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(335, 'Compendium of research projects at the interface of tuberculosis and COVID-19', 'As the world comes together to tackle the COVID 19 pandemic it is important to ensure that Tuberculosis TB prevention and care approaches are adapting appropriately to ensure continuous and safe delivery of high quality TB services Considering the overlaps in TB and COVID 19 in disease presentation and transmission the pandemic presents many questions for the TB field that may require learning through research and innovation To better understand challenges and opportunities in this space the World Health Organization Global TB Programme is collating information on ongoing research at the interface of TB and COVID 19 i e research which would improve TB prevention and care approaches in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic We are developing a living compendium listing which will be updated periodically to make ongoing research projects and publications visible on its website With your consent we would like to include any study you have in this compendium To fulfill these objectives we need the cooperation of organizations and individuals engaged in TB COVID 19 research to complete this one page template before 20 May 2020 We encourage you to please share this in your network so we can reach all stakeholders widely We thank you in advance for your cooperation and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/04-05-2020-compendium-of-research-projects-at-the-interface-of-tuberculosis-and-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(336, 'WHO and European Investment Bank strengthen efforts to combat COVID-19 and build resilient health systems to face future pandemics', 'WHO and the European Investment Bank enhance cooperation to support countries in addressing the health impact of COVID 19 The first phase will address urgent needs and strengthen primary health care in ten African countries Enhanced WHO EIB partnership will scale up financing to assure the chain of essential supplies including personal protective equipment diagnostics and clinical management New initiative will accelerate investment in health preparedness and primary health care with a focus on health work force infrastructure and water sanitation and hygiene The initiative involves measures to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance The World Health Organization and the European Investment Bank will boost cooperation to strengthen public health supply of essential equipment training and hygiene investment in countries most vulnerable to the COVID 19 pandemic The new partnership between the United Nations health agency and the world s largest international public bank announced at WHO headquarters in Geneva earlier today will help increase resilience to reduce the health and social impact of future health emergencies Combining the public health experience of the World Health Organization and the financial expertise of the European Investment Bank will contribute to a more effective response to COVID 19 and other pressing health challenges said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General WHO looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the EIB to improve access to essential supplies including medical equipment and training and deliver better water sanitation and hygiene where most needed New initiatives to improve primary health care in Africa and support the EU Malaria Fund hint at the potential impact of our new partnership Dr Tedros concluded The world is facing unprecedented health social and economic shocks from COVID 19 The European Investment Bank is pleased to join forces with the World Health Organization as a key part of Team Europe s efforts to address the global impact of the COVID 19 pandemic The EU Bank s new partnership with the WHO will help communities most at risk by scaling up local medical and public health efforts and better protect people around the world from future pandemics This new cooperation will enable us to combat malaria address anti microbial resistance and enhance public health in Africa more effectively said Werner Hoyer President of the European Investment Bank Improving local public health efforts to tackle coronavirus The WHO and the EIB will increase cooperation to help governments in low and middle income countries to finance and secure access to essential medical supplies and protective equipment through central procurement Building resilient health systems in vulnerable countries across Africa The WHO and the EIB will reinforce cooperation to support immediate COVID 19 needs and jointly develop targeted financing to enhance health investment and build resilient health systems and primary health care to address public health emergencies as well as accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage The partnership will benefit from the EIB s planned 1 4 billion EUR response to address the health social and economic impact of COVID 19 in Africa This will address immediate needs in the health sector and provide both technical assistance and support for medium term investment in specialist health infrastructure The collaboration envisages rapid identification and fast track approval of financing for health care medical equipment and supplies The first phase of the collaboration will see public health investment in ten African countries Long term collaboration to overcome market failures in global health The agreement signed today establishes a close collaboration to overcome market failure and stimulate investments in global health accelerating progress towards Universal Health Coverage Increased cooperation between the WHO and the EIB will strengthen the resilience of national public health systems and enhance preparedness of vulnerable countries against future pandemics thanks to investments in primary care infrastructure health workers and improved water sanitation and hygiene Future cooperation will strengthen the EIB s 5 2 billion EUR global response to COVID 19 outside the European Union Scaling up investment to tackle antimicrobial resistance The two organisations will also cooperate in an initiative to address investment barriers hindering development of new antimicrobial treatment and related diagnostics Antimicrobial resistance is amongst the most significant global health threats The WHO and the EIB are working on a new financing initiative to support development of novel antimicrobials and address the estimated 1 billion EUR needed to provide medium term solutions to antimicrobial resistance Other crucial partners have been invited to join this discussion Improving the effectiveness of malaria treatment Under the new agreement the EIB and WHO will support development of the EU Malaria Fund a new 250 million EUR public private initiative intended to address market failures holding back more effective malaria treatment Strengthening EIB support for healthcare life science and COVID 19 investment In recent years the European Investment Bank has provided more than 2 billion EUR annually for health care and life science investment In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic the EIB is currently assessing over 20 projects in the field of vaccine development diagnostic and treatment leading to potential investments in the 700 million EUR range The EIB will also take part in the EU s rolling pledging effort for the coronavirus global response that is taking place on May 4th Background information The European Investment Bank EIB is the long term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States It makes long term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system Founded in 1948 WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 150 offices to promote health keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable Our goal for 2019 2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage to protect a billion more people from health emergencies and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing For updates on COVID 19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus visit www who int and follow WHO on Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Pinterest Snapchat YouTube WHO s information site on the COVID 19 pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-05-2020-who-and-european-investment-bank-strengthen-efforts-to-combat-covid-19-and-build-resilient-health-systems-to-face-future-pandemics', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(337, 'Statement on the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)', 'The third meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director General under the International Health Regulations 2005 IHR regarding the coronavirus disease COVID 19 took place on Thursday 30 April 2020 from 12 00 to 17 45 Geneva time CEST Proceedings of the meeting Members and advisors of the Emergency Committee were convened by teleconference Membership of the Emergency Committee was expanded to reflect the nature of the pandemic and the need to include additional areas of expertise The Director General welcomed the Committee thanked them for their commitment to enhancing global public health and provided an overview of the major achievements in the COVID 19 response since the last Emergency Committee meeting on 30 January 2020 Representatives of the legal department and the Department of Compliance Risk Management and Ethics CRE briefed the members on their roles and responsibilities The Ethics Officer from CRE provided the members and advisers with an overview of the WHO Declaration of Interest process The members and advisers were made aware of their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO in a timely manner any interests of a personal professional financial intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or direct conflict of interest They were additionally reminded of their duty to maintain the confidentiality of the meeting discussions and the work of the committee Only those committee members and advisers who were not considered to have any perceived or direct conflict of interest participated in the meeting The Secretariat turned the meeting over to the Chair Professor Houssin He also welcomed the Committee and reviewed the objectives and agenda of the meeting The WHO Regional Emergency Directors and the Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme WHE provided regional and the global situation overview After ensuing discussion the Committee unanimously agreed that the outbreak still constitutes a public health emergency of international concern PHEIC and offered advice to the Director General The Director General declared that the outbreak of COVID 19 continues to constitute a PHEIC He accepted the advice of the Committee to WHO and issued the Committee s advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR The Emergency Committee will be reconvened within three months or earlier at the discretion of the Director General The Director General thanked the Committee for its work Advice to WHO Coordination planning and monitoring Continue to lead and coordinate the global response to the COVID 19 pandemic in collaboration with countries the United Nations UN and other partners Work with fragile states and vulnerable countries that require additional technical logistical and commodity support Establish mechanisms to compile lessons learned from country and partner experiences and WHO missions and share the best practices and updated recommendations Provide further guidance to countries about adjusting public health measures taking into account the different epidemiological situations of the pandemic Promote the inclusion of all interested countries including low and middle income countries from all regions in the Solidarity clinical trials for therapeutics and vaccines Continue efforts with partners to obtain equitable access to personal protective equipment diagnostics and biomedical equipment essential to the pandemic COVID 19 response Continue to coordinate global expert networks in epidemiology laboratory vaccines clinical care infection prevention and control social sciences and operational research modelling and other technical support One Health Work with the World Organisation for Animal Health OIE the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO and countries to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population including the possible role of intermediate hosts This should be accomplished through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions which will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events Work closely with OIE and FAO to provide guidance on how to prevent SARS CoV 2 infections in animals and humans and prevent the establishment of new zoonotic reservoirs Work with partner organizations and countries to strengthen the global food supply chain protect food workers properly manage food markets and mitigate possible disruptions to the food supply Essential Health Services Support countries to assess and manage the unintended consequences of public health measures implemented to control the COVID 19 pandemic including gender based violence and child neglect Support countries to monitor their ability to provide and strengthen essential health services throughout a likely extended COVID 19 response This should include but is not limited to essential prevention for communicable diseases particularly vaccination services related to reproductive health including care during pregnancy and childbirth care of vulnerable populations such as young infants and older adults provision of medications and supplies for the ongoing management of chronic diseases including mental health conditions continuity of critical inpatient therapies management of emergency health conditions and common acute presentations that require time sensitive intervention and auxiliary services such as basic diagnostic imaging laboratory services and blood bank services Support countries to address shortages of essential medicines and health products personal protective equipment and other medical supplies and to establish sustainable risk management practices to prevent future shortages Risk communication and community engagement Continue risk communications and community engagement activities through the WHO Information Network for Epidemics EPI WIN and other platforms to counter rumours and misinformation Continue to regularly communicate clear messages guidance and advice about the evolution of the COVID 19 pandemic how to reduce transmission and save lives Work with partners and countries to articulate potential long term consequences of COVID 19 pandemic emphasizing the need for strengthened cross sectoral preparedness transparency and global coordination Surveillance Clarify the testing strategy support countries to increase testing capacity and aim to provide equitable access to diagnostic tests and supplies in light of market failures and global shortages Continue to provide guidance on monitoring disease trends using Severe Acute Respiratory Infections SARI and Influenza Like Illness ILI surveillance systems in anticipation of the co circulation of influenza viruses Develop qualitative and quantitative indicators that countries can use to assess and monitor SARS CoV 2 transmission at all levels of public health response Continue to support countries and partners by providing technical and operational guidance training platforms and tools such as Go Data to enhance case identification and contact tracing capacity strengthen the public health workforce and engage communities for contact tracing Provide clear qualitative and quantitative indicators to monitor SARS CoV 2 transmission to inform the adjustment of public health and social measures Travel and Trade Continue working with countries and partners to enable essential travel needed for pandemic response humanitarian relief repatriation and cargo operations Develop strategic guidance with partners for the gradual return to normal operations of passenger travel in a coordinated manner that provides appropriate protection when physical distancing is not feasible Update recommendations on appropriate travel measures and analyze their effects on international transmission of COVID 19 with consideration of the balance between benefits and unintended consequences including entry and exit screening education of travelers on responsible travel behaviour case finding contact tracing isolation and quarantine by incorporating evidence on the potential role of pre symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission To all States Parties Coordination and Collaboration Support WHO leadership and continue to collaborate with WHO at all levels of the organization and with other countries to enable effective global COVID 19 pandemic preparedness and response Participate in global solidarity efforts to enable access to essential supplies for all Document and share lessons learned from efforts to control the pandemic including the timing pace and sequencing of the application and lifting of public health measures Preparedness Strengthen preparedness for health emergencies and build resilient health systems incorporating lessons learned during different stages of the pandemic and sharing experiences with other countries Surveillance Work with WHO and multisectoral partners to interrupt transmission by maintaining robust surveillance systems enhancing capacities for case detection testing isolation of cases contact tracing quarantine of contacts and rapid response strengthening the public health workforce and actively engaging communities for contact tracing with a particular focus on high risk areas In settings where testing a large proportion of suspected cases is not possible monitor overall trends undertake early detection through laboratory confirmation of a limited number of cases with a focus on health workers and rapidly implement public health measures Share with WHO all data necessary to conduct global risk assessments through data platforms such as the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System and the IHR mechanism These data should include SARI and ILI where available Use the WHO qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess and monitor SARS CoV 2 transmission at all levels of public health response Additional Health Measures Avoid restrictions on international transport of food medical and other essential supplies and permit the safe movement of essential personnel required for an effective pandemic response Implement appropriate travel measures with consideration of their public health benefits including entry and exit screening education of travelers on responsible travel behaviour case finding contact tracing isolation and quarantine by incorporating evidence on the potential role of pre symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission Implement and monitor case finding and contact tracing of travellers using digital tools where appropriate Continue to review travel and trade measures based on regular risk assessments transmission patterns at origin and destination cost benefit analysis evolution of the pandemic and new knowledge of COVID 19 Engage in global efforts to respond to the challenges of COVID 19 in managing maritime vessels Do not implement trade restrictions beyond those considered to be of public health importance in accordance with relevant international agreements Continue to provide appropriate public health rationale to WHO for additional health measures in accordance with IHR Health Workers Prioritize the protection of the health workforce through access to training and provision of personal protective equipment infection prevention and control measures improved working conditions application of WHO recommended testing strategies and prevention of stigma and attacks on health workers Food Security Work with WHO and partners to strengthen the global food supply chain protect food workers