@mvankerkhove.bsky.social
WHO Director ai of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management, infectious disease epidemiologist, believer in science and tough questions, mom of 2, opinions my own. WHO.int
Like it or not,such human-wildlife interfaces are here to stay
Without understanding how viruses jump species & why some jumps cause outbreaks & others don’t,you’re really flying blind,says @mvankerkhove.bsky.social @who.int
“You’re making recommendations that may not be the most appropriate”
2/
Wildlife trade acts as a vast global network of unregulated natural laboratories,with ample opportunities for viruses to circulate & evolve to become more dangerous
We can either turn a blind eye or try to understand & mitigate the risks
My latest in @nature.com
1/
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Thank you @csis.org Stephen Morrison for this discussion while I was in DC 🇺🇸 last week. @who.int
www.csis.org/podcasts/com...
Thank you for this nice piece. So #ProudToBeWHO and work with so many incredible colleagues across @who.int
betterworldcampaign.org/global-healt...
People in Gaza are starving, sick & dying as the aid blockade continues
The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.
Photo of a girl with her hands outstretched at a food distribution point asking for food.
End the aid blockade: Since the aid blockade began on 2 March 2025, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health. This number is likely an underestimate and is likely to increase.
End the aid blockade!
People in Gaza are dying while WHO and partners' medical supplies and food are minutes away, ready for deployment. WHO calls for the release of all hostages and a ceasefire.
Peace is the only medicine.
Read more: www.who.int/news/item/12...
A group of diverse nurses from around the world, including women and men, are smiling and working in different health care settings. The background features a light green globe design. Text reads: “30 million nurses are the heart of health systems worldwide.
On #InternationalNursesDay, we honour the 30 million nurses who are the heart of health systems worldwide.
WHO urges accelerated investments to avoid a projected 4 million #nurse shortage by 2030.
Because when nurses are supported, everyone thrives 🔗 bit.ly/42SkqBL
I am grateful that #TIME100Health recognises the work of all my colleagues around the world and underscores the importance of global collaboration to protect and promote #HealthForAll.
time.com/collections/...
#ProudToBeWHO
10.05.2025 13:36 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The new WHO Mid-Term Results Report:
📘 highlights measurable achievements under the Thirteenth General Programme of Work
📘 outlines what still needs to be done
📘 reaffirms WHO’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and measurable impact.
bit.ly/3GGOJTf
Picture of a WHO staff member conducting a survey in a rural area. He is holding pen and paper and talking to a woman who sites outside her hut. She has a toddler in her arm, another child stands in the background.
The new WHO Mid-Term Results Report is out!
It shows how we're helping the world to move closer to Universal Health Coverage, stronger health security, and #HealthForAll.
Explore the report: bit.ly/3GGOJTf
Starting today! @who.int @cern.bsky.social
www.who.int/news-room/ev...
If you’re curious how vaccines are developed, read this ⬇️
Stay informed and stick with science. #VaccinesWork!
www.who.int/news-room/fe...
Decisions from TAG-CO-VAC are timed to balance the latest scientific evidence with the time needed for manufacturers to update currently approved #COVID19 vaccines.
Read more about the work of @who.int TAG-CO-VAC here: www.who.int/groups/techn...
👉 Importantly, instead of "chasing" every new variant, #COVID19 vaccine updates aim to help your immune system recognize a broad range of current and future variants — providing more durable and flexible protection even as the virus continues to evolve.
01.05.2025 11:39 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0🔹 Vaccine policy advisory groups make their own recommendations on how updated vaccines should be used and which groups should be prioritized for vaccination (WHO provides support through SAGE: who.int/publications/i…)
01.05.2025 11:39 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0✅Publishing recommendations with supporting data, & sharing these with vaccine manufacturers, regulatory authorities & vaccine policy advisory groups:
🔹Regulatory authorities then make decisions on vaccine composition and product approval within their own jurisdictions.
✅ Consulting vaccine manufacturers on the performance of their current vaccines, as well as vaccines in development
✅ Convening twice a year (currently May and December) to advise @who.int whether to retain or update #COVID19 vaccine composition recommendation
The TAG-CO-VAC evidence-based process includes:
✅ Monitoring genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 variants with @who.int TAG-VE: www.who.int/activities/t...
✅ Reviewing published evidence on antigenic characteristics and immune responses to different variants
💉 Vaccination continues to play a crucial role in protecting populations against #COVID19, including from disease caused by recent SARS-CoV-2 variants.
All currently approved COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and death.
Since then, TAG-CO-VAC has advised @who.int on several updates, including adding #Omicron in 2022, moving to a monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccine in 2023, and a monovalent JN.1 variant vaccine in 2024.
01.05.2025 11:39 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0🧵 How does @who.int decide on #COVID19 vaccine composition updates?
In 2021, WHO established the Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) to provide independent advice on the composition of COVID-19 vaccines.
🆕 @who.int Science in 5: The truth about vaccine safety
Are vaccines safe? What’s actually in them? In this 2-part episode of Science in 5, WHO’s Dr. Kate O’Brien breaks down how vaccines are tested, approved, and monitored even after they reach the public.
youtu.be/mqurUlmD7EI
Congratulations to GOARN & parters who have contributed to its success in supporting countries over the last 25 years.
🙏to my colleagues at @who.int who seek no limelight, who focus on the work, who problem solve, who get their hands dirty, who inspire me every day.
www.who.int/news/item/28...
Health workers responding to Ebola Outbreak in Uganda.
Uganda has declared the end of Ebola disease outbreak, less than three months after the virus was confirmed.
Robust, coordinated response by the government, supported by WHO and partners, was critical in stopping the outbreak.
@who.int Member States made history today by reaching consensus on a proposed #PandemicAccord: www.who.int/news/item/16...
I thank national negotiators for their foresight, commitment and tireless work. We look forward to #WHA78 where countries will consider the agreement for final adoption.
The #TIME100 includes me this year, but I think of it as recognition of my colleagues at @who.int , who work day in, day out, in cities, villages and places of conflict, in pursuit of #HealthForAll.
I would like to thank my friend Larry Brilliant for the humbling tribute he wrote.
time.com/time100
🆕 Disease Outbreak News from @who.int #Ebola
www.who.int/emergencies/...
How is this not on every news channel?
26.04.2025 10:07 — 👍 8 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0Hi @bsky.app!
26.04.2025 08:05 — 👍 37 🔁 4 💬 5 📌 1
Screenshot of a woman from the waist up next to the words World Health Organization and their logo.
At #UniteToFight2024 Dr Maria Van Kerkhove from the World Health Organization says that we should have “quality, evidence based care and support, accessible by all” … at a time when some #LongCovid clinics in England are closing.
15.05.2024 08:00 — 👍 14 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0
