Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends,
Good afternoon, and thank you all for joining us.
I would wish you a happy New Year, but for a record number of people around the world - 339 million - it's not a happy New Year.
Instead of hope, the new year brings fear:
Fear of disease;
Fear of starvation;
Fear of conflict;
Fear of climate-related disasters that are driving people from their homes.
As we enter 2023, we are witnessing an unprecedented convergence of crises that demands an unprecedented response.
The number of people in need of humanitarian relief has increased by almost 25% compared with last year.
The world faces multiple overlapping crises, and the most vulnerable are being hit the hardest.
80% of humanitarian needs globally are driven by conflict;
And around half of preventable maternal and child deaths occur in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings.
The world cannot look away and hope these crises resolve themselves.
That's why we are calling on our donors around the world to support WHO's Health Emergency Appeal for 2.54 billion US dollars.
These funds will support WHO's work around the world, responding to the urgent needs of the most vulnerable people in 54 ongoing emergencies, including eleven grade 3 emergencies.
With funding and urgent action, we can save lives, support recovery efforts, prevent the spread of diseases within countries and across borders, and help give communities the opportunity to rebuild for the future.
Last year, we launched our first consolidated health emergency appeal and, thanks to the generous support of donors, we were able to respond to many health emergencies:
Outbreaks of Ebola in Uganda, cholera in 31 countries and mpox around the world.
Conflict in Ethiopia, Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere;
Flooding in Pakistan;
Protracted crises in the Greater Horn of Africa and the Sahel;
And more.
So this funding really makes a difference. It saves lives.
As the Health Cluster Lead for emergencies, WHO coordinates teams across health ministries, UN agencies and over 1600 partners.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Communities and equitable access are the centre of our work, and our on-the-ground presence in more than 150 countries allows us to respond quickly and efficiently when a crisis strikes.
Our health and logistical operations help even the most isolated communities to get the rapid and predictable services and supplies they need.
Health workers in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere rely on our support.
We can only address these urgent needs by working together, to help communities.
We need to help them rebuild stronger, more resilient health systems;
We need to support equitable access to medicines, vaccines and other essential health products;
And we need to forge the path towards a healthier, safer, and more stable world.
I thank you.
