By Asmau Ahmad
The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus has urged countries to learn from COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by increasing investment in public health in 2021.
R Ghebreyesus said this in a statement posted on WHO website tagged: ‘COVID-19: One year later – WHO Director-General’s New Year message.’
The Director-General said the events of 2020 had provided telling lessons, and reminders, for the world to take into 2021.
“The year 2020 had shown that governments must increase investment in public health, from funding access to COVID vaccines for all people, to making our systems better prepared to prevent and respond to the next, inevitable, pandemic.
“At the heart of this is investing in universal health coverage to make health for all a reality. As it would take time to vaccinate everyone against COVID-19, we must keep adhering to tried and tested measures that keep each and all of us safe.
“This means maintaining physical distance, wearing face masks, practicing hand and respiratory hygiene, avoiding crowded indoor places and meeting people outside,” he said.
According to him, the simple and effective measures will save lives and reduce the suffering that so many people encountered in 2020. “Above all, we must commit to working together in solidarity, as a global community, to promote and protect health today, and in the future.
“We have seen how divisions in politics and communities feed the virus and foment the crisis but collaboration and partnership save lives and safeguard societies,” he added.
Ghebreyesus said in 2020, a health crisis of historic proportions showed the world just how closely connected humanity is and how acts of kindness and care helped neighbours through times of great struggle.
He said that the world also witnessed how acts of malice and misinformation caused avoidable harm, adding that in 2021, the world has a simple, yet profound, choice to make.
Ghebreyesus said the choice is easy, as there is light at the end of the tunnel, and humanity will get there by taking the path together.
“WHO stands with you – we are family and we are in this together. COVID-19 pandemic has taken so many lives and caused massive disruption to families, societies and economies all over the world.
“But it also triggered the fastest and most wide-reaching response to a global health emergency in human history. The hallmarks of this response have been an unparalleled mobilisation of science, a search for solutions and a commitment to global solidarity,” he added.
