China News Service, May 9 (Xinhua) According to the United Nations website, World Health Organization Director-General Tan Desai said in an online event on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox in the world that the eradication of smallpox was the greatest public health victory in history. At present, when the world is facing a pandemic of the new coronavirus, the fact that humans have overcome smallpox reminds people that when nations unite against common health threats, anything can become possible.
According to reports, smallpox is the world's first and only disease that is permanently eradicated. Before smallpox was wiped out, it had plagued humans for at least 3,000 years, causing 300 million deaths in the 20th century alone, equivalent to 4 million a year.
On December 9, 1979, members of the Global Smallpox Eradication Certification Committee signed a statement that “Smallpox has been eradicated from the world”. At the 33rd World Health Assembly on May 8, 1980, smallpox was officially confirmed as eradicated.
He pointed out that many of the basic public health tools used to overcome smallpox are the same as those for Ebola and New Coronavirus: disease surveillance, case detection, contact tracing, and mass communication activities that provide information to affected populations.
He said, of course, the smallpox eradication campaign has a key tool that we do not yet have: a vaccine. But although the vaccine is essential to eliminate smallpox, it is not enough. The vaccine was first developed successfully in 1796, but after 184 years, smallpox was finally eradicated.
Tan Desai emphasized that the eradication of smallpox had an incredible incentive. The virus does not distinguish between national borders and regardless of ideology, the decisive factor in overcoming smallpox is global solidarity.
According to the World Health Organization website, Tan Desai said he announced on the 7th the World Health Organization estimated the resources needed to provide an updated strategic preparation and response plan to combat the new coronavirus. The updated strategic plan takes into account the lessons learned to date and strengthens WHO ’s role in global and regional coordination.
It is based on five strategic objectives: first, to mobilize all departments and communities; second, to control the sporadic and clustered cases by quickly detecting and isolating all cases; third, to suppress community transmission by preventing and controlling infections and maintaining interpersonal distances ; Fourth, reduce mortality through proper medical care; Fifth, develop safe and effective vaccines and treatments.
To support these goals, WHO will continue to provide technical, operational, and logistical support to countries, and will continue to update and adjust guidance based on local needs.
The updated plan estimates that from now until the end of 2020, WHO will need $ 1.7 billion to respond to the new crown epidemic at three levels of the organization. Excluding funds already received, the current funding gap is $ 1.3 billion. He pointed out that this estimate only covers the needs of WHO, not the needs of the entire world.
Tan Desai emphasized that when thinking about the eradication of smallpox today, people will realize that the legacy of smallpox is not only to eradicate a disease, but also to show that when the world is united and responds to the common enemy of mankind, any Things are possible. If you have aspirations, things are done.