World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus strongly supports the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed due to the pandemic, despite the fact that the delta variant has led to a surge in confirmed cases worldwide, and the opposition to the Olympics in the days leading up to the opening ceremony continues.
In his speech at the Tokyo meeting of the International Olympic Committee, Tedros admitted the seriousness of the problems caused by the pandemic, but pointed out that the Olympic spirit is as important as the need for governments and people around the world to work together to defeat the virus.
The WHO Director-General said on Wednesday: “May the Olympics be a moment to unite the world, ignite the unity and determination we need to end the pandemic together, and vaccinate 70% of the population of each country by the middle of next year.”
“May the Olympic torch become a symbol of hope across the earth. May the light of hope in this land of sunrise bring new light to a healthier, safer, and fairer world.”
After the World Health Organization announced a pandemic in March last year, the Tokyo Olympics were forced to enter an unprecedented postponement. This year, the organizers and the WHO launched a series of measures to reduce the risk of contracting the new crown virus and ensure the safety of the Olympic Games.
But the increasing number of cases around the world and Japan has weakened public confidence and increased opposition to upcoming events.
Tokyo recorded 1387 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic to more than 840,000. Approximately 15,055 people in Japan have died of this disease, and more than 4.1 million people worldwide have died of this disease.
There have been dozens of Olympic-related cases, including some athletes, which has further weakened public trust in efforts to mitigate the epidemic.
“The epidemic is a test. The world is failing,” Tedros said at the International Olympic Committee meeting.
“More than 4 million people have died, and many more continue to die. This year, the number of deaths is more than double the total last year. In the time I make these remarks, more than 100 people will die from COVID-19. By the time the Olympic flame goes out on August 8, more than 100,000 people will have died.”
“Tired” of the virus
He pointed out that people all over the world are “tired” of the virus and hope that the pandemic will end, but he said that unless more people in more countries are vaccinated, the pandemic will not end.
“Unless crises everywhere are resolved, the threat will not end,” he said. “Anyone who claims that the pandemic is over because the epidemic has ended in their place of residence, they live in a fool’s paradise.”
Speaking of richer countries, the WHO Director-General stated that the world has not fully utilized the vaccines that have been developed, and only 75% of the vaccines have been vaccinated in 10 countries. He said that in low-income countries, only 1% of people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while in high-income countries, the proportion is more than half.
He said that vaccines are “concentrated in the hands of a few lucky people.” Failure to share vaccines, tests, and treatments is exacerbating the dual-track pandemic. This is not only “moral anger”, but may also exacerbate the emergence of new and perhaps more deadly ones. The risk of variants of the coronavirus.
He said: “The tragedy of this pandemic is that if the vaccine were distributed more equitably, it could have been controlled now,” he added, adding that pharmaceutical companies should prioritize profits and patents to ensure that more people get access. vaccine.
The World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization are supporting the global push to vaccinate at least 10% of each country’s population by September, at least 40% by the end of this year, and at least 70% by the middle of 2022. .
Tan Desai also reiterated the importance of public health measures other than vaccines, including testing, contact tracing and isolation to control the spread of the virus.
Many measures are part of the rules contained in the Olympic manual, which are designed to help ensure the safety of athletes, organizers and media personnel while in Japan and minimize the risk of contracting the new crown virus. Most events will be held in open venues.
(Al Jazeera)The Director-General of WHO stated that the “sign of success” is not zero cases, but cases being identified, isolated, tracked and taken care of.
According to official data, about 79 Olympic-related cases have been reported so far, and the opening ceremony is scheduled to be held on Friday.
“The 125-year history of the Modern Games has been in the shadow of war, economic crisis and geopolitical turmoil. But the Olympic Games have never been organized in the shadow of a pandemic before,” he said. “Although the new crown pandemic delayed the game, it did not beat the Olympics.”
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