properly manage food markets and mitigate possible disruptions to the food supply especially for vulnerable populations One Health Promote sound practices to manage risks of trade of live animals in food markets and regulate trade of exotic wildlife Risk Communications and Community Engagement Continue to engage communities to address rumours and misinformation and keep the public informed with a focus on vulnerable populations Research and development Address research gaps such as routes of transmission including the role of asymptomatic and pre symptomatic infection droplet contact fomite and aerosol transmission and viral shedding and animal source and intermediate hosts in collaboration with partners Continue to support and conduct COVID 19 research in line with the WHO Research and Development Blueprint and the road map for COVID 19 vaccines diagnostics and therapeutics Continue sharing full genome sequences to increase global understanding of virus evolution and phylogenetics and their application to public health practices Essential Health Services Maintain essential health services throughout a likely extended COVID 19 response This should include essential prevention for communicable diseases particularly vaccination services related to reproductive health including care during pregnancy and childbirth care of vulnerable populations such as young infants and older adults provision of medications and supplies for the ongoing management of chronic diseases including mental health conditions continuity of critical inpatient therapies management of emergency health conditions and common acute presentations that require time sensitive intervention and auxiliary services such as basic diagnostic imaging laboratory services and blood bank services Continue to track and document the impact of COVID 19 on essential health services', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-05-2020-statement-on-the-third-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(338, 'Massive proportion of world’s population are living with herpes infection', 'Virus causing genital herpes may put millions of people at greater risk of infection with HIV About half a billion people worldwide are living with genital herpes and several billion have an oral herpes infection new estimates show Authored by staff at the University of Bristol World Health Organization WHO and Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar and published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization the new study estimates the global infection prevalence and incidence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 HSV 1 and HSV 2 in 2016 Herpes infection affects millions of people across the globe and can have far reaching health effects We need more investment and commitment to develop better treatment and prevention tools for this infection says Dr Sami Gottlieb Medical Officer at WHO and an author of the study Prevalence and incidence An estimated 491 5 million people were living with HSV 2 infection in 2016 equivalent to 13 2 of the world s population aged 15 to 49 years HSV 2 is almost exclusively sexually transmitted causing infection in the genital or anal area genital herpes An estimated 3 7 billion people had HSV 1 infection during the same year around 66 6 of the world s population aged 0 to 49 HSV 1 is mainly transmitted by oral to oral contact to cause infection in or around the mouth oral herpes However HSV 1 can also be transmitted to the genital area through oral genital contact during oral sex to cause genital herpes Most HSV 1 infections were oral however between 122 million to 192 million people were estimated to have genital HSV 1 infection depending on the assumptions used in the estimation model Because herpes is a lifelong infection estimated prevalence increased with age HSV 2 prevalence was also higher among women and in the WHO African Region Health and social impacts Most people living with herpes caused by either HSV 1 or 2 are unaware they have the infection When symptoms do occur however oral herpes infection can lead to painful sores around the mouth cold sores Genital herpes infection can cause recurring often painful genital sores often referred to as genital ulcer disease WHO and partners published a study in March 2020 estimating that around 5 of the world s population 187 million people suffered from at least one episode of herpes related genital ulcer disease in 2016 1 Most of these episodes were due to HSV 2 which can recur frequently over many years Recurrent symptoms of genital herpes can lead to stigma and psychological distress and can have an important impact on quality of life and sexual relationships However in time most people with herpes adjust to living with the infection Genital herpes is a substantial health concern worldwide beyond the potential pain and discomfort suffered by people living with the infection the associated social consequences can have a profound effect on sexual and reproductive health says Dr Ian Askew Director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO Herpes and HIV A strong association exists between HSV 2 infection and HIV infection In 2019 WHO commissioned a modeling study to estimate how much HSV 2 infection might contribute to HIV incidence The study estimated that almost 30 of new sexually acquired HIV infections in 2016 worldwide were likely attributable to HSV 2 infection 2 Evidence shows that people with HSV 2 infection are at least three times more likely to become infected with HIV if exposed HSV 2 leads to inflammation and small breaks in the genital and anal skin that can make it easier for HIV to cause infection In addition people with both HIV and HSV 2 infection are more likely to spread HIV to others Women have higher biologic susceptibility to both HSV 2 and HIV Women living in the WHO Africa Region have the highest HSV 2 prevalence and exposure to HIV putting them at greatest risk of HIV infection with negative implications for their health and well being For people living with HIV or who are living with other conditions that compromise their immune systems as well as HSV 2 the symptoms of herpes can be more severe and more frequent Neonatal herpes Neonatal herpes can occur when an infant is exposed to HSV in the genital tract during delivery This is a rare condition occurring in an estimated 10 out of every 100 000 births globally but can lead to lasting neurologic disability or death The risk for neonatal herpes is greatest when a mother acquires HSV infection for the first time in late pregnancy Women who have genital herpes before they become pregnant are at very low risk of transmitting HSV to their infants No cure better treatment and prevention needed There is no cure for herpes At present antiviral medications such as acyclovir famciclovir and valacyclovir can help to reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms but cannot cure the infection As well as increasing awareness about HSV infection and its symptoms improved access to antiviral medications and heightened HIV prevention efforts for those with genital HSV symptoms are needed globally In addition development of better treatment and prevention interventions is needed particularly HSV vaccines WHO and partners are working to accelerate research to develop new strategies for prevention and control of HSV infections Such research includes the development of HSV vaccines and topical microbicides Several candidate vaccines and microbicides are currently being studied A vaccine against HSV infection would not only help to promote and protect the health and well being of millions of people particularly women worldwide it could also potentially have an impact on slowing the spread of HIV if developed and provided alongside other HIV prevention strategies says Dr Meg Doherty Director of the WHO Department of Global HIV Hepatitis and STI Programmes Related publications WHO guidelines for the treatment of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus WHO preferred product characteristics for herpes simplex virus vaccines 1 Looker KJ Johnston C Welton NJ et al The global and regional burden of genital ulcer disease due to herpes simplex virus a natural history modelling study BMJ Glob Health 2020 5 3 e001875 doi 10 1136 bmjgh 2019 001875 2 Looker KJ Welton NJ Sabin KM et al Global and regional estimates of the contribution of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection to HIV incidence a population attributable fraction analysis using published epidemiological data Lancet Infect Dis 2020 20 2 240 249 doi 10 1016 S1473 3099 19 30470 0', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-05-2020-massive-proportion-world-population-living-with-herpes-infection', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(339, 'Indonesia firmly committed to eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem', 'Indonesia recently completed the last of its annual large scale treatment for lymphatic filariasis also known as elephantiasis or Penyakit Kaki Gajah in Malaka District located in its southernmost province East Nusa Tenggara Unprecedented progress by the National Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Programme has strongly placed the country on the path to achieving the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-04-2020-indonesia-firmly-committed-to-eliminating-lymphatic-filariasis-as-a-public-health-problem', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(340, 'New estimates highlight need to step up the response to hepatitis D', 'In a study published in the Journal of Hepatology Professor Anna Maria Geretti and Dr Alexander Stockdale from the University of Liverpool United Kingdom in collaboration with researchers from WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC estimate that worldwide hepatitis D virus HDV affects nearly 5 of people who have a chronic infection with hepatitis B virus HBV and that HDV co infection could explain about 1 in 5 cases of liver disease and liver cancer in people with HBV infection', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-04-2020-new-estimates-highlight-need-to-step-up-the-response-to-hepatitis-d', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(341, 'New FAQs address healthcare workers questions on breastfeeding and COVID-19', 'Mothers and healthcare workers who support them have many questions and concerns about whether it is safe for mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID 19 to be close to and breastfeed their babies during the pandemic To address their questions WHO has released a list of Frequently asked questions Breastfeeding and COVID 19 The FAQ complements the WHO interim guidance Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when COVID 19 is suspected and draws upon other WHO recommendations on infant and young child feeding The FAQs aim to provide information to healthcare workers supporting mothers and families in maternity services and community settings and communicate how the interim guidance should be implemented Additionally the FAQs provide information about the protective effects of breastfeeding and skin to skin contact and the harmful effects of inappropriate use of infant formula milk Accompanying the FAQs is a decision tree which provides step by step guidance to health workers on how to support mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID 19 to breastfeed It provides advice on what to do if mothers are not well enough to breastfeed as well as appropriate hygiene measures for mothers including wearing a medical mask if available to reduce the possibility of the COVID 19 virus being spread to her infant Benefits of breastfeeding outweigh potential risks The COVID 19 virus has not been detected in the breastmilk of any mother with confirmed and suspected COVID 19 and there is no evidence so far that the virus is transmitted through breastfeeding Researchers continue to test breastmilk from mothers with the infection WHO recommends that all mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID 19 continue to have skin to skin contact and to breastfeed In all socio economic settings breastfeeding improves survival and provides lifelong health and development advantages to newborns and infants Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer for the mother Skin to skin contact including kangaroo mother care reduces neonatal mortality especially for low birth weight newborns While infants and children can contract COVID 19 they are at low risk of infection The few confirmed cases of COVID 19 in young children to date have experienced only mild or asymptomatic illness WHO s recommendations on the care and feeding of infants whose mothers have confirmed or suspected COVID 19 aim to improve the immediate and lifelong survival health and development of their newborns and infants These recommendations consider the likelihood and potential risks of COVID 19 in infants and also the risks of serious illness and death when infants are not breastfed or when infant formula milk are used inappropriately WHO s Q A on breastfeeding and COVID 19 also provides additional infection prevention advice to mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID 19', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-04-2020-new-faqs-address-healthcare-workers-questions-on-breastfeeding-and-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(342, 'New GDO country profiles available', 'Countries across the six WHO regions are participating in the Global Dementia Observatory GDO a data and knowledge exchange platform The GDO provides easy access to country level key dementia data and functions as the monitoring mechanism of the Global dementia action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017 2025', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-04-2020-GDO-country-profiles', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(343, 'WHO calls for healthy, safe and decent working conditions for all health workers, amidst COVID-19 pandemic', '28 April 2020 On World Day for Safety and Health at Work the World Health Organization calls upon all governments employers and workers organizations and the global community to take urgent measures for strengthen countries capacities to protect occupational health and safety of health workers and emergency responders respect their rights to decent working conditions and develop national programmes for occupational health of health workers and to provide them with occupational health services Amidst the COVID 19 pandemic ILO has dedicated World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020 in addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work in particular on the COVID 19 pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-04-2020-who-calls-for-healthy-safe-and-decent-working-conditions-for-all-health-workers-amidst-covid-19-pandemic', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(344, 'Maternal infections in health facilities', 'A clearer picture of the global impact New research from the Global Maternal Sepsis Study GLOSS a major WHO HRP initiative shows that infection has a much larger impact on global maternal mortality and morbidity than previously thought The results from GLOSS published in The Lancet Global Health are the first to provide data on frequency of maternal infections and sepsis across the pregnancy and post pregnancy period in a large number of health facilities around the world Around 11 women per 1000 live births had an infection which resulted in or contributed to what is known as a severe maternal outcome either they died or nearly died during their hospitalization Urgent improvement is needed to manage this life threatening risk faced by all pregnant and recently pregnant women wherever they are in the world What is maternal sepsis and how does it lead to maternal death Maternal sepsis is a life threatening condition that arises when the body s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs during pregnancy child birth post abortion or the postpartum period The latest global estimates place sepsis due to obstetric infections as the third most common cause of maternal mortality However this only includes infections as a direct result of pregnancy such as endometritis or post caesarean wound infections Few previous studies include post abortion infections Neither do they address indirect infections such as respiratory and meningitis which are aggravated by pregnancy but not directly caused by it A better understanding of maternal infection GLOSS was a massive facility based data collection effort led by WHO accompanied by a STOP SEPSIS campaign to increase awareness among healthcare providers The study gathered data on women who were admitted with suspected or confirmed infection during pregnancy or post pregnancy over a one week period in 2017 More than 2800 women participated in the study in 52 countries GLOSS included healthcare facilities that care for women during pregnancy childbirth or at the end of pregnancy as well as facilities without maternity service but where women could be hospitalized during or after pregnancy and data on infections which are not usually recorded as maternal sepsis including post abortion and indirect infections The result is a more complete understanding of the frequency and impact of maternal infections in health facilities GLOSS calls attention not only to the wider range of risks faced by pregnant women but also to the long period of time during which they are at risk Putting global numbers on maternal infection and sepsis Overall around 70 pregnant or recently pregnant women per 1000 live births were found to have a maternal infection needing hospital management Across the study 11 women with either direct or indirect infection per 1000 live births developed a severe maternal outcome but in low and middle income countries up to 15 women per 1000 births were affected Infections were the underlying cause of most of the deaths recorded during the study primarily post abortion infection and indirect infections Infections were also present in about a third of deaths attributed to other causes such as postpartum haemorrhage This suggests that the contribution of infection to global maternal mortality and morbidity may be larger than current reports of maternal sepsis mortality suggest Preventing identifying and treating maternal infection and sepsis Some of the most common maternal infections found in the study such as urinary tract infections post caesarean and post abortion infections are largely preventable and treatable GLOSS results suggest that current levels of monitoring and clinical care across health facilities are not enough to prevent identify and treat levels of maternal infection effectively For instance a complete set of vital signs was not reported for a third of the women in the study on the day their infection was suspected or diagnosed Delays in antimicrobial therapy were frequent GLOSS also shows marked differences across countries with the highest burden in low and middle income countries compared with high income countries This may reflect the impact of broader health determinants in different country contexts Challenges of overcrowding limited access to water and sanitation and constraints to safe births by skilled birth attendants can reduce the ability of healthcare providers to manage the frequency and outcome of maternal infections An opportunity to implement evidence based practice GLOSS gives healthcare providers policy makers and the public at large an opportunity to mobilise around these data improve evidence based practice and save lives WHO has produced a number of resources which can support timely action to prevent diagnose and treat maternal infection as well as activities such as the upcoming SAVE LIVES Clean Your Hands campaign on 5 May which celebrates the central role played by nurses and midwives in clean health care In addition WHO will publish a global sepsis epidemiology report around the 73rd