Good afternoon and welcome once again to our friends from ACANU. Thank you for your continued interest in the work of WHO.
In 1998, a study was published in The Lancet that purported to show a link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders.
The study was later shown to be fraudulent and retracted, but the damage had been done, and the idea has never gone away.
Today, WHO is publishing a new analysis by the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety that has found, based on available evidence, no causal link between vaccines and autism.
The committee looked at 31 studies in multiple countries over 15 years relating to vaccines containing thiomersal and aluminium adjuvants, and the association between vaccines and autism in general.
The committee concluded that the evidence shows no link between vaccines and autism, including vaccines containing aluminium or thiomersal.
This is the fourth such review of the evidence, following similar reviews in 2002, 2004 and 2012. All reached the same conclusion: vaccines do not cause autism. Vaccines cause adults.
Over the past 25 years, under-five mortality has dropped by more than half, from 11 million deaths a year to 4.8 million, and vaccines are the major reason for that.
Vaccines are among the most powerful, transformative inventions in the history of humankind.
Vaccines save lives from about 30 different diseases, including measles, cervical cancer, malaria and more.
Like all medical products, vaccines can cause side effects, which WHO monitors. But autism is not a side effect of vaccines.
Vaccines are essential not just for protecting children, but also for protecting adults against diseases including COVID-19 and influenza.
The northern hemisphere is currently experiencing its annual flu season.
Although the level of flu activity globally is within the normal range, since August, WHO has observed the emergence and rapid increase in circulation of so-called K subclade viruses of H3N2 influenza.
Although the data do not show an increase in disease severity, this subclade marks a notable evolution in H3N2 viruses.
Vaccines remain essential, especially for people at high risk of influenza complications and their care givers.
The same is true for COVID-19. Although the global impact of COVID-19 has reduced since the peak of the pandemic, the virus continues to spread, causing severe disease and death in high-risk groups, and post-COVID-19 condition, or “long COVID”, in about 6% of those it strikes.
The virus also continues to evolve. Last week, WHO designated a new variant under monitoring, BA.3.2, and published a new risk evaluation.
Last week, WHO also published a new strategic plan for coronavirus disease threats including COVID-19, MERS, and potential new coronavirus diseases.
This is the first unified plan for coronavirus disease threats, marking a turning point in the transition from the COVID-19 emergency response to sustained, long-term, and integrated management.
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Immunization is one of the essential health services that should be covered as part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage, or UHC.
Last Saturday, WHO and the World Bank launched the latest edition of the UHC Global Monitoring Report, which provides a snapshot of progress towards UHC.
It shows that since 2000, the world has made good progress towards UHC, with levels of access to health services and financial protection from out-of-pocket health spending both improving by about one third.
However, in recent years, progress has stalled.
The latest data show that 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential health services, and 2.1 billion people–more than one in four globally–face financial hardship because of health costs.
Tomorrow marks UHC Day. Around the world, WHO is working in many countries to support them to expand access to services and to reduce financial hardship from out-of-pocket health spending.
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As you know, 2025 has been a year of significant achievements and significant challenges for WHO and global health in general.
The standout achievement of the year was the World Health Assembly’s adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement – a landmark achievement that will help to keep the world safer from future pandemics.
Member States are now negotiating an annex to the Pandemic Agreement, the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing system – PABS – to ensure rapid detection and sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential, and equitable and timely access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
We are hopeful that the negotiations will be completed in time for the PABS annex to be adopted at next year’s World Health Assembly, so the Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature and finally enter into force as international law.
Also this year, the amendments to the International Health Regulations came into force, strengthening global health security in several ways.
2025 also saw several countries confirmed for the elimination of diseases.
With WHO support, Maldives became the first country to achieve “triple elimination” of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea and Senegal eliminated trachoma, Guinea and Kenya eliminated sleeping sickness, and Niger became the first African country to eliminate river blindness.
In addition, Georgia, Suriname and Timor-Leste were certified as malaria-free, and seven new countries introduced WHO-approved malaria vaccines, bringing the total number to 24.
On HIV, WHO prequalified injectable lenacapavir and published guidelines on its use, to accelerate the rollout of this exciting new tool for HIV prevention that could change the trajectory of the epidemic.
