So please let's start to respect that doctor.

Tell us, please.

Thank you.

Thank you, Thank you and good afternoon and thank you once again for joining us in person in online.

And I would like to start by acknowledging International Women's Day this Sunday.

This is a moment to remember that around the world many women cannot access.

Essential service is and continue to suffer disproportionately from preventable and treatable diseases.

But International Women's Day is an opportunity not only to promote and protect the held off women but to highlight the vital role they play in promoting and protecting the Hell's off.

All people globally woman make up 70% off the global health workforce.

But hold on Lee, 25% off senior roles.

W Joe is committed to promoting gender equality everywhere and especially in the hell's Workforce.

We're proud that we have achieved gender equality in our senior leadership team on W.

H O headquarters, although we know we still have to work to do in other parts off the organization.

Women are also playing a vital role in the in the respect response to Corbett 19 and we're proud to have many amazing women leading our response in W h o, including Maria a syllabi.

So Mia, Ana Maria, somebody Angela, Mary Pierre, Adrianna, God be Nika and many others.

In the past 24 hours, 2736 cases off coded 19 were reported from 47 countries and territories.

There is now a total off 98,023 reported cases off Corbett 19 globally on 6 3380 does.

We're now on the verge off reaching 100,000 confirmed cases.

As cases increase, we're continuing to recommend that all countries make containment their highest priority.

We continue to call on countries to find, test, isolate and care for every case, and to trace every contact slowing down the epidemic saves lives and buys time for preparedness and for research and development.

Every day we can slow.

The epitome is the epidemic is another day.

Hospitals can prepare themselves for cases.

Every day we slow down.

The epidemic is another day.

Governments can prepare their health workers to detect test treats and care for patients.

Every day we slow down.

The epidemic is another day closer toe having vaccines and therapeutics which can intend prevent infections and save lives.

As you know, last month's W.

Joe convinced a meeting off.

More than 400 scientists toe identify research priorities.

Hundreds of ideas were discussed and debated, and today we're publishing on RND Roadmap, which distills those ideas into a core group of priorities in nine key areas.

This includes the natural history off the virus, epidemiology, vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical management, ethical considerations, social sciences and more.

The RND Roadmap focuses on research that can save lives now, as well as longer term research priorities for vaccines and therapeutics.

It's vital to coordinate research so that different groups around the world complement each other, so W h O can give better advice and countries can take evidence based decisions that save lives.

That's why W.

H.

O has developed a set off core protocols that outlined standards of how studies should be done and to collect critical data so we can compare apples with apples and pull data from multiple studies.

France in South Africa have already indicated they will use these protocols for clinical trials, and we encourage other countries to do the same.

We're also developing research protocols to assess interventions for this enfranchised communities such as refugees and internally displaced persons.

We're very encouraged by the level off interests around the world in accelerating research as part off the response.

So far, W.

H O has received applications for review and approval off 40 diagnostic tests.

20 vaccines are in development and many clinical trials off therapeutics are underway.

Even as we test therapeutics, we need to ensure that supplies off those medicines that available should they prove effective, W.

H O has been monitoring the potential risk off.

A disruption to medicine.

Supplies are the result off the Corbett 19 epidemic.

China, as you know, is a major producer off active pharmaceutical ingredients and the intermediate products that are used to produce medicines in other countries.

W H O has focused on the most essential medicines that are critical for primary healthcare and emergencies, including antibiotics, painkillers and treatments for rabbits, hypertension, HIV cheaper closest and malaria.

W.

H A is working closely with industry associations, regulators and other partners to monitor this risk, and so far we have not identified any imminent specific shortages.

Many months.

Manufacturers either have alternative sources of ingredients or hard stocks to draw on Manufacturing has now resumed in most places in China, although some challenges remain.

Separately, W H O has developed a list off more than 20 essential medical devices that countries need to manage patients, including ventilators and oxygen supply systems.

Access to medical oxygen could be the difference between life and death for some patients, but there is already a shortage in many countries, which could be exacerbated by this epidemic.

W H O has an existing working group with the Gates Foundation, the Clinton held Access initiative and path, and we're building on that partnership to increase access to oxygen.

We encourage every country to rev e W Jitters diseases commodity package for covered 19 to ensure it has the supplies it needs, including protective equipment and medical devices.

All off this requires the involvement off the private sector to ensure countries can access lifesaving products.

You have heard me talk about the market failure for personal protective equipment.

You heard me talk about the need for a whole off government approach, and you have heard me talk about what individuals can do to protect themselves and others.

We look forward to businesses to step up and play their part.

We need you.

W H O.

Is working with the World Economic Forum to engage companies around the world.

And earlier this week I spoke to more than 200 c ose about how they can protect their stuff and customers, ensure business continuity and contribute to the response.

As I keep saying, we're all in this together and we will we all have a role to play facts, not fear reasons, not rumors, solidarity, not stigma.

I thank you.

Thank you very much.

Look, detectors for these opening remarks.

We will start with the questions here from room will have started a chance idea.

And then we have a question here.

Yes, we don't use the microphone.

If you can just switch it off on talk a little louder from your agency.

Put your trust in me.

Mandy.

Full apologize Chinese for the brief.

So what's the common rewards?

I'm not aware of the comment, but I think we've said numerous times in previous come conferences that diseases can emerge anywhere on the planet and have proven to do so.

Ebola emerges very often in Africa.

The last pandemic emerged in North America of H one n one Andi Corona virus has in this case, emerged in China.

So I think the issue now is a DJ has just said way.

