"Earlier today, we held a briefing with around 50 ministers of health from around the world at which China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore shared their experiences and the lessons they have learned," Tedros said during a virtual WHO briefing.
He said "several common themes emerged about what has worked," including the need for early detection and isolation of confirmed cases, identification, follow-up and quarantine of contacts, along with the need to optimize care and engage communities in the fight.
"Countries also expressed several common challenges. The chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives," Tedros said.