Virtual press conference with World Economic Forum on COVID-19: 1 July 2020

[md shukur mahmud]

Six months into this outbreak, we’ve reached the grim milestone of 10 million people infected and half a million lives lost worldwide.

The pandemic is now hitting lower-resource countries with fragile health systems that are less equipped to contain the virus. Infections are accelerating in many parts of the world.

But in our Region, most countries are seeing case numbers stabilize or decline. Some have had no new infections in over a month, and most Pacific islands have yet to report a single case.

Although the numbers in the Western Pacific are smaller than other regions, the impact of this pandemic has been huge, for families, societies and economies. We also know that people everywhere are anxious and 

[Ariana verma]

On 1 July 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) held a virtual press conference focused on COVID-19’s impact in the Asia-Pacific region.

Here are the key highlights from that event:

 

🎙️ Speakers and Focus Areas

• Dr. Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, emphasized the importance of sustained vigilance, even in countries that had successfully suppressed the virus.

• Woochong Um, Director General at the Asian Development Bank, discussed the pandemic’s economic toll and the need for resilient recovery strategies.

• Hyung Gyoun Byun from Korea Telecom shared insights on how digital technologies were being used to manage the crisis.

• Runa Khan, a social entrepreneur from Bangladesh, highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable communities and the role of grassroots innovation.

 

🌏 Key Messages

• COVID-19 is not over: Dr. Kasai warned that the virus would be with us for a long time and that complacency could lead to resurgence.

• Community engagement is critical: Public trust and participation were cited as essential for effective response.

• Digital tools and data: Speakers highlighted how AI, mobile tracking, and data analytics were helping manage outbreaks.

• Equity and inclusion: The panel stressed that recovery efforts must prioritize marginalized populations.

 

You can read the full remarks and watch the video on theWHO website or theWorld Economic Forum’s briefing summary.