Avoid blame culture.

And can we move on to do the things we need to do to save lives?

Mary, please.

And then we'll go to one.

Shows a few roles.

Spokesperson, helpless today, said more than 20.

How do you assess the way he break his manager?

We have, um, it's very important in epidemic response to I understand your problem because without understanding your problem, it's very difficult to fix it.

So we've seen this.

China's numbers went up very, very quickly because they started to look for cases.

The same happened in Korea when Korea started to do active surveillance on.

Then you can turn the corner.

So I think we need to look at these data in terms of guests, natural epidemiology, but also, I think, because the Iranian system is switching on, we're seeing a much more all of government approach.

As the DJ called for yesterday, there's a national action plan now.

There's 100,000 workers committed to this plan on dhe.

We are going to see any country in the face of an epidemic when it looks for cases, will find them.

Um, on.

If we call that a bad thing, it is.

It's It's a sad thing for the people who have the disease, but it's much better that we understand the extent of the problem.

So we commend to move towards more aggressive target of surveillance on.

We hope that that will lead to the kind of control measures that can help push this virus back much.

One question here.

Then we will move on line.

One question, please.

Hi, my name is from the Japanese Gabriel I'd like to ask about from Japan and Korea.

It's trouble.

Recent research efficient and so patients have been implementing trouble policies against each other and on in Japan.

Part of the Korean measures are taking retirement for it.

So can you tell us about two bucks?

What extent travel restrictions are meaningful and you have any concerns and concerns our country, so country that's escalating against each other?

Uh huh.

The thing we've been pretty clear on the issue of travel restrictions for a very long time, they should be very carefully considered.

They should be public health evidence driven.

They should be of short duration, and they should never be carried out in the absence of a comprehensive set of measures to contain or control the disease.

There is a long history, unfortunately of countries, sometimes with tit for tat travel restrictions that has happened in the past since the advent of the idea.

In fact, we've seen a huge improvement in that and in transparency between countries because we challenge countries who put in place travel restrictions and we challenge them to provide the public of evidence.

Um, I think again, I think Japan and Korea are both doing a fine job in the face of this epidemic.

They've bought scaled up their public health operations.

They're saving lives.

And I think we should focus on that on not necessarily on a political spat over travel restrictions.

It's very, very important that people understand that these types of restrictions are not helping Andi in that sense.

Toe overemphasized, um, is to hurt the response.

But we do commend both governments from making significant progress in fighting this disease.

If I could just say something to the contrary to that in the sense that what we are seeing in what the stories need to be focusing on is how countries air helping each other, and we see a lot of examples of this.

You know, the DJ mentioned this research meeting that took place on the 11th and 12th.

We've been talking since the beginning of scientists communicating with each other's clinicians, talking to each other on the phone sharing experiences.

When the world didn't have experience with Covert 19 we had murdered scientists teaching each other about what they did to help patients with MERS patients with stars on.

I think there's a lot of very positive stories here where countries air, helping each other.

We have a Chinese delegation in Iran.

Right now, we have people participating in sharing, and I think I think that there's a lot of lessons to be learned in that this is not the first outbreak where this has happened before.

W.

H.

O.

Brings together, um, scientists all over the world, public health professionals, women on the front lines on, I think I think those are stories that also need to make the headlines as well on.

Mei would like to add to that in a globalized world.

The only option is to stand together on DDE.

You know all countries.

You should really make sure that we stand together.

And in addition to that, as you know, Corbett, 19 is a common enemy on DDE.

The only way we can beat this virus is when we stand together and that's that has been the message from the village all along.

And it is and it will be so.

We call on all countries to stand in unison because it's the United Force that can help us to be despite us as soon as possible.

Thank you very much.

We will now go Thio some off journalists who are online on I will remind everyone it's a star nine.

If you're dialing in and clicking race and if you are on Zoom, we will start with the Romania.

We have address the Adrianne.

Can you hear us?

Can you hear us?

Hello from TV Rumania.

So speaking about Europe, from your estimation, do you think that during the summer the spreader for liking will decrease?

And another thing I want to know the World Health Organization experienced send the country if a person's because we have some problems here.

Romania and not at Catania.

You set when you consider a person's perspective the building infected the Koran abuse are the standard procedures Way lost you in the middle.

Can you please repeat the question?

Sorry for that.

Speaking about euro from your estimation, Do you think that during the summer the spread of Corbett 19 will decrease?

And another thing I want to know if World Health Organization expects sent all the countries some procedures how to taste a person.

And what are the criteria you said when you consider a person suspected being infected with Corona beers?

Thank you.

I think Maria convicted question on seasonality.

I think our regional director We've had multiple multiple meetings with the European countries across our whole region, plus at the European Union level with the European Center for Disease Control.

Our regional director has been again in meetings today with European health ministers coordinating actions between countries on DDE, we do not know yes what the activity or the behavior of this virus will be in different climatic conditions.

We have to assume that the virus will continue to have the capacity to spread on.

It's a false hope to say yes, it will just disappear in the summer time, like influenza virus.

We hope it does.

I would.

That would be a godsend, but we can't make that assumption on.

There is no evidence right now to suggest that that will happen.

So we need to fight the virus now, not believe in hope that the virus may disappear on its own.

On the issue of definition, there are very specific case definitions that have been released.

An updated on a regular basis by W.

H.

O Maria may want to go into the detail on the criteria.

So we do publish surveillance guidance on our website, as we do with all of our technical guidance, and we are constantly looking at the evolving situation toe update.