World Health Assembly WHA in May as requested in the 2017 WHA Resolution on Improving the prevention diagnosis and clinical managementof sepsis Understanding why and how infection affects women is essential for equipping healthcare providers with life saving knowledge and enabling health care systems to bring down global maternal mortality and morbidity Related publications WHO recommendations for prevention and treatment of maternal peripartum infections WHO Clinical practice handbook for safe abortion Global guidelines on the prevention of surgical site infection WHO statement on maternal sepsis World Health Assembly resolution on Improving the prevention diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis Health Topics Antimicrobial resistance Infection Prevention and Control Water Sanitation Hygiene Other links Global Maternal Sepsis Study SAVE LIVES Clean Your Hands 5 May 2020', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-maternal-infections-in-health-facilities', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(345, 'Global leaders unite to ensure everyone everywhere can access new vaccines, tests and treatments for COVID-19', 'Heads of state and global health leaders today made an unprecedented commitment to work together to accelerate the development and production of new vaccines tests and treatments for COVID 19 and assure equitable access worldwide', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-04-2020-global-leaders-unite-to-ensure-everyone-everywhere-can-access-new-vaccines-tests-and-treatments-for-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(346, 'Commitment and call to action: Global collaboration to accelerate new COVID-19 health technologies', 'Our Vision and Mission Grounded in a vision of a planet protected from human suffering and the devastating social and economic consequences of COVID 19 we an initial group of global health actors BMGF CEPI Gavi Global Fund UNITAID Wellcome Trust WHO and private sector partners and other stakeholders are launching a landmark global and time limited collaboration to accelerate the development production and equitable global access to new COVID 19 essential health technologies We know that as long as anyone is at risk from this virus the entire world is at risk every single person on the planet needs to be protected from this disease We agree that alongside evidence based public health measures innovative COVID 19 diagnostics therapeutics and vaccines are needed in record time and at record scale and access to save millions of lives and countless trillions of dollars and to return the world to a sense of normalcy We recognize the significant amount of critical work investment and initiatives already ongoing around the world to expedite the development and deployment of innovative COVID 19 related products and interventions We appreciate that while development and deployment of innovative products is essential it will not be enough We must simultaneously and urgently accelerate the strengthening of sustainable health systems and capacities to enable delivery of the new COVID 19 tools to those who need them and to mitigate the knock on impact on other diseases We remember lessons from the past which have shown that even when effective tools are available to the world too often some are protected while others are not This inequity is unacceptable all tools to address COVID 19 must be available to all In the fight against COVID 19 no one should be left behind We understand we cannot do this alone and that we need to work together in unprecedented and inclusive partnership with all stakeholders political leaders public and private sector partners civil society academia and all other stakeholders across society jointly leveraging our comparative strengths and respective voices to drive towards collective solutions an accelerated path and access for all We are stronger faster and more effective working together Our Mission is not only accelerated development and availability of new COVID 19 tools it is to accelerate equitable global access to safe quality effective and affordable COVID 19 diagnostics therapeutics and vaccines and thus to ensure that in the fight against COVID 19 no one is left behind Our Commitment We commit to the shared aim of equitable global access to innovative tools for COVID 19 for all We commit to an unprecedented level of partnership proactively engaging stakeholders aligning and coordinating efforts building on existing collaborations collectively devising solutions and grounding our partnership in transparency and science We commit to create a strong unified voice to maximize impact recognizing this is not about singular decision making authority but rather collective problem solving interconnectedness and inclusivity where all stakeholders can connect and benefit from the expertise knowledge and activities of this shared action oriented platform We commit to build on past experiences towards achieving this objective including ensuring that every activity we undertake is executed through the lens of equitable global access and that the voices of the communities most affected are heard We commit to be accountable to the world to communities and to one another We are coming together in the spirit of solidarity and in the service of humanity to achieve our mission and vision Our Call We ask the global community and political leaders to support this landmark collaboration and for donors to provide the necessary resources to accelerate achievement of the objectives of this global collaboration capitalizing on the opportunity provided by the rolling pledging campaign that will start on 4 May 2020', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-04-2020-commitment-and-call-to-action-global-collaboration-to-accelerate-new-covid-19-health-technologies', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(347, 'WHO reports fivefold increase in cyber attacks, urges vigilance', 'Since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic WHO has seen a dramatic increase in the number of cyber attacks directed at its staff and email scams targeting the public at large', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2020-who-reports-fivefold-increase-in-cyber-attacks-urges-vigilance', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(348, 'INFOSAN Quarterly Summary, 2020 #1', 'January March 2020', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2020-infosan-quarterly-summary-2020-1', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL);
INSERT INTO `rss_articles` (`id`, `title`, `body`, `href`, `rss_id`, `status`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(349, 'WHO urges countries to move quickly to save lives from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa', 'Severe disruptions to insecticide treated net campaigns and in access to antimalarial medicines could lead to a doubling in the number of malaria deaths in sub Saharan Africa this year compared to 2018 according to a new modelling analysis released by WHO and partners ahead of World Malaria Day 25 April WHO urges countries to move fast and distribute malaria prevention and treatment tools at this stage of the COVID 19 outbreak in sub Saharan Africa and to do their utmost to safely maintain these essential malaria control services The analysis considers nine scenarios for potential disruptions in access to core malaria control tools during the pandemic in 41 countries and the resulting increases that may be seen in cases and deaths Under the worst case scenario in which all insecticide treated net ITN campaigns are suspended and there is a 75 reduction in access to effective antimalarial medicines the estimated tally of malaria deaths in sub Saharan Africa in 2020 would reach 769 000 twice the number of deaths reported in the region in 2018 This would represent a return to malaria mortality levels last seen 20 years ago According to the World malaria report 2019 sub Saharan Africa accounted for approximately 93 of all malaria cases and 94 of deaths in 2018 More than two thirds of deaths were among children under the age of five A window of opportunity To date the number of reported cases of COVID 19 in sub Saharan Africa has represented only a small proportion of the global total though cases are increasing every week This means that countries across the region have a critical window of opportunity to minimize disruptions in malaria prevention and treatment and save lives at this stage of the COVID 19 outbreak Mass vector control campaigns should be accelerated while ensuring that they are deployed in ways that protect health workers and communities against potential COVID 19 transmission WHO and partners commend the leaders of Benin the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sierra Leone and Chad for initiating ITN campaigns during the pandemic Other countries are adapting their net distribution strategies to ensure households receive the nets as quickly and safely as possible Preventive therapies for pregnant women and children must be maintained The provision of prompt diagnostic testing and effective antimalarial medicines are also essential to prevent a mild case of malaria from progressing to severe illness and death WHO and partners have developed guidance to ensure that those suffering from malaria can safely receive the care they need within the package of essential health services to be delivered in COVID 19 settings Tailoring malaria interventions in COVID 19 response includes guidance on the prevention of infection through vector control and chemoprevention testing treatment of cases clinical services supply chain and laboratory activities Note to the editor The modelling analysis was conducted by WHO in close collaboration with partners including PATH the Malaria Atlas Project and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation The analysis is subject to uncertainties It does not consider for example the effects of an interruption in indoor residual spraying or seasonal malaria chemoprevention except in Burkina Faso a suspension of these core malaria prevention tools would also lead to considerable loss of life In addition there is limited understanding of the spread of COVID 19 its epidemiology and interactions with malaria The model will be updated as such data become available and countries will be provided with relevant information to tailor their responses accordingly', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2020-who-urges-countries-to-move-quickly-to-save-lives-from-malaria-in-sub-saharan-africa', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(350, 'Hard fought gains in immunization coverage at risk without critical health services, warns WHO', 'Shutting down immunization services in the COVID 19 pandemic risks triggering a resurgence of diseases that can be prevented with safe and effective vaccines warns WHO in the lead up to World Immunization Week 24 30 April', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2020-hard-fought-gains-in-immunization-coverage-at-risk-without-critical-health-services-warns-who', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(351, 'What matters to women in the postnatal period?', 'The right to a positive maternity healthcare experience at every stage Each pregnancy is unique and clinical needs can change across the pregnancy childbirth and postnatal periods One thing that never changes is the right to a positive experience at every stage Achieving the best possible physical emotional and psychological outcomes for every individual and newborn requires health systems to take a human rights based approach not only preventing maternal death and morbidity but prioritising person centred care and well being WHO is developing new guidelines for a positive experience of postnatal care due to be published next year To inform these guidelines and ensure that postnatal services can better meet the needs of women and their babies WHO undertook a qualitative systematic review on what matters to women in the postnatal period Joys and challenges in the postnatal period There is limited research about values and preferences in the postnatal period defined by WHO as the first six weeks after childbirth Studies have often focused on the results of specific postnatal interventions rather than on the individuals who use them What matters to women in the postnatal period A meta synthesis of qualitative studies published in PLOS ONE gives long overdue respect to the authority of women s own experiences The authors review first hand data from 15 countries and 36 studies published after the year 2000 relating to women s beliefs expectations and values at this significant time of life These studies affirm that a positive postnatal experience can result in joy self confidence and enhanced capacity to thrive as both a person and a parent They are also vocal about the potential challenges of adjusting to a new normal following childbirth including changes in self identity relationships and sexual behaviour What is a positive postnatal experience A positive postnatal experience for a woman will be one that responds to her specific context and preferences It will provide the confidence knowledge and skills women need in the weeks following childbirth supporting them to adjust to any changes in their intimate relationships and build new family ones Women will be better equipped to navigate physical and emotional challenges and to experience the dynamic achievement of personal growth This should be a shared responsibility not a solitary one Community has a critical role in enabling a positive postnatal experience including partners family and elders It is crucial that healthcare providers meet each woman s needs as well as those of their babies Supporting choices and rights to improve postnatal health outcomes There are an estimated 303 000 maternal deaths annually according to recent WHO figures Most of these deaths occur postnatally The postnatal period is therefore a vital opportunity to improve both maternal and neonatal health and wellbeing supporting healthy behaviors providing life skills education facilitating breastfeeding counselling women about family planning options supporting good mental health preventing and treating childbirth related complications Health care systems that empower individuals by supporting their values preferences and rights are fundamental to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes WHO s guidance for positive maternity care WHO has recently released recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience and on intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience These publications made important clinical updates including an increase from four to eight recommended antenatal contacts and a revision to the decision making process for interventions to accelerate labour They also uphold every woman s right to a positive maternity care experience one where her pregnancy does not erase her competency autonomy and right to participate in decision making for her own care and the care of her newborn Women s choices and rights to sexual and reproductive health care including maternity care should be respected at every stage of the continuum of maternal and newborn care This is true across all income settings as well as in humanitarian settings and during public health emergencies When WHO s postnatal guidelines are released next year they will complete the maternity care series built around what matters to women Rather than dividing care into three periods of antenatal intrapartum and postnatal these publications can be used to establish a model in which health systems support women their baby and wider network physically psychologically socially and emotionally through this significant life event Other resources WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience WHO recommendations intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience Improving early childhood development WHO guideline Parenting in the time of COVID 19 Q A on COVID 19 pregnancy childbirth and breastfeeding Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when COVID 19 is suspected Evidence on mistreatment of women during childbirth Related topic Breastfeeding', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/22-04-2020-what-matters-to-women-in-the-postnatal-period', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(352, 'Joint statement by WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus', 'COVID 19 has rapidly progressed to become a global pandemic causing unprecedented far reaching impact on the health social and economic well being of communities around the world The World Health Organization WHO and World Trade Organization WTO are committed to responding effectively to the situation working together with other international organizations and our respective memberships Global coordinated action is required to deal with the extraordinary challenges the pandemic poses to people s health as well as their livelihoods Protecting lives is our top priority and these efforts can be impeded by unnecessary disruptions to global trade and supply chains Governments trade policy decisions significantly influence both getting medical equipment and supplies to where they are urgently needed and catalyzing the supply of critical inputs for the production of medicines and health technologies to fight the pandemic Keeping trade in health technologies as open and predictable as possible is therefore of vital interest This will help countries to respond to this crisis to recover from it and to build the health systems that will foster greater resilience in the future WHO and WTO are working together to support efforts to ensure the normal cross border flow of vital medical supplies and other goods and services promoting them where possible and to resolve unnecessary disruptions to global supply chains in furtherance of the International Health Regulations 2005 and WTO rules The purpose of the International Health Regulations is to prevent protect against control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with public health risks with a view to minimizing interference with international traffic and trade WTO rules provide governments with the flexibilities they may need to address essential medical supply shortages and or public health challenges But any measure taken to promote public health that restricts trade should be targeted proportionate transparent and temporary consistent with recent calls from world leaders Governments need to avoid measures that can disrupt supply chains and negatively impact the poorest and most vulnerable notably in developing and least developed countries that are typically reliant on imports of medicines and medical equipment We call on our Members to continue to share information about their measures with WHO and WTO in line with the established transparency mechanisms which are now especially valuable in supporting a coordinated response To ensure that health technologies including diagnostics medicines vaccines and other medical supplies vital to treating patients infected by COVID 19 reach those in need quickly we emphasize the importance of streamlining conformity checks based on regulatory cooperation and international standards While we are heartened by the remarkable research efforts and the rapid mobilization of public and private resources to develop COVID 19 health technologies we call upon governments to implement policy measures that can further facilitate their research and development and to promote their rapid dissemination within countries and across borders so as to ensure equitable access to those technologies Such initiatives include targeted investment ensuring open access to clinical test results the sharing of relevant intellectual property rights increasing manufacturing capacity open and transparent procurement regimes the elimination of tariffs on relevant health technologies and trade facilitation measures to reduce costs