replaced. Antiretroviral therapy for AIDS is a lifeline, for a life time. Case-finding and treatment for TB are a constant undertaking that needs to intensify. Every new generation of babies must be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

 

Last year, we launched an aggressive new strategy for polio eradication. Does the international community have the stamina, and the resources, to reach the milestones? The map of areas where guinea worm disease is endemic has shrunk to its smallest size ever. Will we finish this job as well?”

              *      *     *     *     *     *

“The financial crisis was a jolt. Climate change looms. Last year, records for extreme weather events were broken a record number of times. The trend continues this year, most notably with the flood crises in Australia, Brazil, and Sri Lanka.”

              *      *     *     *     *     *

“Last year, the response capacity of the international community was stretched to its limits by two mega-disasters: the January earthquake in Haiti and the August floods in Pakistan. Support will be needed for some time to come.”

 

 

Chan called for the board, and the member states, to discuss and devise ways for the WHO to better use their limited resources in ways that would have the maximum impact on public health.

 

You can read her entire speech at the link below:

 

 

WHO Director-General calls for change

Dr Margaret Chan
Director-General of the World Health Organization

Report by the Director-General to the Executive Board at its 128th session
Geneva, Switzerland
17 January 2011

WHO Confirms China H5N1 Fatality, Rejects BMJ Report

 

 

# 4632

 

 

Although it hasn’t appeared on their website yet, Margaret Chan – Director General of the World Health Organization – has issued a strong rejection of the criticisms lodged in a recent BMJ article that intimated that their decisions regarding the pandemic were unduly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.

 

 

WHO chief rejects claim that swine flu decision was influenced by advisers' drug company links

By Eliane Engeler (CP) – 

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday strongly rejected suggestions that her decisions about swine flu were influenced by advisers' links to pharmaceutical companies.

 

"At no time, not for one second, did commercial interests enter my decision-making," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said.

 

She also dismissed claims the global health body had stirred unnecessary public fear over the pandemic.

 

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When a link to the official statement appears, I try to get it posted here.  My thanks to Lisa Schnirring of CIDRAP for the heads up on this.

 

Meanwhile the WHO has issued a bare-bones report on the fatal H5N1 case I mentioned last week out of China (see China Reports H5N1 Victim).

 

While details are scant, this is unusually rapid acknowledgement of an H5N1 case for China.

 

Avian influenza – situation in China

8 June 2010 -- The Ministry of Health in China has announced a new confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection. The case is a 22-year-old pregnant female from Hubei Province. She had onset of symptoms on 23 May and died on 3 June. Investigations into the source of her infection indicate exposure to sick and dead poultry. Close contacts of the case are being monitored and to date all remain well.

 

Of the 39 cases confirmed to date in China, 26 have been fatal.

Chan: Too Soon To Declare Pandemic Is Over

 

 

# 4197

 

 

Given that none of the pandemics of the 20th century were over in less than a year, it is hardly surprising that the Director-General of the WHO (World Health Organization) - Margaret Chan - is unwilling to declare victory now that the virus appears to be receding in North America and and parts of Europe.

 

It isn’t lost on scientists that in 1957, the Asian Flu pandemic seemed to disappear completely for more than a year, only to return in 1959 and again after a two year lull during the 1962-63 flu season.  

 

 

NEJM 2009

 

Today, Director General Chan stated that it will take another 6 months to a year to know if this pandemic is truly on the wane, and she reminds us that we are not ready for a more severe H5N1 pandemic.

 

This report from AFP.

 

 

 

WHO chief says too early to declare flu victory

December 29, 2009 - 8:59PM

World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan said Tuesday it was too early to declare victory over swine flu and insisted that measures taken to deal with the pandemic were justified.

 

"I think that we must remain prudent and observe the evolution of the pandemic over the next six to 12 months before declaring victory," she told Swiss newspaper Le Temps in an interview.

 

Even though the peak of the flu has passed in some countries of the northern hemisphere, such as Canada and the United States, others countries were far from seeing the end, she noted.

 

"Winter is still long," said the WHO director-general, adding that a precise picture of the flu's impact would not be seen before two years.

 

 

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