The Solidarity Trial will compare the safety and effectiveness of four different drugs or drug combinations against COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said it has enrolled first patients from Norway and Spain in the Solidarity Trial, which will compare the safety and effectiveness of four different drugs or drug combinations against COVID-19.
More than 45 countries are contributing to the Solidarity Trial, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the WHO, said at a presser in Geneva.
"Today we are delighted to announce that in Norway and Spain, the first patients will shortly be enrolled in the Solidarity Trial, which will compare the safety and effectiveness of four different drugs or drug combinations against COVID-19," he said,
"This is a historic trial which will dramatically cut the time needed to generate robust evidence about what drugs work. More than 45 countries are contributing to the trial, and more have expressed interest. The more countries who join the trial, the faster we will have results," Dr Ghebreyesus said.
"In the meantime, we call on individuals and countries to refrain from using therapeutics that have not been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19," he added.
On a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the WHO chief said it is still at least 12 to 18 months away.
One of the most important areas of international cooperation is research and development, he said.
He said the UN body is working urgently to massively increase the production and capacity for testing around the world as he again repeated the called for all countries to conduct aggressive case-finding and testing.
Dr Ghebreyesus said the chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives.
WHO has shipped almost 2 million individual items of protective gear to 74 countries that need it most, and we’re preparing to send a similar amount to a further 60 countries, he said, adding that much more is needed.
This problem can only be solved with international cooperation and international solidarity, he said.
"When health workers are at risk, we’re all at risk. Health workers in low- and middle-income countries deserve the same protection as those in the wealthiest countries, he said.
The WHO chief also held a briefing with 50 ministers of health from around the world.
In the briefing, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore shared their experiences and the lessons they have learned.
He said there are several common themes emerged about what has worked. This includes the need for early detection and isolation of confirmed cases; Identification, follow-up and quarantine of contacts; the need to optimize care and the need to communicate to build trust and engage communities in the fight.
Earlier on Thursday, he had addressed a meeting of leaders from the G20 countries.
"My message was threefold: we must fight, unite and ignite. Fight to stop the virus with every resource at our disposal; Unite to confront the pandemic together. We are one humanity, with one, common enemy. No country can fight alone; we can only fight together. And ignite the industrial might and innovation of the G20 to produce and distribute the tools needed to save lives," Dr Ghebreyesus said.
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