and delays Global action solidarity and international cooperation are more necessary than ever to address this health situation WHO and the WTO are working together to play their part', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/20-04-2020-joint-statement-by-wto-director-general-roberto-azev%C3%AAdo-and-who-director-general-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(353, 'UN agencies issue urgent call to fund the global emergency supply system to fight COVID-19', 'The heads of the United Nations major agencies have issued a warning of the risk of COVID 19 to the world s most vulnerable countries International donors have pledged around a quarter of the US 2 billion the UN requested in the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID 19 in March', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/20-04-2020-un-agencies-issue-urgent-call-to-fund-the-global-emergency-supply-system-to-fight-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(354, 'ITU-WHO Joint Statement: Unleashing information technology to defeat COVID-19', 'The World Health Organization the International Telecommunication Union ITU with support from UNICEF are set to work with telecommunication companies to text people directly on their mobile phones with vital health messaging to help protect them from COVID 19 These text messages will reach billions of people that aren t able to connect to the internet for information Now more than ever technology must ensure that everyone can access the information they need The collaboration will start in the Asia Pacific region and then roll out globally The goal is to reach everyone with vital health messages whatever their connectivity level An estimated 3 6 billion people remain offline with most people who are unconnected living in low income countries where an average of just two out of every ten people are online ITU and WHO call on all telecommunication companies worldwide to join this initiative to help unleash the power of communication technology to save lives from COVID 19 This initiative builds on current efforts to disseminate health messages through the joint WHO ITU BeHealthy BeMobile initiative Coronavirus disease COVID 19 is the first pandemic in human history where technology and social media are being used on a massive scale to keep people safe productive and connected while being physically apart Health workers are utilizing telemedicine to diagnose patients and hospitals rely on being connected to coordinate and triage them Resilient and trustworthy telecommunication networks and services are essential as more countries companies and individuals turn to digital technologies to respond to and cope with the impact of COVID 19 Building on their longstanding collaboration ITU and WHO are committed to identifying and scaling best evidence based digital health solutions and to leveraging frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data to diagnose contain and predict outbreaks better and faster World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system Founded in 1948 WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 150 offices to promote health keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable Our goal for 2019 2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage to protect a billion more people from health emergencies and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing For updates on COVID 19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus visit www who int and follow WHO on Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Pinterest Snapchat YouTube International Telecommunication Union ITU A specialized United Nations agency for information and communication technologies ICTs driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies universities and international and regional organizations Established over 150 years ago in 1865 ITU is responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits improving communication infrastructure in the developing world and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems For more information visit www itu int', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/20-04-2020-itu-who-joint-statement-unleashing-information-technology-to-defeat-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(355, 'WHO guidance helps detect iron deficiency and protect brain development', 'Detecting iron deficiency early during pregnancy and in young children is crucial Iron deficiency in children under two years of age can have significant and irreversible effects on brain development This can lead to negative consequences on learning and school performance later in life Cognitive development of a child can also be affected if a mother is iron deficient during her last trimester of pregnancy New World Health Organization guidelines on the use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations will help health workers to detect iron deficiency early and avoid the most severe impacts WHO shows how to best measure ferritin an indicator of iron stores to help determine iron deficiency or overload Ferritin is a protein which can be found in small amounts circulating in a person s blood Ferritin levels are low in iron deficient individuals and high in iron loaded individuals Accurate measurements of this protein along with clinical and laboratory evaluation can guide the appropriate interventions in both individual patients and at a population level Reducing anemia is one of the components of our efforts to eradicate all forms of malnutrition However progress has been limited and we still have 614 million women and 280 million children globally who suffer from it said Dr Francesco Branca Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO Iron deficiency is a major determinant of anemia and measuring ferritin a key biomarker of iron metabolism will help us better target and evaluate our action to fight anemia Iron is an essential element with important functions such as oxygen transport DNA synthesis and muscle metabolism Iron deficiency is the main cause of anaemia which is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency worldwide affecting 33 of non pregnant women 40 of pregnant women and 42 of children worldwide In adults iron deficiency can also have negative effects including fatigue impaired physical performance and decreased work productivity as well as impacting social activities Iron deficiency occurs mainly when the requirements of iron increase during rapid periods of growth and development such as in early childhood adolescence and pregnancy but it can occur at other stages in life In pregnant women iron deficiency can cause anaemia reduced birth weight and reduced gestation periods The new guidelines also cover the early detection of iron overload Iron overload accumulation of iron in the body is generally the result of disorders such as hereditary haemochromatosis thalassaemia repeated blood transfusions or other conditions that affect iron absorption or regulation and can also lead to deterioration of a person s health if left untreated Improved knowledge about the prevalence and distribution of iron deficiency and risk of iron overload in the population helps countries to decide on appropriate interventions and to monitor and evaluate the impact and safety of public health programmes For example nutritional iron deficiency can be commonly found in populations that also have infectious diseases The adequate evaluation of iron status in countries with infectious disorders can help countries to put in place adequate health policies The WHO guidelines aim to help WHO Member States and their partners to make evidence informed decisions on appropriate actions in their efforts to lower iron deficiency and improve the health and quality of life of individuals and populations For interviews with WHO technical experts please contact Pippa HAUGHTON haughtonp who int 41794466331 To access a copy of the full guidelines please visit', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/20-04-2020-who-guidance-helps-detect-iron-deficiency-and-protect-brain-development', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(356, 'WHO advisory body releases malaria eradication report', 'After a 3 year study of trends and future projections the WHO Strategic Advisory Group on Malaria Eradication SAGme has released a detailed report of its findings and recommendations', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/20-04-2020-who-advisory-body-releases-malaria-eradication-report', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(357, 'Eradicating dracunculiasis: Ethiopia investigates six suspected human cases in Gambella region', 'In 2019 Ethiopia and Mali reported zero human cases of dracunculiasis guinea worm disease although the total number of human cases reported to the World Health Organization WHO last year peaked at 54 cases While surveillance activities have been stepped up in countries reporting cases hundreds more field workers and volunteers are being trained and cross border vigilance are being carried out to prevent transmission', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/17-04-2020-eradicating-dracunculiasis-ethiopia-investigates-six-suspected-human-cases-in-gambella-region', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(358, 'WHO Timeline - COVID-19', 'Last updated 27 April 31 Dec 2019Wuhan Municipal Health Commission China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan Hubei Province A novel coronavirus was eventually identified 1 January 2020WHO had set up the IMST Incident Management Support Team across the three levels of the organization headquarters regional headquarters and country level putting the organization on an emergency footing for dealing with the outbreak 4 January 2020WHO reported on social media that there was a cluster of pneumonia cases with no deaths in Wuhan Hubei province 5 January 2020WHO published our first Disease Outbreak News on the new virus This is a flagship technical publication to the scientific and public health community as well as global media It contained a risk assessment and advice and reported on what China had told the organization about the status of patients and the public health response on the cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan 10 January 2020WHO issued a comprehensive package of technical guidance online with advice to all countries on how to detect test and manage potential cases based on what was known about the virus at the time This guidance was shared with WHO s regional emergency directors to share with WHO representatives in countries Based on experience with SARS and MERS and known modes of transmission of respiratory viruses infection and prevention control guidance were published to protect health workers recommending droplet and contact precautions when caring for patients and airborne precautions for aerosol generating procedures conducted by health workers 12 January 2020China publicly shared the genetic sequence of COVID 19 13 January 2020 Officials confirm a case of COVID 19 in Thailand the first recorded case outside of China 14 January 2020 WHO s technical lead for the response noted in a press briefing there may have been limited human to human transmission of the coronavirus in the 41 confirmed cases mainly through family members and that there was a risk of a possible wider outbreak The lead also said that human to human transmission would not be surprising given our experience with SARS MERS and other respiratory pathogens 20 21 January 2020WHO experts from its China and Western Pacific regional offices conducted a brief field visit to Wuhan 22 January 2020WHO mission to China issued a statement saying that there was evidence of human to human transmission in Wuhan but more investigation was needed to understand the full extent of transmission 22 23 January 2020The WHO Director General convened an Emergency Committee EC under the International Health Regulations IHR 2005 to assess whether the outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern The independent members from around the world could not reach a consensus based on the evidence available at the time They asked to be reconvened within 10 days after receiving more information 28 January 2020A senior WHO delegation led by the Director General travelled to Beijing to meet China s leadership learn more about China s response and to offer any technical assistance While in Beijing Dr Tedros agreed with Chinese government leaders that an international team of leading scientists would travel to China on a mission to better understand the context the overall response and exchange information and experience 30 January 2020 The WHO Director General reconvened the Emergency Committee EC This was earlier than the 10 day period and only two days after the first reports of limited human to human transmission were reported outside China This time the EC reached consensus and advised the Director General that the outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern PHEIC The Director General accepted the recommendation and declared the novel coronavirus outbreak 2019 nCoV a PHEIC This is the 6th time WHO has declared a PHEIC since the International Health Regulations IHR came into force in 2005 WHO s situation report for 30 January reported 7818 total confirmed cases worldwide with the majority of these in China and 82 cases reported in 18 countries outside China WHO gave a risk assessment of very high for China and high at the global level 3 February 2020 WHO releases the international community s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to help protect states with weaker health systems 11 12 February 2020 WHO convened a Research and Innovation Forum on COVID 19 attended by more than 400 experts and funders from around the world which included presentations by George Gao Director General of China CDC and Zunyou Wu China CDC s chief epidemiologist 16 24 February 2020The WHO China Joint mission which included experts from Canada Germany Japan Nigeria Republic of Korea Russia Singapore and the US CDC NIH spent time in Beijing and also travelled to Wuhan and two other cities They spoke with health officials scientists and health workers in health facilities maintaining physical distancing The report of the joint mission can be found here https www who int docs default source coronaviruse who china joint mission on covid 19 final report pdf 11 March 2020 Deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction WHO made the assessment that COVID 19 can be characterized as a pandemic 13 March 2020 COVID 19 Solidarity Response Fund launched to receive donations from private individuals corporations and institutions 18 March 2020 WHO and partners launch the Solidarity Trial an international clinical trial that aims to generate robust data from around the world to find the most effective treatments for COVID 19', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(359, 'Measles – Burundi', 'Burundi has been experiencing an increase in the number of confirmed cases of measles since November 2019 This outbreak initially started in a refugee transit camp Centre de transit de Cishemere Cibitoke Health district whose inhabitants had arrived from measles affected provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo Refugees spend 21 days in the Transit Camp of Cishemere before they are sent to permanent camps in Nyankanda and Bwagiriza refugee camps in Butezi Kavumu camp of Cankuzo Garsowe camp of Muyinga and Mulumba camp at Kiremba The outbreak was identified when suspected measles cases had been reported by the local residents in the surrounding areas highlighting pockets of under vaccinated populations According to WHO UNICEF 2018 estimates measles first dose vaccination coverage is relatively high 88 and slightly lower for the second dose 77 However this does not reflect the vaccination coverage of incoming refugees', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/06-may-2020-measles-burundi/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(360, 'Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia', 'From 1 through 31 March 2020 the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported 15 additional cases of MERS CoV infection including five associated deaths The cases were reported from Riyadh 7 cases Makkah 4 cases Najran 3 cases and Al Qassim 1 case regions The link below provides details of the 15 reported cases', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/05-may-2020-mers-saudi-arabia/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(361, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 22 to 28 April 2020 one new confirmed case of Ebola virus disease EVD was reported from Beni Health Zone in North Kivu Province Democratic Republic of the Congo Figure 1 This person was listed as a contact of a confirmed case a family member who was reported on 17 April The person was vaccinated on 20 April and was followed by the contact tracing team though not on a regular basis due to insecurity Since the resurgence of the outbreak on 10 April 2020 seven confirmed cases have been reported all from Beni Health Zone Of these one is receiving care at the Beni Ebola treatment centre ETC one who was receiving care at the ETC recovered and was discharged and one remains in the community Response teams are engaging with the community in order to try to bring that person to the ETC for access to treatment and supportive care and to prevent further transmission in the community Four of the people confirmed to have Ebola died including two community deaths and two deaths in the ETC in Beni', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/30-April-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(362, 'Measles – Mexico', 'Mexico is experiencing a measles outbreak Between 1 January and 2 April 2020 1 364 probable1cases of measles were reported of which 124 were laboratory confirmed 991 were discarded and 328 remain under investigation The age of the confirmed measles cases ranged from three months to 68 years median 20 years and 59 were male Analysis conducted by the National Reference Laboratory InDRE identified the genotype D8 similar to other countries in the Region linage MVs GirSomnath IND 42 16 for 17 of the confirmed cases Of the 124 confirmed cases 105 were in Mexico City 18 in Mexico State and one in Campeche State the following is a summary of the epidemiological situation in each', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/24-April-2020-measles-mexico/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(363, 'Dengue fever – Mayotte, France', 'Through event based surveillance performed throughout 2019 WHO became aware of a dengue outbreak in Mayotte France since July 2019', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/23-april-2020-dengue-mayotte-france/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(364, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 15 to 21 April 2020 three new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease EVD were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo all from Beni Health Zone in North Kivu Province Figure 1', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/23-April-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(365, 'Yellow fever – Ethiopia', 'On 3 March 2020 the Ethiopian Public Health Institute EPHI reported three suspected yellow fever cases in Enor Ener Woreda Gurage zone SNNPR The three reported cases were members of the same household father mother and son located in a rural kebele Two of three samples tested positive at national level by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction RT PCR and were subsequently confirmed positive by plaque reduction neutralization testing PRNT at the regional reference laboratory Uganda Viral Research Institute UVRI on 28 March 2020 In response to the positive RT PCR results the EPHI and Ministry of Health performed an in depth investigation and response supported by partners including WHO', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/22-april-2020-yellow-fever-ethiopia/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(366, 'Yellow fever – Republic of South Sudan', 'On 3 March 2020 a WHO supported cross border rapid response investigation identified two presumptive positive cases of yellow fever in Kajo Keji county Central Equatoria State South Sudan The initial Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR testing conducted at the National Public Health Laboratory in Juba South Sudan tuned out negative However following further testing both the cases were confirmed positive for yellow fever by plaque reduction neutralization testing PRNT at the regional reference laboratory Uganda Viral Research Institute UVRI on 28 March The investigation was mounted in response to the recently declared outbreak in bordering Moyo district Uganda During the investigation the team collected 41 blood samples from five villages which were in close proximity to the bordering Moyo district Uganda Of the 41 individuals whose samples were collected nine 22 had history of fever but none had history of jaundice The individuals represented a spectrum of occupations typical for the area farming forestry homemaker soldier Most of the individuals investigated were between 20 45 years of age and 18 44 of these individuals were female', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/18-april-2020-yellow-fever-south-sudan/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(367, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 10 to 14 April 2020 three new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease EVD were reported in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Figure 1', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/16-April-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(368, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'No new cases have been reported in the ongoing Ebola virus disease EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 17 February 2020 Figure 1', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/09-April-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(369, 'Cow&amp;#x2019;s milk allergy guidelines are not evidence based and are beset by conflicts of interest, researchers warn', 'Guidelines that advise doctors to manage common infant symptoms as cow s milk allergy are not evidence based and might be promoting overdiagnosis a study has found Researchers from Imperial College', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/F5mDKUMcl24/bmj.m1854.