On noncommunicable diseases and mental health, Member States at the UN General Assembly approved an ambitious Political Declaration, with concrete targets for the next five years. We look forward to its adoption by the General Assembly next week.
And just this month, we published new guidelines on the use of GLP-1 therapies for the treatment of obesity.
2025 was also a demanding but successful year for WHO’s work responding to emergencies around the world.
In total, we responded to 48 emergencies in 79 countries, providing essential health services to more than 30 million people;
We released US$ 29 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies to respond rapidly to 24 emergencies in 30 countries.
We supported Uganda and DRC to stop outbreaks of Ebola, Senegal and Mauritania to stop outbreaks of Rift Valley fever, Rwanda to stop an outbreak of Marburg, and we are currently supporting Ethiopia to respond to its outbreak of Marburg.
We shipped a record 56 million doses of cholera vaccines to respond to outbreaks in 14 countries;
We declared an end to mpox as a public health emergency of international concern;
And we provided lifesaving support in multiple humanitarian emergencies.
In Gaza, over the past two years we delivered more than 2500 metric tons of medical supplies and 18 million litres of fuel to hospitals, ambulances and health partners, and supported over 10 600 medical evacuations to 30 countries.
In Sudan, since the start of the conflict in 2023, we have delivered almost 3000 metric tons of medical supplies, responded to outbreaks of cholera, dengue and malaria, and we are providing direct support to dozens of hospitals, primary health care centres, mobile clinics and nutrition centres.
In Ukraine, we deployed 17 mobile teams, which provided more than 18 500 health consultations in more than 140 locations. We also supported the medical evacuation of more than 6200 patients, and provided mental health training to more than 150 000 health workers.
One of the many challenges we face in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere is the appallingly high number of attacks on health care.
So far this year, WHO has verified 1272 attacks in 18 countries and territories, causing almost 2000 deaths and more than 1100 injuries.
Just yesterday, a health facility in Myanmar was attacked, killing 33 people and injuring 20.
Attacks on health care are violations of international law for which almost no one is ever held accountable.
WHO calls on all combatants in all countries to protect health care, in line with their obligations under international law.
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As you know, 2025 has also been a year of significant challenges for global health and for WHO.
Steep cuts in development assistance have caused severe disruptions to health services in many countries.
Early estimates are indicating that childhood mortality could increase for the first time this century.
WHO has been supporting countries to maintain services, and to transition away from aid dependency towards sustainable self-reliance, based on domestic resources.
In the short-term, WHO is supporting countries to develop affordable essential health benefit packages;
To introduce or increase health taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks;
And to strengthen domestic manufacturing, pooled procurement and other initiatives.
In the longer term, countries can strengthen risk-sharing mechanisms to improve financial protection, including through publicly-financed health insurance.
At the same time, WHO has also been affected, as you know.
The announcement by the United States of its intention to withdraw from WHO, combined with funding cuts from other countries, left us facing a salary gap for the next two years of about US$ 500 million.
In response, we tightened our belts and undertook a major prioritization and realignment exercise, which we have now almost completed.
Unfortunately, we had no choice but to reduce significantly the size of our global workforce.
This has been a crisis long in the making. Beginning in the 1980s, WHO has become increasingly dependent on voluntary, earmarked contributions from a small number of donors.
As part of the WHO Transformation over the past eight years, we have taken several steps to mitigate that dependence.
Most significantly, in 2022 WHO proposed – and Member States approved – a plan to increase assessed contributions progressively to 50% of the base budget, from just 14% at the time.
This is very historic, because in the history of the organization, the biggest increase was 3%.
The first increase was approved in 2023, the second was approved at this year’s World Health Assembly, and there are a further three increases planned for May 2027, May 2029 and the last one, May 2031.
If completed, this will be a major step towards WHO’s long-term stability, sustainability and independence, and preventing shocks like the current one.
Saying goodbye to so many dedicated and talented colleagues has been very difficult for all of us.
But the world continues to need WHO, and we remain committed to the vision the nations of the world had when they founded this organization in 1948: the highest attainable standard of health – not as a luxury for some, but a right for all.
Thank you all once again for your interest in WHO’s work.
Fadéla, back to you.