"Since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO has emphasised the vital importance of testing as part of a comprehensive strategy to control #COVID19 transmission"- @DrTedros #ACTogether
"Within 2 weeks of WHO learning of the first cases of the novel coronavirus, 🇨🇳 shared the genetic sequences with WHO & the wider 🌍. Working with our partner lab in 🇩🇪, Charite University we published the 1st instructions on how to build a validated #COVID19 PCR test"- @DrTedros
"By the third week of January, WHO had contracted the manufacture of PCR reagents for #COVID19.

And by late January, WHO began shipping PCR tests to over 150 labs around the world, enabling countries to identify and trace the virus"- @DrTedros
"At the same time, we began working with partners to develop simpler, faster tests for use to diagnose #COVID19.
Last week WHO issued the 1st Emergency Use Listing for a quality antigen based rapid diagnostic test & we expect other rapid tests to follow"- @DrTedros #ACTogether
"I’m pleased to announce that thanks to an agreement between WHO, partners here today and others, a substantial proportion of these rapid #COVID19 tests – 120 million – will be made available to low- and middle-income countries"- @DrTedros #ACTogether
"These #COVID19 tests provide reliable results in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, rather than hours or days at a lower price with less sophisticated equipment"- @DrTedros #ACTogether https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1310609241519132672?s=20
"This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that don't have lab facilities or enough trained #healthworkers to carry out PCR tests"- @DrTedros #ACTogether https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1310609241519132672?s=20
"This is a vital addition to their testing capacity and is especially important in areas of high #COVID19 transmission"- @DrTedros #ACTogether https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1310610320755482626?s=20
"Volume guarantee agreements have been developed between two manufacturers and the @gatesfoundation, which will make 120 million of these new highly portable and easy-to-use rapid #COVID19 diagnostic tests available over a period of six months"- @DrTedros #ACTogether
"Currently they’re [rapid tests] priced at a maximum of $5 per unit, these are already substantially cheaper than PCR tests and we expect the price to come down"- @DrTedros #ACTogether
"The quicker #COVID19 can be diagnosed, the quicker action can be taken to treat and isolate those with the virus and trace their contacts"- @DrTedros #ACTogether https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1310612210398396416?s=20
"We have an agreement, we have seed đź’° & now we need the full amount of funds to buy these [rapid] tests.

Over the weekend @BorisJohnson, the 🇬🇧 Prime Minister, announced new funding for both WHO & COVAX, which is the vaccines arm of the ACT-Accelerator"- @DrTedros #ACTogether
"Together, the 🌍 has to raise an additional $35B for the ACT-Accelerator. But this represents a great deal for countries in the context of the trillions of $ they’re currently spending on stimulus to keep economies afloat.

If we #ACTogether, we'll win together!"- @DrTedros
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