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(370, 'Covid-19: Woman with terminal cancer should be released from care home to die with family, says judge', 'A High Court judge has ruled that an elderly woman with terminal cancer should be released immediately from a care home to die surrounded by her family 1The Court of Protection judgment comes at a', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/EZonIYKJvu8/bmj.m1853.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(371, 'Covid-19: UK death toll overtakes Italy&amp;#x2019;s to become worst in Europe', 'The UK s death toll from covid 19 has exceeded 32 000 making it the worst affected country in Europe latest figures show 1Provisional data from England and Wales reported 29 710 deaths related to', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/CVP6gX87IjY/bmj.m1850.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(372, 'Confusion over CPR in patients with covid-19', 'The news on cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR in covid 191 is the latest example of the state of confusion denial and unpreparedness in which national health authorities and politicians are', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/Dss41gg7_GM/bmj.m1805.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(373, 'Covid-19: the challenge of patient rehabilitation after intensive care', 'Covid 19 has shone a bright light on the impressive work of NHS intensive care units ICUs around the UK Now as the first patients who have had the new virus and spent days ventilated in ICUs are', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/Rob0WVlY7E8/bmj.m1787.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(374, 'Self-protection: how NHS doctors are sourcing their own PPE', 'Back in early March before the covid 19 pandemic had taken hold in the UK and before PPE personal protective equipment had become a household term Sadaf Farooqi and Toni Vidal Puig were already', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/bjk63bv-22c/bmj.m1834.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 17:21:02', NULL),
(375, 'Health and nutrition claims for infant formula are poorly substantiated and potentially harmful', 'Despite improvements in infant formula over its 150 year history it is still associated with health risks for mother and infant compared with breastfeeding Manufacturers try to limit these risks', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/Jvl31Dz8Czo/bmj.m875.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-06 22:49:25', NULL),
(376, '\"2019-ncov\" OR nCov OR (coronavirus AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR \"novel coronavirus\" OR (pneumonia AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR COVID-19[TW] OR 2019ncov[TW] AND ( ( \"2019/12/01\"[PDat] : \"3000/12/31\"[PDat] ) ); +347 new citations', '347 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results 2019 ncov OR nCov OR coronavirus AND wuhan TIAB OR novel coronavirus OR pneumonia AND wuhan TIAB OR COVID 19 TW OR 2019ncov TW AND 2019 12 01 PDat 3000 12 31 PDat These pubmed results were generated on 2020 05 09 PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE life science journals and online books Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites', 'https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&amp;db=pubmed&amp;term=%28%20%28%222019-ncov%22%20OR%20nCov%20OR%20%28coronavirus%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20%22novel%20coronavirus%22%20OR%20%28pneumonia%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20COVID-19%5BTW%5D%20OR%202019ncov%5BTW%5D%20AND%20%28%20%28%20%222019%2F12%2F01%22%5BPDat%5D%20%3A%20%223000%2F12%2F31%22%5BPDat%5D%20%29%20%29%29%20AND%20%222020%2F05%2F08%2007.03%22%5BMHDA%5D%3A%222020%2F05%2F09%2020.02%22%5BMHDA%5D%29', 21, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(377, 'Commemorating Smallpox Eradication – a legacy of hope, for COVID-19 and other diseases', 'On 8 May 1980 the 33rd World Health Assembly officially declared The world and all its peoples have won freedom from smallpox The declaration marked the end of a disease that had plagued humanity for at least 3 000 years killing 300 million people in the 20th century alone It was ended thanks to a 10 year global effort spearheaded by the World Health Organization that involved thousands of health workers around the world to administer half a billion vaccinations to stamp out smallpox The US 300m price tag to eradicate smallpox saves the world well over US 1 billion every year since 1980 Speaking at a virtual event hosted at WHO HQ involving key players in the eradication effort WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said As the world confronts the COVID 19 pandemic humanity s victory over smallpox is a reminder of what is possible when nations come together to fight a common health threat The world got rid of smallpox thanks to an incredible demonstration of global solidarity and because it had a safe and effective vaccine Solidarity plus science equalled solution Dr Tedros highlighted that smallpox eradication also offers hope for efforts to eliminate other infectious diseases including polio which is now endemic in just two countries To date 187 countries territories and areas have been certified free of Guinea worm disease with seven more to go And the fight against malaria has so far resulted in 38 countries and territories certified as malaria free In the case of Tuberculosis TB 57 countries and territories with low TB incidence are on track to reach TB elimination At the event Dr Tedros unveiled a commemorative postal stamp to recognize the global solidarity that drove the initiative and honour the efforts of health workers who ensured its success The stamp developed by the United Nations Postal Administration UNPA in collaboration with WHO signifies what national unity and global solidary can achieve Numerous countries such as Guinea India Nigeria Philippines Togo and others issued smallpox stamps to show support for and raise awareness about WHO s Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme launched in 1967 WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti s earliest memories of smallpox is of her father I was visiting WHO headquarters and I saw a photo of my Dad standing with the other experts on the Global Commission I remember him going out doing follow up visits with patients He often would go with a driver and disappear into the bush for days I felt in awe of his tireless work The strategies used to eradicate smallpox still apply today Lessons learned from smallpox are used today to respond to disease outbreaks For example house to house active case finding underpins the polio eradication programme and ring vaccination of contacts is helping to combat the spread of the Ebola virus disease Similarly surveillance case finding testing contact tracing quarantine and communication campaigns to dispel misinformation are central to controlling COVID 19 explained David Heymann Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at The London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine LSHTM and Distinguished Fellow Global Health Security at Chatham House London Following smallpox eradication WHO and UNICEF launched the Expanded Programme on Immunization under which 85 of the world s children are vaccinated and protected from debilitating diseases With the potential of a COVID 19 vaccine ahead ensuring sufficient supplies and reaching people in hard to reach places is a high priority Addressing vaccine hesitancy poses a significant challenge to stop the virus Access to accurate public health information and education is critical to ensure that the public has the facts to keep themselves and others safe To permanently commemorate the eradication of smallpox and the lessons learned on a global scale rather than every 10 years WHO is calling museums exhibition companies designers curators and associations to develop an immersive interactive and educational exhibition on smallpox and its relevance for COVID 19 and global health security The exhibition which will be unveiled later this year will promote a better understanding of public health and empower people to keep informed and safe during a pandemic Notes to the media Smallpox stamp The smallpox stamp is in the denomination of CHF 1 70 It was designed by Sergio Baradat United Nations in collaboration with the World Health Organization and is available for purchase at unstamps org The stamp can be used to mail postcards and letters around the world provided that they are sent from the UN headquarters in New York Geneva or Vienna respectively Smallpox Eradication dates On 9 December 1979 a global commission certified that smallpox had been eradicated and this certification was officially accepted by the 33rd World Health Assembly in 1980 Museum Exhibition Exhibition design companies museums curators and other companies organizations in this field are invited to express their interest to develop an immersive educational exhibition on smallpox and its relevance for COVID 19 and global health security by writing to privatesectorpartners who int', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-05-2020-commemorating-smallpox-eradication-a-legacy-of-hope-for-covid-19-and-other-diseases', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL);
INSERT INTO `rss_articles` (`id`, `title`, `body`, `href`, `rss_id`, `status`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(378, 'Medical Product Alert N°5/2020 - 7 May 2020', 'Falsified and contaminated Defibrotide identified in WHO regions of Western Pacific Europe and Eastern Mediterranean This alert relates to falsified DEFIBROTIDE 200MG VIALS OF 2 5ML 80MG ML CONCENTRATE FOR SOLUTION FOR INFUSION identified in Australia Latvia and Saudi Arabia This product is sold under the brand name Defitelio On 13 March 2020 the WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System on Substandard and Falsified SF Medical Products was informed that falsified DEFIBROTIDE 200MG vials were identified at patient level in Australia displaying batch number 0286 see Table 1 below for full details Following enquiries with stakeholders on 8 April 2020 WHO was informed that falsified DEFIBROTIDE 200MG vials had also been supplied to Saudi Arabia displaying batch number 0286 and 0126 see Table 1 below for full details Following enquiries with stakeholders on 9 April 2020 WHO was informed that falsified DEFIBROTIDE 200MG vials displaying batch number 0126 had also been identified in Australia and Latvia DEFIBROTIDE is used to treat hepatic veno occlusive disease in which the blood vessels in the liver become damaged and obstructed by blood clots This can be caused by treatments prior to a stem cell transplantation Laboratory analyses conducted by national medicines regulatory authorities and the manufacturer of the genuine product established that these falsified products do not contain any of the expected active ingredient The solution in the vials is also contaminated with mould Cladosporium sp and Aspergillus niger Information available to WHO indicates that both batches of falsified DEFIBROTIDE 200MG vials were present within the regulated supply chain in Latvia as early as January 2020 and were also handled by medicine wholesalers in the United Kingdom in February 2020 It is important to note that widespread vigilance is required from all countries regardless of where the product was originally identified Table 1 falsified defibrotide subject of WHO Alert n 5 2020 identified in Australia Latvia and Saudi Arabia The two products listed in Table 1 are confirmed falsified on the basis that there is deliberate misrepresentation of their identity composition and source The genuine manufacturer of Defibrotide GENTIUM S R L has also confirmed to WHO that They did not manufacture the above products Authentic DEFIBROTIDE 200MG VIALS with batch number 0286 were supplied to Argentina Hong Kong Malaysia Singapore and Turkey Authentic DEFIBROTIDE 200MG VIALS with batch number 0126 were supplied to Australia Jordan Kuwait Lebanon New Zealand Qatar Singapore Turkey and the United Arab Emirates For guidance and photographs please refer to page 2 of this Alert n 5 2020 Photos of Falsified DEFIBROTIDE Batch number 0286 with expiry date 09 2021 Sample from Latvia Sample from LatviaPhotos of Falsified DEFIBROTIDE Batch number 0126 with expiry date 08 2021 Sample from Australia Sample from AustraliaWHO requests increased vigilance within the supply chains of countries likely to be affected by these falsified products Increased vigilance should include hospitals clinics health centres wholesalers distributors pharmacies and any other suppliers of medical products If you are in possession of the above products please do not use them If you have used these falsified products or if you suffer an adverse reaction event having used these products you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and to report the incident to the National Regulatory Authorities National Pharmacovigilance Centre All medical products must be obtained from licensed authorized and reliable sources Their authenticity and condition should be carefully checked Seek advice from a healthcare professional in case of doubt National regulatory health authorities are advised to immediately notify WHO if these falsified products are identified in their country ies If you have any information concerning the manufacture distribution or supply of these products please contact rapidalert who int WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System for Substandard and Falsified Medical Products For further information please visit our website https www who int medicines regulation ssffc en', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-05-2020-medical-product-alert-n-5-2020', 22, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(379, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 29 April to 5 May 2020 no new cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported from North Kivu Province Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/07-May-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(380, 'Covid-19: Health needs of sex workers are being sidelined, warn agencies', 'Agencies have criticised the lack of action to protect the health needs of sex workers during the pandemic with the English Collective of Prostitutes ECP warning of a ticking time bomb of health', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/gGKrRMMoIpw/bmj.m1867.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(381, 'The soaring joy of a family reunion', 'bmj 369 may07 9 m1832 FAF1faYara ReutersThe meeting in Rome of Domenico di Massa with his granddaughter Cecilia for the first time in two months was echoed across Italy as families emerged onto the', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/Os2y4bmAuMI/bmj.m1832.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(382, 'Covid-19: Number of Germans infected could be 10 times higher than official estimates', 'The number of people in Germany infected with covid 19 could be 10 times higher than official government estimates according to a new study by University of Bonn researchers 1The Heinsberg study is', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/bY337IJ7M1k/bmj.m1862.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(383, 'Covid-19: Trump says added deaths are necessary price for reopening US businesses', 'A rise in mortality is a price worth paying to restart the US economy President Trump has said as many states flout advice from scientists and reopen beaches cinemas or hair salons while new', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/1RFQpQce25w/bmj.m1861.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(384, 'Adil El-Tayar: renowned NHS transplant surgeon who died from covid-19', 'bmj 369 may07 6 m1803 FAF1faPhoto credit Abbas GhazanfarOn 25 March Adil El Tayar a renowned organ transplantation specialist became the first working NHS surgeon to die from covid 19 in hospital', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/oYYox1ir0jA/bmj.m1803.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(385, 'Covid-19: Nightingale hospitals set to shut down after seeing few patients', 'The mothballing of Britain s Nightingale hospitals some of which have yet to treat a single covid 19 patient has raised questions about whether resources to fight the pandemic were', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/quEqMx2SSIo/bmj.m1860.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-05-10 00:45:09', NULL),
