Development Health Advice 

UN aid teams work round the clock amid COVID-19 pandemic to ensure humanitarian support to millions

“To stop COVID-19 anywhere, it must be stopped everywhere”, Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) underscored at a joint press briefing in Geneva on Friday, adding that if the worldwide transmission is not broken, “the virus could cycle back” to countries that thought they were safe.   ?️Identify potential vulnerability?Monitor markets, supply… Read More
Development Health Advice 

COVID-19: WHO working on supply pipeline for protective equipment and tests

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was speaking during his regular briefing in Geneva where he highlighted latest developments in the UN agency’s support to countries facing what he described as “an invisible enemy against humanity”.  WHO has shipped personal protective equipment (PPE) to nearly 70 countries, while 120 nations have received 1.5 million diagnostic kits.    The agency is finalizing export arrangements with producers in China so that more supplies can be… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Head of UN economic and social body underscores priority of health, safety during ‘unprecedented’ COVID-19 challenges

In light of this “unpredictable and volatile situation”, Mona Juul tweeted on Thursday that she and the President of the General Assembly have decided to postpone the upcoming meeting to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for Least Developed Countries (LDC).  She also gave her assurances that they would work with the LDC chair “to find… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Still ‘early days’ to assess COVID-19 impact on women, children – UNICEF official

UN News spoke to Ms. Luwei Pearson, Acting Director of UNICEF’s Health Programme Division, about the agency’s quick response to the coronavirus outbreak and other issues related to what is now a global pandemic, including its impact on millions of children faced with school closures.   © UNICEF/Luisa Brumana Luwei Pearson (right), Acting Head of the Health Section of UNICEF on… Read More
Development Health Advice 

UN health chief announces global ‘solidarity trial’ to jumpstart search for COVID-19 treatment

Updating journalists at the regular press briefing in Geneva, UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that more than 200,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported and over 8,000 deaths. He explained that because multiple small trials of the coronavirus vaccine with different methodologies may not provide the evidence needed, WHO and partners are organizing a study… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Treat migrants with dignity and respect during pandemic: UN migration agency

“We define migrants as workers, as displaced people, as asylum seekers, and they are a huge presence across the world, for all kinds of reasons. And of course, they are human beings: they’re our neighbours, our families, they are people that our children know from school, and they’re affected the way all of us are affected by this during this… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Talking to your children about coronavirus: Let them know you’re listening, remind them you care

Amidst a deluge of information and with more and more people being confined to their homes, it is not surprising that children are also feeling anxious.  And although they might find it difficult to understand what they are seeing online or on television, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) points out that “they can be particularly vulnerable to feelings of anxiety,… Read More
Development Health Advice 

Coronavirus update: humanitarian work must continue, ‘no exceptions’ for bold action in Europe, ensure sufficient medicine stocks

Millions still need life-saving UN support, reminds humanitarian official A senior UN humanitarian official issued a reminder on Tuesday, that millions of vulnerable people are still relying on the Organization’s life-saving assistance to survive. Speaking to UN News in Geneva, Jens Laerke, Deputy Spokesperson at the UN’s humanitarian coordination office, or OCHA, said that some of the countries affected by… Read More
Development Health Advice 

UN Population Fund sounds alarm over dire situation facing women and girls in Syria after 10 years of war 

Women and girls continue to bear the brunt of the crisis, struggling to survive and care for traumatized children, as the conflict enters its 10th year, said the agency. Some 960,000 are estimated to have been displaced since December, 80 per cent of whom are women and children, and approximately 25,000 of whom are currently pregnant.  Severe disruption to health services  Reproductive… Read More
Development Health Advice 

‘You cannot fight a fire blindfolded’: WHO chief blasts slow virus testing response

The WHO has repeatedly decried a lack of urgency on the part of many countries when it comes to testing, isolation and contact tracing (i.e. carefully monitoring people who are in close contact with someone who has been infected). In his Monday briefing, Tedros acknowledged the rapid escalation in social distancing measures worldwide, which include many more school closures, the… Read More
Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial