COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have officially been rolled out in over 100 countries and are providing hope. But the pandemic continues and much essential work remains to be done. This week, we highlight a recent selection of WHO’s activities in regions and countries around the world with the support of Gavi, ECHO, Canada, USAID and many other key partners.
EU and WHO strengthen epidemic preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Botswana
Story published by WHO/AFRO on 26 March 2021.
The WHO country office – in collaboration with the European Union Delegation in Botswana and the Ministry of Health and Wellness – recently launched a 13.6 million Botswana pula (approximately US$ 1.2 million) project to strengthen the country’s epidemic preparedness and response to COVID-19. The project aims to reduce excess illness and deaths due to the current pandemic and other epidemic-prone diseases among high risk populations. The initiative is funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). Additional activities include plans to strengthen preparedness and response structures through the establishment of a National Emergency Operations Centre. ECHO’s generous funding provides a new injection of energy for Botswana’s response to COVID-19 and beyond.
WHO provides new sanitation facilities in Democratic Republic of Congo to strengthen infection prevention with support from Gavi and ECHO
Story published by WHO/AFRO on 5 April 2021.
To better support health authorities in the management of biomedical waste generated in Kinshasa’s health centres and to prevent hospital infections, WHO recently provided five incinerators and seven latrine and shower blocks. The new facilities will improve infection prevention and control to protect hospital staff, patients and visitors. Funding mobilized by WHO from Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance and ECHO supported the initiative.
First wave consignment of COVAX COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Story published by WHO/EMRO on 22 March 2021.
Palestine recently received the first shipment of over 60 000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from the COVAX Facility supported by WHO. The vaccine doses were transferred to the Ministry of Health’s vaccine storage facilities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Further consignments of COVAX vaccine doses are planned to be delivered to the occupied Palestinian territory to cover 20% of the population – approximately 1 million people. Doses will follow prioritization criteria designated by the deployment and vaccination plan.
WHO Regional Office for the Americas announces winner of COVID-19 responsible reporting award
Story published by WHO/PAHO on 23 March 2021.
Daphne Ewing-Chown, a Cayman Islands-based journalist, who wrote an article examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health among teenagers, has won the WHO Regional Office for the Americas PAHO/CDB/CBU Award. The award was established to celebrate responsible media coverage of mental health and psychosocial issues during the pandemic. Ms Ewing-Chow was named winner in the print category of the competition, which was open to participants in a virtual training series, ‘Reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic’, hosted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), in collaboration with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU). Ms. Ewing-Chow’s article is titled ‘Mental health professionals voice looming concerns for Cayman teens’. The initiative is part of WHO’s wider efforts to promote responsible information sharing and to fight the infodemic that has accompanied the COVID-19 crisis.
WHO supports establishment of regional laboratories in Honduras with funding from USAID
Story published by WHO/PAHO on 24 March 2021.
As part of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Honduras, WHO has delivered the second of three Molecular Biology Laboratories in cooperation with the country’s ministry of health. Funding from USAID financed the construction of the facilities while the WHO Regional Office for the Americas provided the necessary equipment. The ministry is responsible for staffing and the ongoing management of the laboratory. The new facilities will strengthen laboratory capacity and epidemiological surveillance in the country and will remain a permanent improvement to the National Health System beyond the current pandemic. The strategy is part of the ‘Saving Lives in Times of COVID-19’ project.
WHO and Government of Canada donate computer equipment to strengthen public health border surveillance in Belize
Story published by WHO/PAHO on 29 March 2021.
Through funding from the Government of Canada, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas recently donated computer equipment and supplies to strengthen national public surveillance capacity on Belize’s land borders. The initiative will provide the necessary means to implement health measures such as planning, surveillance and risk monitoring as well as prevention detection, responding to health risks and emergencies on land borders. The donation consisted of information technology and protective equipment.
WHO helps build infection prevention and control capacity in Bangladesh
Story published by WHO/SEARO on 23 March 2021.
Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a practical, evidence-based approach that ensures safety and quality of care and prevents patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infections. Without effective IPC, it is impossible to achieve quality health care delivery. To help in this fight, WHO is supporting the government of Bangladesh with comprehensive training on infection prevention and control. Two cohorts were recently trained on IPC with WHO technical assistance. Since the beginning of the pandemic, WHO has been supporting the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in developing Bangladesh’s Preparedness and Response Plan for Covid-19.
WHO supports India in harnessing folk performing arts to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake
Story published by the WHO India country office on 30 March 2021.
The states of Maharashtra and Goa are using innovative approaches to scale up advocacy to address the mixed challenge of vaccine eagerness and hesitancy among communities. With WHO support, authorities are using popular art forms to find resonance among local communities. Cultural troupes have been deployed to perform street plays in local languages to provide accurate information about COVID-19 and vaccines across approximately 40 districts. The campaign is being carried out by the Regional Outreach Bureau under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in partnership with the Public Health Department of Government of Maharashtra, the WHO Country Office for India, and UNICEF. The WHO-National Public Health Surveillance Programme (NPSP) is a technical partner for the campaign providing input for the scripts and supporting capacity building of cultural troupes with relevant and updated information on the disease and the available vaccines.
Addressing the mental health needs of Nepalis during the COVID-19 pandemic
Story published by the WHO Nepal Office on 7 April 2021.
Nepal has seen that depression, anxiety and instances of suicide were on the rise in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the challenge, the WHO Country Office for Nepal and the Ministry of Health and Population recently worked together to develop a COVID-19 Mental Health & Psychological Support (MHPSS) intervention framework. The initiative draws attention to mental health and psychosocial support services in the national emergency response and supports the delivery essential mental health services.
This year, WHO Europe is echoed WHO’s wider call on leaders to address health inequities and ensure that everyone has secure living and working conditions that enable them to live a healthy life and to thrive as well as access to quality health services when and where they need them, without experiencing financial hardship.
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Read more about WHO’s response to COVID-19 across the world.
Without the support of donors and partners, WHO would not be able to reach these countries in need and help them make it through the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO thanks all governments, organizations and individuals contributing to the COVID-19 response around the world since the beginning of the outbreak, and in particular those who have provided fully flexible contributions, to ensure a comprehensive fight against the disease.
Member States and other governments in 2021:
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Guinea Bissau, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Isle of Man, Japan, Kuwait, Lesotho, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Sao Tome and Principe, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uganda, United States.
Other partners in 2021:
African Development Bank Group, African Reinsurance Corporation, Asian Development Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Centrale (REPONGAC), China Medical Board, COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, East African Community, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), European Union, Food and Agriculture Organization, Fundación Banco Santander, Gavi-The Vaccine Alliance, Global Fund to Aids Tuberculosis and Malaria, IEAD Relief, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Islamic Development Bank, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center (Ksrelief), Lesotho, Makerere University Lung Institute, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), Organisation Catholique pour le Développement et la Solidarité (OCADES), Organization of African Youth, Pacific Community, Réseau des plateformes d’ONG d’Afrique, Rockefeller Foundation, Southern African Development Community Secretariat (SADC), Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), University of Bouake, Vital Strategies, WHO Regional Office for the Americas, World Bank.
Read more about donors and partners contributing to the COVID-19 response