(386, '\"2019-ncov\" OR nCov OR (coronavirus AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR \"novel coronavirus\" OR (pneumonia AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR COVID-19[TW] OR 2019ncov[TW] AND ( ( \"2019/12/01\"[PDat] : \"3000/12/31\"[PDat] ) ); +48195 new citations', '48195 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results 2019 ncov OR nCov OR coronavirus AND wuhan TIAB OR novel coronavirus OR pneumonia AND wuhan TIAB OR COVID 19 TW OR 2019ncov TW AND 2019 12 01 PDat 3000 12 31 PDat These pubmed results were generated on 2020 10 12 PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE life science journals and online books Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites', 'https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&amp;db=pubmed&amp;term=%28%20%28%222019-ncov%22%20OR%20nCov%20OR%20%28coronavirus%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20%22novel%20coronavirus%22%20OR%20%28pneumonia%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20COVID-19%5BTW%5D%20OR%202019ncov%5BTW%5D%20AND%20%28%20%28%20%222019%2F12%2F01%22%5BPDat%5D%20%3A%20%223000%2F12%2F31%22%5BPDat%5D%20%29%20%29%29%20AND%20%222020%2F06%2F07%2007.07%22%5BMHDA%5D%3A%222020%2F10%2F12%2008.43%22%5BMHDA%5D%29', 21, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(387, 'One Year Commemoration of the High-Level Meeting on UHC: Measuring Progress, Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of COVID-19', 'Dr Tedros WHO Director General joined the Foreign Ministers of Japan Thailand and Georgia to host a Ministerial Meeting on Universal Health Coverage UHC to commemorate the one year anniversary of the High level Meeting on UHC and promote the release of the UN Secretary General s Policy Brief on COVID 19 and UHC Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Health from around the world reflected on the commitments made in the Political Declaration on UHC taking stock of national and global efforts to deliver UHC in the context of COVID 19 and the challenges and opportunities for building back better for a more equitable and sustainable world The Foreign Minister of Japan announced US 130 million to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitments of which the United Kingdom matched 32 5 million The event also included a thematic panel with global health leaders who explored new and innovative partnerships to accelerate and scale up the development production and equitable access to COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines as well as needed health system transformation to better protect health and human security Click here to watch the event Moderated by Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation the event included the participation of H E Mr MOTEGI Toshimitsu Foreign Minister of Japan H E Mr Don Pramudwinai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand H E Mr David Zalkaliani Foreign Minister of Georgia H E Ms Raychelle Omamo SC EGH Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Kenya H E Mr Amadou Ba Minister of Foreign Affairs Senegal H E Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu Minister of Health Ghana H E Dr Daniel Salinas Minister of Health Uruguay H E Dr Harsh Vardhan Minister of Health India H E Mr Jean Baptiste Lemoyne Minister of State for Tourism French Nationals Abroad Francophonie France H E Ms Wendy Morton MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office United Kingdom Ms Marjeta Jager Deputy Director General for International Cooperation and Development European Commission H E Mr ISHIKANE Kimihiro Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations H E Mr Antonio Guterres Secretary General of the United Nations Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of the World Health Organization Ms Henrietta Fore Executive Director of UNICEF Dr Seth Berkley CEO of Gavi Dr Richard Hatchett CEO of CEPI Ms Sylvana Q Sinha CEO and Founder of Praava Health Member of the UHC2030 Private Sector Constituency Dr Khuat Thi Hai Oanh Executive Director Center for Support Community Development Initiatives SCDI Advisory Group Member of the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-10-2020-one-year-commemoration-of-the-high-level-meeting-on-uhc-measuring-progress-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-context-of-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(388, 'Denmark boosts commitment to WHO', 'On 5 October 2020 WHO and Denmark signed a multiyear agreement in which Denmark increased its flexible support to WHO As part of the agreement Denmark s funding to WHO will exceed 140 million Danish kroner over US 20 million of flexible and thematic contributions for the 2020 2023 period Denmark s voluntary flexible contributions rise to 25 million Danish kroner over US 3 9 million per year A further 10 million Danish kroner over US 1 5 million of thematic funds will be provided to WHO broadly earmarked towards the battle of non communicable diseases The Danish government commits to doubling Denmark s voluntary core contribution to WHO from 2021 subject to parliamentary approval to take global responsibility in strengthening health for the most vulnerable RasmusPrehn healthforall https t co S5F0Z4CgSL Morten Jespersen DKAmb UNGva September 2 2020 The Danish Government announced in September their commitment to double Denmark s voluntary core contribution to WHO from 2021 Core voluntary funds are a key source of support that allows WHO to be agile strategic and work where and on what is needed most Denmark has long been an essential partner of WHO and a strong champion of health and human rights around the world Thanks to their continued support we look forward to stepping up our work to improve health all over the world fight non communicable diseases and continue our work on COVID 19 said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus According to its WHO agenda for 2020 2023 Denmark places a strong emphasis on gender equality and the rights of women and girls and includes sexual and reproductive health and rights as vital to improving health for all at all ages Noncommunicable diseases NCDs including heart disease stroke cancer diabetes and chronic lung disease are collectively responsible for almost 70 of all deaths worldwide WHO provides leadership and the evidence base for international action on surveillance prevention and control of NCDs Denmark s donation will help WHO strengthen its work on NCDs In addition to non communicable diseases Denmark is committed to strengthening WHO s response to emergencies as well as universal health coverage and fighting antimicrobial resistance Find out more about Denmark s contributions to WHO Find out more about Denmark s participation and support of WHO', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/09-10-2020-denmark-boosts-commitment-to-who', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(389, 'Launch of Ethics &amp; Vector-borne Diseases: WHO Guidance', 'On Wednesday 14 October WHO will launch new guidance Ethics vector borne diseases The guidance document is a culmination of more than three years of work and will be a valuable new tool to support global efforts to prevent and control vector borne diseases VBDs VBDs are a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality and have a disproportionate impact on the world s poorest populations However despite the growing burden and threat of VBDs to individuals families and societies the significant ethical issues raised by VBDs have received only limited attention Recognizing this gap WHO developed this guidance to help programs and staff working in VBD prevention and control identify and respond to the core ethical issues at stake The guidance was developed by an international group of experts in vector control infectious disease ethics maternal and child health ecology and climate change research and vaccine development and public health communication It examines a broad range of ethical considerations related to VBD prevention and control including the social and environmental determinants of health vector control methods including emerging technologies screening surveillance and research vaccine campaigns and mass drug administration Grounded in a multidisciplinary framework the guidance emphasizes the critical role of community engagement in designing and implementing an appropriate sustainable public health response In addition to the ethics guidance document WHO will also release its position statement Evaluation of genetically modified mosquitoes for the control of vector borne diseases The event will be hosted by WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan and feature the following speakers University of Oxford UK and Monash University Australia Raman Velayudhan Coordinator WHO Veterinary Public Health Vector Control and Environment Unit Francine Ntoumi Fondation Congolaise pour la recherche M dicale Facult des Sciences et Techniques Universit Marien Ngouabi Republic of the Congo John Reeder WHO Research for Health Department Launch details Wednesday October 14 2020 12 00 PM 1 00 PM UTC 01 00 Register here', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-10-2020-launch-of-ethics-vector-borne-diseases-who-guidance', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(390, 'One stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds, according to first ever joint UN estimates', 'Almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year or 1 every 16 seconds according to the first ever joint stillbirth estimates released by UNICEF WHO the World Bank Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-10-2020-one-stillbirth-occurs-every-16-seconds-according-to-first-ever-joint-un-estimates', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(391, 'Global challenge for movement on mental health kicks off as lack of investment in mental health leaves millions without access to services', 'A global social media challenge to get the world moving on mental health is launched today with a call for a massive scale up in investment in mental health Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October the World Health Organization in collaboration with United for Global Mental Health and the World Federation for Mental Health are encouraging people from all countries to support a global movement calling for greater investment in mental health The MoveforMentalHealth challenge is asking people around the world to post videos showing what they do in support of their mental well being whether it be dancing walking doing yoga cooking painting or something else entirely on their favourite social media platforms using the hashtag MoveForMentalHealth Social media platforms such as Tik Tok Facebook and Instagram are supporting the MoveforMentalHealth challenge and helping kickstart broader conversations about mental health and the importance of investment Messenger apps are providing support too On World Mental Health Day WHO will launch a digital stress management guide on the Whatsapp chat platform Based on the stress management guide Doing what matters in times of stress the digital guide includes short easy to follow guided exercises to help reduce stress In addition Messenger will be launching a new sticker pack designed with the support of WHO to facilitate conversations around mental health As we continue to live through a global pandemic we need movement on mental health perhaps more than we have ever needed it before said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of WHO We need to move for our own mental health the mental health of our families friends and colleagues and more importantly so that there is a massive increase in investment for mental health services at national and international levels The magnitude of the mental health burden faced around the world is not being matched by the investment it requires The extraordinary increase in mental health needs with the added challenges of COVID 19 is taking its toll on already overburdened and under resourced mental health services Countries spend on average only 2 of their health budgets on mental health Despite some increases in recent years international development assistance for mental health has never exceeded 1 of all development assistance for health Our world wasn t set up to respond to the growing mental health needs before COVID 19 and it certainly isn t now That s why now more than ever we need the world to move for mental health and as individuals communities businesses governments and funders we must prioritise action on and investment in mental health said Elisha London CEO and Founder of United for Global Mental Health Close to one billion people globally have a mental disorder and those with severe mental disorders tend to die 10 20 years earlier than the general population Suicide is claiming the lives of close to 800 000 people every year 1 person every 40 seconds and is the second leading cause of death for young people aged 15 29 years Relatively few people around the world have access to quality mental health services especially in low and middle income countries where more than 75 of people with mental neurological and substance use disorders receive no treatment for their condition at all Mental health is affected by many factors and circumstances It touches on everything poverty equality and development which is why we need to ensure greater investment and greater access to mental health for all said Dr Ingrid Daniels President of the World Federation for Mental Health Other events taking place around this year s World Mental Health Day include Big Event for Mental Health On World Mental Health Day Saturday 10 October WHO is inviting the global community to take part in The Big Event for Mental Health an unprecedented online advocacy event that will call for increased investment in mental health at all levels The Big Event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on 10 October from 16 00 to 19 00 CEST on WHO s YouTube Facebook Twitter TikTok and LinkedIn channels and website For updated information about the Big Event including the latest line up of performances and participants visit the Big Event web page To learn more about World Mental Health Day visit WHO s campaign page World s first virtual March for Mental Health The world s first virtual March for Mental Health will live stream 9 10 October and over the course of 24 hours mental health experts campaigners advocates and people with lived experience from more than 17 countries will be sharing their stories as part of a global momentum to drive change and investment in mental health globally For more information and to sign up and join the March visit www marchformentalhealth com The Grand Celebration The Global Mental Health Fest 20 organized by the World Federation for Mental Health will bring together people from different communities age groups organizations and institutions from across the world The stage will be open for various perspectives to blend and consolidate promoting the essence of unity and solidarity as we work together to establish mental well being as our universal right More information from www wmhd2020 com Note To access the stress management guide on Whatsapp click here The World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system Founded in 1948 WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 150 offices to promote health keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable WHO s goals for 2019 2023 are to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage to protect a billion more people from health emergencies and to provide a further billion people with better health and well being WHO United for Global Mental Health United for Global Mental Health brings together the global mental health community with governments funders and campaigners to help make sure everyone everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health The not for profit organization was launched at the UN in September 2018 www unitedgmh org UnitedGMH The World Federation for Mental Health The World Federation for Mental Health is an international membership organization founded in 1948 to advance among all peoples and nations the prevention of mental and emotional disorders the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders and the promotion of mental health The Federation was the initiator of World Mental Health Day https wfmh global WMHDay', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-10-2020-global-challenge-for-movement-on-mental-health-kicks-off-as-lack-of-investment-in-mental-health-leaves-millions-without-access-to-services', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(392, 'COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey', 'The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing according to a new WHO survey The survey of 130 countries provides the first global data showing the devastating impact of COVID 19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for increased funding The survey was published ahead of WHO s Big Event for Mental Health a global online advocacy event on 10 October that will bring together world leaders celebrities and advocates to call for increased mental health investments in the wake of COVID 19 WHO has previously highlighted the chronic underfunding of mental health prior to the pandemic countries were spending less than 2 per cent of their national health budgets on mental health and struggling to meet their populations needs And the pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services Bereavement isolation loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones Many people may be facing increased levels of alcohol and drug use insomnia and anxiety Meanwhile COVID 19 itself can lead to neurological and mental complications such as delirium agitation and stroke People with pre existing mental neurological or substance use disorders are also more vulnerable to SARS CoV 2 infection they may stand a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well being said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of the World Health Organization COVID 19 has interrupted essential mental health services around the world just when they re needed most World leaders must move fast and decisively to invest more in life saving mental health programmes during the pandemic and beyond Survey finds major disruptions to critical mental health services The survey was conducted from June to August 2020 among 130 countries across WHO s six regions It evaluates how the provision of mental neurological and substance use services has changed due to COVID 19 the types of services that have been disrupted and how countries are adapting to overcome these challenges Countries reported widespread disruption of many kinds of critical mental health services Over 60 reported disruptions to mental health services for vulnerable people including children and adolescents 72 older adults 70 and women requiring antenatal or postnatal services 61 67 saw disruptions to counseling and psychotherapy 65 to critical harm reduction services and 45 to opioid agonist maintenance treatment for opioid dependence More than a third 35 reported disruptions to emergency interventions including those for people experiencing prolonged seizures severe substance use withdrawal syndromes and delirium often a sign of a serious underlying medical condition 30 reported disruptions to access for medications for mental neurological and substance use disorders Around three quarters reported at least partial disruptions to school and workplace mental health services 78 and 75 respectively While many countries 70 have adopted telemedicine or teletherapy to overcome disruptions to in person services there are significant disparities in the uptake of these interventions More than 80 of high income countries reported deploying telemedicine and teletherapy to bridge gaps in mental health compared with less than 50 of low income countries WHO has issued guidance to countries on how to maintain essential services including mental health services during COVID 19 and recommends that countries allocate resources to mental health as an integral component of their response and recovery plans The Organization also urges countries to monitor changes and disruptions in services so that they can address them as required Although 89 of countries reported in the survey that mental health and psychosocial support is part of their national COVID 19 response plans only 17 of these countries have full additional funding for covering these activities This all highlights the need for more money for mental health As the pandemic continues even greater demand will be placed on national and international mental health programmes that have suffered from years of chronic underfunding