Category: Development

Global impact of unparalleled disruption UNICEF India Children in Odisha, India take lessons in the open air as a precaution against COVID-19. School closures as a result of health and other crises are not new, at least not in the developing world, and the potentially devastating consequences are well known; loss of learning and higher drop-out rates, increased violence against… Read More

“This first observance of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness falls at the end of a year in which a scenario many had feared came tragically true … As we strive to control and recover from the current pandemic, we must think about the next,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message.  He also highlighted the need for strong health… Read More

WHO Health facilities around the world, like here in Gaza, were stretched to their limits as the number of cases increased. As 2020 comes to an end and people around the world try to make sense of how the world has changed, they are faced with one stark and brutal statistic. The number of people who have died after catching… Read More

Resident Coordinator in the country, Niky Fabiancic, is leading these efforts, said UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, speaking in New York.  More than 7.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Brazil, according to latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO).  As of Tuesday, there were more than 76 million cases globally, with 1.7 million deaths.  WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are working with the Brazilian authorities… Read More

Resident Coordinator in the country, Niky Fabiancic, is leading these efforts, said UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, speaking in New York.  More than 7.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Brazil, according to latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO).  As of Tuesday, there were more than 76 million cases globally, with 1.7 million deaths.  WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are working with the Brazilian authorities… Read More

The film industry alone, could lose about 10 million jobs this year, according to UNESCO, while a third of world’s art galleries could cut their staffing by half or more, data collected by the agency shows. Similarly, what has been in effect a six-month closure of concerts and performance, could end up costing the music industry more than $10 billion in lost sponsorships, while… Read More

According to news reports, more than 40 countries have now banned arrivals from the UK, because of mounting concerns over a new, more transmissible mutation of the new coronavirus, although health officials there stress that there is no evidence it is more deadly, or that it would not respond in the same way to the vaccines cleared for emergency use.  … Read More

Dr. Mike Ryan, Director of Emergencies, was responding to a question about public concern over governments deciding to acquire certain vaccines over others.  He warned against comparing national approaches in a competitive fashion, while calling for patience, tolerance and solidarity.  A race we must finish together  “I don’t think we should be seeing this as a game of winners and… Read More

The huge vaccine reservoir means that COVAX, a 190-country international initiative that seeks to ensure all countries have equal access to coronavirus vaccines, can plan to start delivering the shots in the first quarter of 2021. COVAX has agreements in place to access nearly 2 billion doses of several promising #COVID19 vaccine candidates, and has laid the groundwork for further… Read More

Speaking during a virtual press briefing, ECOSOC President Munir Akram also outlined objectives for the coming year, including plans for a facility to support infrastructure investment in developing countries, and forums to examine issues critical to recovery and achieving sustainable development.  Mr. Akram, who is Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, stressed that COVID-19 vaccines must be viewed as “a global public… Read More