World worst hit by the deadly pandemic has seen more cases of COVID-19 being reported in the past four weeks than in the first six months of the pandemic, says the UN health agency chief on Friday as he launched a new report on the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. The COVID-19 pandemic is a threatening reminder of the "intimate relationship between humans, animals and the planet we share", the WHO chief said.
"Across Europe and North America, hospitals and ICU units are filling up or are full", Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said at a regular press briefing in Geneva on Friday. About vaccine availability, "more good news from vaccine trials, which continues to give us hope of ending the pandemic", was shared by him but he holds the need to continue to "use the tools we have to interrupt the chains of transmission and save lives". "We cannot protect and promote human health without paying attention to the health of animals and the health of our environment", reminds the Chief.
Antimicrobial resistance is "one of the greatest health threats of our time". It threatens the efficacy of the antibiotics that keys in combatting HIV, malaria, neglected tropical diseases and many other illnesses. The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, starts on Wednesday. The WHO chief launched a new report along with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health that examines international rules governing antimicrobial practices, and identifies gaps in regulations governing their use on humans, animals and plants.
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