Spending 2 of national health budgets on mental health is not enough International funders also need to do more mental health still receives less than 1 of international aid earmarked for health Those who do invest in mental health will reap rewards Pre COVID 19 estimates reveal that nearly US 1 trillion in economic productivity is lost annually from depression and anxiety alone However studies show that every US 1 spent on evidence based care for depression and anxiety returns US 5 Note on World Mental Health Day Mobilizing the global community to MoveforMentalHeatlh On World Mental Health Day Saturday 10 October as part of its campaign Move for mental health let s invest WHO is inviting the global community to take part in The Big Event for Mental Health an unprecedented online advocacy event that will call for increased investment in mental health at all levels from individuals to businesses to countries to civil society so that the world can begin to close the gaps highlighted by today s report The Big Event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on 10 October from 16 00 to 19 00 CEST on WHO s YouTube Facebook Twitter TikTok and LinkedIn channels and website For updated information about the Big Event for Mental Health including the latest lineup of performances and participants visit the Big Event web page To learn more about World Mental Health Day visit WHO s campaign page', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-in-most-countries-who-survey', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(393, 'Global partnership to make available 120 million affordable, quality COVID-19 rapid tests for low- and middle-income countries', 'A full access package includes WHO policy guidance on the use of antigen based rapid diagnostic tests manufacturer volume guarantees for low and middle income countries catalytic funding to assist governments to deploy the tests and an initial US 50 million procurement fund Several rapid point of care antigen tests are being assessed by WHO for Emergency Use Listing EUL Agreements between the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation and test manufacturers Abbott and SD Biosensor make available innovative tests priced at a maximum of US 5 for low and middle income countries LMICs The Global Fund commits an initial US 50 million to enable countries to purchase the new tests with the first orders expected to be placed this week Expedited market introduction of these tests in multiple LMICs is being supported through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC Unitaid FIND CHAI and their partners This is the latest move from the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator to develop procure and distribute critical new tools to fight the pandemic new tests are urgently needed to meet the huge unmet needs for testing worldwide A set of agreements to make available for low and middle income countries affordable high quality COVID 19 antigen rapid tests were today announced by the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator Organizations involved in the milestone agreement include the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation the Clinton Health Access Initiative CHAI the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics FIND the Global Fund Unitaid and the World Health Organization WHO As part of this comprehensive end to end effort the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation has executed separate volume guarantee agreements with rapid diagnostic test RDT producers Abbott and SD Biosensor These two arrangements will make available to LMICs 120 million antigen rapid diagnostic tests Ag RDTs priced at a maximum of US 5 per unit over a period of six months These tests provide results in 15 30 minutes rather than hours or days and will enable expansion of testing particularly in countries that do not have extensive laboratory facilities or trained health workers to implement molecular polymerase chain reaction or PCR tests The tests developed by Abbott and SD Biosensor are highly portable reliable and easy to administer making testing possible in near person decentralized healthcare settings Both companies tests are faster and cheaper than laboratory based tests enabling countries to increase the pace of testing tracing and treating people for COVID 19 at the point of care particularly in areas with under resourced health systems A number of other Ag RDTs are at various stages of development and assessment To scale up the Ag RDTs the Global Fund today announced that it has made available an initial US 50 million from its COVID 19 Response Mechanism to enable countries to purchase at least 10 million of the new rapid tests for LMICs at the guaranteed price with the first orders expected to be placed this week through the Global Fund s pooled procurement mechanism FIND and WHO are working together to accelerate appropriate use by supporting implementation research that will optimize Ag RDT use in multiple LMICs in line with WHO guidance This includes provision of catalytic volumes of tests to understand how Ag RDTs can best fit into health systems Unitaid and Africa CDC will combine resources to initiate the roll out of these tests in up to 20 countries in Africa starting in October 2020 This multi million dollar intervention currently undergoing final sign off by their Boards is designed to engage multiple partners active in the COVID 19 response in these countries such as CHAI African Society for Laboratory Medicine ASLM and local organizations This will bolster efforts by the African Union s Partnership to Accelerate COVID 19 Testing PACT initiative launched in August 2020 to mobilize experts community workers supplies and other resources to minimize the impact of the pandemic on the African continent by testing tracing and treating COVID 19 cases in a timely manner Testing is a critical cornerstone of the COVID 19 response enabling countries to trace and contain the virus now and to prepare for the roll out of vaccines once available Effective testing strategies rely on a portfolio of test types that can be used in different settings and situations While molecular tests started to be rolled out within a month of the virus being sequenced these tests are mainly laboratory based relying on infrastructure and trained personnel to conduct them Rapid tests to detect the presence of the virus at the point of care which are faster and cheaper are a vital addition to the testing arsenal needed to contain and fight COVID 19 WHO guidance published on 11 September 2020 highlights the value of these tests in areas where community transmission is widespread and where nucleic acid amplification based diagnostic NAAT testing is either unavailable or where test results are significantly delayed As well as supporting test trace isolate strategies the tests can help identify or confirm new outbreaks support outbreak investigations through screening monitor disease trends and potentially test asymptomatic contacts The ACT Accelerator Diagnostics Pillar is co convened by FIND and the Global Fund working closely with WHO and over 30 global health expert partners to accelerate innovation and overcome the technical financial and political obstacles to achieving equitable access to effective and timely testing Such unprecedented global collaboration has enabled development and deployment of the first WHO EUL approved Ag RDT within eight months of the first identification of the virus In comparison it took nearly five years to develop the first RDT for HIV Several more antigen RDTs for COVID 19 are currently under WHO EUL review Overall the ACT Accelerator Diagnostic Pillar aims to facilitate the supply of 500 million tests to LMICs within 12 months These agreements are critical to fulfil the key objective of the ACT Accelerator to ensure all countries regardless of income have fair access to new tests and tools to fight COVID 19 The exceptional speed with which the Ag RDT access package has been created demonstrates the breadth of the impact of the ACT Accelerator initiative and this and future achievements in testing will complement similar milestones anticipated to emerge from the Vaccines and Therapeutics Pillars Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of WHO said High quality rapid tests show us where the virus is hiding which is key to quickly tracing and isolating contacts and breaking the chains of transmission The tests are a critical tool for governments as they look to reopen economies and ultimately save both lives and livelihoods Mark Suzman Chief Executive Officer of the Gates Foundation said Testing is an essential tool in the fight against COVID 19 We are delighted to join a partnership that will help ensure that the latest high quality diagnostics do not just go to the highest bidder but will be available at an affordable price to the world s lower income countries In addition all of the actions announced today point to the growing success of the ACT Accelerator in catalyzing global cooperation for a fair and effective response to this global crisis Dr Iain Barton Chief Executive Officer of CHAI said These agreements will help ensure that millions of people in low and middle income countries have access to high quality rapid testing in villages and towns as well as cities This has the potential to revolutionize government s ability to respond to the pandemic enabling quick diagnosis and response to contain localized virus outbreaks before they spread Andrea F Wainer Executive Vice President of Abbott s rapid and molecular diagnostics businesses said Abbott is pleased to bring our Panbio COVID 19 rapid antigen test and Sympheos digital solution to people and health authorities in low and middle income countries through this innovative partnership We have long been committed to making sure our life changing technologies are affordable and accessible and for decades have been supporting many of these countries with our rapid tests for malaria HIV hepatitis and other deadly infectious diseases Hyo Keun Lee Chief Executive Officer of SD Biosensor said We SD Biosensor are pleased to supply our STANDARD Q COVID 19 rapid antigen tests for people who really need fast and accurate COVID 19 diagnosis Through this partnership we will keep striving do our best to provide the best quality of COVID 19 antigen rapid kits for fighting COVID 19 Dr John Nkengasong Director of the Africa CDC said Antigen tests are an important complement to PCR testing and are crucial to expand testing capacity throughout Africa The beauty of antigen testing is that it is fast and gives quick results It will allow healthcare workers to quickly isolate cases and treat them while tracing their contacts to cut the transmission chain Dr Philippe Duneton Unitaid s Executive Director a i said Access to these point of care rapid tests with be a game changer in the fight against COVID 19 We are working to support countries to rapidly deploy and use these new tests in the best possible way Today s news shows what the ACT A partners working together can deliver in our efforts against the COVID 19 pandemic Dr Carolyn Gomes Special Advisor for the Board ProActividad Jamaica and Alternate Board Member Developing Country NGOs The Global Fund Ensuring equitable access to rapid diagnostic tests is essential for controlling COVID 19 in all countries and to opening up economies across the world Ensuring an affordable price is a major step forward Tests that can be used at the point of care by front line workers will greatly facilitate community access to testing To ensure equity in access for those who need it most there will need to be much greater support of the ACT Accelerator and the Diagnostics Pillar in particular Much more money is needed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Peter Sands Executive Director of the Global Fund said This is the ACT Accelerator in action It is proof that by working together at a massive global scale we can develop and deploy a vital new tool to help contain and fight the pandemic This is not just a new test it s the money and the deployment plan to get it to where it s needed fast This is the power of global collaboration Dr Catharina Boehme Chief Executive Officer of FIND said With this Ag RDT package the ACT Accelerator partners have secured much needed tools for LMICs to dramatically increase COVID 19 testing With the financial support of several countries we have made great progress but to ensure we reach all those who need testing and bring the prices down we urgently need substantial funding from public philanthropic and multilateral sources About the ACT Accelerator The Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator is a new ground breaking global collaboration to accelerate the development production and equitable access to COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March 2020 and launched by WHO the European Commission France and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020 The ACT Accelerator is not a decision making body or a new organization but works to speed up collaborative efforts among existing organizations to end the pandemic It is a framework for collaboration that has been designed to bring key players around the table with the goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through the accelerated development equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of tests treatments and vaccines thereby protecting health systems and restoring societies and economies in the near term It draws on the experience of leading global health organizations which are tackling the world s toughest health challenges and who by working together are able to unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID 19 Its members share a commitment to ensure all people have access to all the tools needed to defeat COVID 19 and to work with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it The ACT Accelerator has four areas of work diagnostics therapeutics vaccines and the health system connector Cross cutting all of these is the workstream on Access Allocation The Diagnostics Pillar of the ACT Accelerator is focused on ensuring that everyone who needs a test can get one Workstreams span research and development market readiness procurement and country preparedness Achievements to date include laboratory trainings in partnership with Africa CDC in early February and a suite of online courses deployed within weeks Nearly 20 million tests have been procured with the Diagnostics Consortium ensuring diagnostic access for LMICs and readiness for test and treat implementation in these countries Independent evaluations of antibody tests are also being conducted as high quality antibody tests are essential to understand population immunity for future vaccine roll out For information about WHO s Emergency Use Listing https www who int diagnostics laboratory EUL en https www who int diagnostics laboratory 201002 eul sars cov2 product list pdf', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-09-2020-global-partnership-to-make-available-120-million-affordable-quality-covid-19-rapid-tests-for-low--and-middle-income-countries', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(394, 'The best time to prevent the next pandemic is now: countries join voices for better emergency preparedness', 'COVID 19 will not be the world s last health emergency and there is an urgent need for sustainable health emergency preparedness to deal with the next one This was the strong sentiment shared by participants of the United Nations General Assembly side event on Sustainable preparedness for health security and resilience Adopting a whole of society approach and breaking the panic then forget cycle The high level virtual event was co hosted by Finland France and Indonesia along with the World Health Organization WHO Past crises have shown that once an outbreak is under control governments and donors tend to turn their attention to other pressing concerns This cycle of panic then forget has prevented the development of effective health emergency preparedness across the globe The world needs to break this cycle once and for all This week the world crossed a grim milestone with over a million lives lost to the COVID 19 pandemic and many more expected to have died from unprecedented disruptions to the health systems Over the years we have had many reports reviews and recommendations all saying the same thing the world is not prepared for a pandemic COVID 19 has laid bare the truth when the time came the world was still not ready said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General in his opening address He called for investing in preparedness with an all of government and all of society approach This will not be the last pandemic nor the last global health emergency But with the right political and financial investments now we can advance health security prevent and mitigate future pandemics and protect our future and the future of generations to come he said Countries spoke of their commitment to health emergency preparedness We know that preparedness makes economic sense and we have developed tools and models for multi sectoral cooperation Learning from the pandemic and building on the previous progress should guide our steps to strengthen Health Security and thus help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals said P ivi Sillanaukee Ambassador for Health and Wellbeing Republic of Finland There is an urgent need to leverage the response to COVID 19 to build maintain and strengthen sustainable public health capacities for emergency preparedness France firmly believes that preparedness deserves to be placed much higher on the foreign policy agenda and we are willing to foster cooperation among Member States to ensure the continued visibility of this topic whether here in Geneva or at the UNGA in New York said St phanie Seydoux Ambassador for Global Health French Republic Health emergency preparedness is part of the larger vision of health for all In her speech Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno L P Marsudi reminded participants that the investment we must make at the national level now is ensuring affordable health care for all Let us ask ourselves how many times have we heard of people denying themselves of much needed medical health care due to costs The issue of affordable health care for all is at the heart of Indonesia s chairmanship of the Foreign Policy and Global Health initiative Also sharing their countries experience with COVID 19 were the Ministers of Health of the Netherlands Oman Senegal and Singapore Speaking to this issue as well were the Coordinator of the Group of African Ambassadors in Geneva and Germany s Deputy Director General Federal Foreign Office The discussion was led by Ambassador Hasan Kleib of Indonesia in Geneva Stressing the role of community empowerment was the President of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC Mr Francesco Rocca He said his organization had learned from working with its network of responders in 192 countries that there is an urgent need to invest in preparedness at the community level to promote humanitarian action to be as local as possible as global as necessary We call on governments partners and donors to invest in preparedness at the community level to save lives and alleviate suffering in the next inevitable emergency The role of parliaments and the importance of a multisectoral approach was highlighted by the Secretary General of the Inter Parliamentary Union Mr Martin Chungong The International Association of National Public Health Institutes and the European Commission s Directorate General for Development and Cooperation emphasized the important role played by partner organizations in country and global preparedness and financing Mr Sami Kanaan the Mayor of Geneva stressed an all of society approach Local governments must not only be provided with the means to implement policies They also need to be included in the international debates that eventually shape solutions to the humanity s most pressing challenges he said Closing the event Dr Michael Ryan Executive Director WHO Health Emergencies Programme appreciated the participants remarks and asked for them to be met with sustained commitment to preparedness We cannot cannot cannot let the world forget because the next one may not be anything but the worst one he said This COVID 19 may just be a harbinger of what may come we are living with too much risk This event marked a crucial dialogue among countries donors and partners on building back better for future emergency preparedness during the current COVID 19 pandemic and beyond It comes on the heels of the release of a sobering report by the Global Preparedness and Monitoring Board that also called for urgent action in this area According to the report investments in preparedness would only cost US 5 per person annually whereas the cost of this pandemic is already over US 11 trillion and counting', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-10-2020-the-best-time-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic-is-now-countries-join-voices-for-better-emergency-preparedness', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL);
