Category: Development

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa highlighted the importance of strong planning and preparation for successful inoculations against COVID-19.  “The largest immunization drive in Africa’s history is right around the corner, and African governments must urgently ramp up readiness. Planning and preparation will make or break this unprecedented endeavour,” she said.  “We need active leadership and engagement from the… Read More

In its appeal, the specialised UN agency UNAIDS warned that the pandemic has pushed the world’s AIDS response even further off track, and that 2020 targets are being missed. It urged countries to learn from the lessons of underinvesting in healthcare and to step up global action to end AIDS and other global health emergencies. Human cost Citing new data… Read More

Prevention efforts and treatment for children remain some of the lowest amongst key affected populations, and in 2019, a little less than half of children worldwide did not have access to life-saving treatment, UNICEF said in a new report on Wednesday.  “There is still no HIV vaccine. Children are still getting infected at alarming rates, and they are still dying… Read More

“With the latest positive news from vaccine trials, the light at the end of this long, dark tunnel is growing brighter”, said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The significance of this scientific achievement cannot be overstated”.  Setting new standards  Noting that no vaccine in history has been developed as rapidly, the WHO chief remarked that the scientific community had set “a new… Read More

Etleva Kadilli, Director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, highlighted the importance of the partnership to ensure capacity for the massive undertaking.  “As work continues to develop COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF is stepping-up efforts with airlines, freight operators, shipping lines and other logistics associations to deliver life-saving vaccines as quickly and safely as possible,” she said.  “This invaluable collaboration will go a long… Read More

“Across Europe and North America, hospitals and ICU units are filling up or are full”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said at a regular press briefing in Geneva.  While sharing “more good news from vaccine trials, which continues to give us hope of ending the pandemic”, he upheld the need to continue to “use the tools… Read More

A World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel of international experts made the recommendation in the BMJ – the weekly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by the British Medical Association – as part of so-called “living guidelines” to manage the coronavirus and help doctors make better decisions in consultation with patients.  “Living guidelines are useful in fast moving research… Read More

Born into the privilege and comforts of a high-caste Brahmin family in Nepal, Ratna Khawas’s life changed drastically when she got married to someone outside her social class, in 1968. She and her new husband moved to his home village in Belbari, where there were no toilets or handwashing facilities. “I got the shock of my life,” she said. “I… Read More

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation “unacceptable” from a moral, economic and health standpoint: “We must ensure everyone, everywhere has access to safe and hygienic sanitation services that provide privacy and dignity.”  More than one quarter of the global population still lack basic sanitation. This is unacceptable – from a moral, economic & health standpoint. We must ensure everyone,… Read More

In a report, released on Thursday ahead of World Children’s Day, UNICEF outlined “dire and growing” consequences for children as the coronavirus pandemic lurches towards a second year.  Of 25.7 million #COVID19 infections in 87 countries, 1 in 9 were among children and young people under 20 years old. Not only has the pandemic directly affected their health, but it… Read More