INSERT INTO `rss_articles` (`id`, `title`, `body`, `href`, `rss_id`, `status`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(395, 'WHO welcomes a contribution of US$ 90 million from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support its COVID-19 global response', 'His Excellency Mr Mohammed A Al Jadaan Minister of Finance Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed a new contribution agreement in the amount of US 90 million in flexible funding to support of the implementation of the COVID 19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan The Flexible funding is critical to WHO s ability to direct resources to where they are most needed to respond to the health needs of vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic This important contribution is part of the US 500 million pledge announced following the extraordinary G20 summit on 26 March 2020 that was called and chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of WHO s major supporters in different areas of global health and primarily in emergency response said Dr Tedros We thank the Kingdom and its people for the continued support towards the Global COVID 19 Response Through this contribution the Kingdom has demonstrated its unequivocal solidarity with WHO and its global leadership which will greatly support the most vulnerable peoples across the world The contribution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is critical to WHO s efforts to support countries that are struggling to contain COVID 19 this contribution will enable WHO to continue strengthening country readiness and response operations accelerating priority research and innovation and coordination of the response at global regional and country level as set out in the Organizations Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a longstanding partnership with WHO and is a strong supporter of global public health initiatives Over the past five years alone the Kingdom has contributed over US 300 Million to WHO s operations in various countries including Yemen Iraq Pakistan Bangladesh among others', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-10-2020-who-welcomes-a-contribution-of-usd-90-million-from-the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-to-support-its-covid-19-global-response', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(396, 'The Russian Federation steps up support to WHO for global health security and noncommunicable diseases', 'Today Mr Gennady Gatilov Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed four new memoranda of understanding MoU agreements including a contribution for an amount exceeding US 15 million to support priority health actions The focus areas include the International Health Regulations 2005 implementation of the COVID 19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan increasing the quantity of WHO health information in the Russian language to promote health literacy in Russian speaking countries reducing maternal newborn and child deaths and strengthening WHO human resources The Russian Federation has been in important partner and Member State of WHO and has consistently demonstrated its solid commitment and strong support to WHO and the global health community said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus I thank the Russian Federation for their generous support to WHO s priority health actions As a vital actor in the global health arena and a valued and recognized WHO donor the Russian Federation consistently contributes expertise financial human technical and other resources to support the global community in tackling a broad spectrum of global health challenges More recently throughout 2020 Russia has contributed substantial resources to support a number of priority WHO projects to achieve health related SDGs such as maternal newborn and child health support to the global COVID 19 response and non communicable diseases prevention and control A signing ceremony has taken place to commemorate this important new contribution with the participation of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva WHO and other International Organizations in Geneva WHO plays a key role as the directing and coordinating authority on international health matters said Permanent Representative Gennady Gatilov The Government of the Russian Federation confirms its commitment to enhancing its constructive cooperation with WHO Russia remains a reliable partner of the WHO and looks forward to further collaboration with all interested parties in order to strengthen the Organization s capacity', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-10-2020-the-russian-federation-steps-up-support-to-who-for-global-health-security-and-noncommunicable-diseases', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(397, 'World leaders, celebrities to join WHO’s Big Event for Mental Health on 10 October', 'WHO s first ever online advocacy event for mental health will focus on the urgent need to address the world s chronic under investment in mental health a problem that has been thrown into the spotlight during the COVID 19 pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-10-2020-world-leaders-celebrities-to-join-who-s-big-event-for-mental-health-on-10-october', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(398, 'WHO launches portal for global data on the health and well-being of older people', 'On the International Day of Older Persons WHO is launching the first data portal that brings together in one place data on global indicators for monitoring the health and well being of people aged 60 and over Data is included for indicators such as percentage of older people aged 60 years and over healthy life expectancy at age 60 major causes of death in older people prevalence of common impairments such as hearing and vision loss percentage of older people receiving long term care in residential facilities and in their home and the percentage of older people living in an age friendly environment Also included are indicators for tracking the progress of government commitments to promote the health and well being of older adults Data in the portal is disaggregated by age sex and country to allow a comprehensive understanding of trends across different population groups and to better manage progress towards global goals Through maps charts and tables the portal offers tailored options for visualization and analysis of the data During the Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020 2030 endorsed by the World Health Assembly in August 2020 the portal will remain a gateway for accessing all global data related to older persons produced by WHO other international organizations such as the UNDESA the ILO the World Bank and the OECD as well as academic institutions such as the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation By the end of 2020 users of the portal will be able to create country profiles as background for conducting situational analyses and initiating policy dialogues with stakeholders Data will be updated as and when new estimates or information become available This information will strengthen the visibility of issues relating to the health and well being of older people and should ultimately help inform and drive action for national policies and plans to support healthy ageing', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-10-2020-who-launches-portal-for-global-data-on-the-health-and-well-being-of-older-people', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(399, 'UN welcomes nearly $1 billion in recent pledges - to bolster access to lifesaving tests, treatments and vaccines to end COVID-19', 'New commitments from governments international organizations and the private sector support unified approach to end pandemic backing a response of unprecedented scale scope and speed through the Access to COVID 19 Tools Accelerator as pandemic claims more than 1 million lives Recent Commitments at a Glance United Kingdom 571m US 732m for COVAX pillar of the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator of which up to 500m US 641m is to support low and middle income countries This includes a commitment to match 1 for every US 4 committed by others up to 250m US 321m Canada CAD 440m US 332m for the COVAX pillar of the ACT Accelerator of which CAD 220 US 166m is to support low middle income countries Germany EUR 100m US 117m for the COVAX pillar of the ACT Accelerator all of which is to support low and middle income countries Sweden US 10m for the COVAX pillar of the ACT Accelerator all of which is to support low and middle income countries World Bank US 12 billion to support developing countries to purchase COVID 19 vaccines as soon as they are available to be ratified by their shareholders A coalition of 16 pharmaceutical companies and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation signed an agreement to cooperate on vaccine manufacturing and to scale up production The United Nations and its partners today welcomed a monumental show of solidarity as governments private sector civil society and international organizations committed support to the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator initiative launched by the World Health Organization alongside international partners Today nearly US 1 billion in new financing has been committed to the initiative the world s most comprehensive multilateral end to end solution to the devastating COVID 19 pandemic The ACT Accelerator which was co launched by the World Health Organization European Commission France and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation just five months ago needs an additional US 35 billion to realize its goals of producing 2 billion vaccine doses 245 million treatments and 500 million tests The new commitments to the initiative are welcome and will be leveraged to catalyze further funding to continue the ACT Accelerator s groundbreaking work Most urgently the ACT Accelerator requires US 15 billion to support immediate capacity building for research and development manufacturing procurement and delivery systems by the end of the year Convening a high level event at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly to urgently mobilize support for the ACT Accelerator Secretary General Ant nio Guterres commended on the extraordinary international effort to address a human crisis like no other in our lifetimes adding that more efforts must be made to further deepen the remarkable progress so far It is in every country s national and economic self interest to work together to massively expand access to tests and treatments and to support a vaccine as a global public good a people s vaccine available and affordable for everyone everywhere The ACT Accelerator including its COVAX Facility is the vehicle to get us there Investing in the ACT Accelerator will accelerate every country s own recovery said Mr Guterres who co hosted the event with the United Kingdom s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab South Africa s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and the Director General of World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Unprecedented Global Collaboration The ACT Accelerator which was launched just five months ago is an unprecedented global collaboration of the world s top international health organizations working together to accelerate the development production and equitable delivery of COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines We have a duty to ensure vaccines treatments and tests for COVID 19 are available to all stopping the global spread of the pandemic protects the British people and will put humanity on the road to recovery Collaboration through the ACT Accelerator is critical to promoting development production and access for all countries said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab The United Kingdom recently committed up to 571m approximately US 732m for COVAX This includes up to 500m for the Gavi Advanced Market Commitment for COVID 19 COVAX AMC vaccines a financing instrument that incentivises vaccine manufacturers to produce sufficient COVID 19 vaccines to ensure access for developing countries Today the UK Foreign Secretary called for more support pledging that this 500m commitment would include 1 IS 1 29 in matched funding for every US 4 committed by others for up to 250m approximately US 321m Germany Canada and Sweden have also made new commitments to the COVAX AMC of Euro 100 million CAD 220 million and US 10 million respectively These are eligible for matching with today s UK matching commitment Science is giving us solutions in the form of new tests therapeutics and hopefully a vaccine But science and solutions will be ineffective without solidarity said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General I am grateful for the generous financial commitments made today but we still have a significant funding gap to close Fully financing the ACT Accelerator will help to control the pandemic restore confidence and stimulate the global recovery Frankly this is not a financial challenge it s a test of solidarity This is a moment for saying no to nationalism and yes to our shared humanity Because ultimately the ACT Accelerator is not delivering merely vaccines diagnostics and therapeutics It s delivering something far more important hope We must confront this health crisis as a global challenge together in solidarity and cooperation with one another working toward a global solution We have to generate the key tests treatments and vaccines that we all need and make sure they are distributed equitably to people who most need them regardless of where they live and whether their country is wealthy or not said South Africa s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize adding that large parts of the population especially in developing countries remain vulnerable and marginalized during this pandemic Today s event highlighted the substantial results achieved by the Access to COVID 19 Tools Accelerator initiative since its launch the availability of 120 million affordable and high quality rapid tests for low and middle income countries a breakthrough in trials with and a rapid rollout of Dexamethasone the only drug found to make a significant difference to patient mortality the creation of the COVAX Facility the global mechanism to ensure equitable access to eventual COVID 19 vaccines regardless of income comprising 168 economies and the largest and most diverse vaccine portfolio in the world with nine candidate vaccines under evaluation eight of them in clinical trials In another significant show of support a coalition of 16 pharmaceutical companies and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation signed an agreement to cooperate on vaccine manufacturing and to scale up production at an unprecedented speed ensuring that approved vaccines are more broadly accessible and distributed as early as possible Bill Gates Co Chair of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation said One thing I ve learned studying the history of pandemics is that they create a surprising dynamic when it comes to self interest and altruism Pandemics are rare cases where a country s instinct to help itself is tightly aligned with its instinct to help others The self interested thing and the altruistic thing making sure poor nations have access to vaccines are one and the same A number of countries most recently the United Kingdom and Canada are good models for what other wealthy nations should do They have donated enough money for COVAX the vaccine pillar of the ACT Accelerator to procure probably hundreds of millions of vaccine doses for poor countries But more will be needed and I hope wealthy nations will continue to be generous The World Bank unveiled plans this week for a significant financial commitment to support developing countries to purchase COVID 19 vaccines as soon as they are available World Bank President David Malpass said that once the plans are ratified by stakeholders having up to US 12 billion available in finance will be a game changer because once a safe and effective vaccine is available it will allow people to resume their lives with confidence Investing in Global Recovery The ACT Accelerator Investment Case illustrates the considerable economic benefits of collectively accelerating the development and deployment of tools to rapidly reduce the risk of severe COVID 19 disease globally Prior to UNGA 2020 the ACT Accelerator has raised US 3 billion out of a need of US 38 billion More detail can be found in the Act Accelerator investment case The economic rationale for investing in an approach that can accelerate the end of the COVID 19 crisis remains clear Fully financing the initiative to help shorten the duration of the crisis would pay back this investment in less than 36 hours once global mobility and trade alone are restored Notes to Editors The Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator is the proven up and running global collaboration to accelerate the development production and equitable access to COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and launched by the WHO European Commission France and The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020 The ACT Accelerator is not a decision making body or a new organization it works to speed up collaborative efforts among existing organizations to end the pandemic It is a framework for collaboration that has been designed to bring key players around the table with the goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through the accelerated development equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of tests treatments and vaccines thereby protecting health systems and restoring societies and economies in the near term It draws on the experience of leading global health organizations which are tackling the world s toughest health challenges and who by working together are able to unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID 19 Its members share a commitment to ensure all people have access to all the tools needed to defeat COVID 19 and to work with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it The ACT Accelerator comprises four pillars diagnostics therapeutics vaccines and health system strengthening The diagnostics pillar co convened by the Global Fund and FIND is focused on bringing to market 2 3 high quality rapid tests training 10 000 healthcare professionals across 50 countries and establishing testing for 500 million people in Low and Middle Income countries by mid 2021 The therapeutics pillar is led by Unitaid and The Wellcome Trust Therapeutics can play a role in all stages of COVID 19 disease to prevent infection suppress symptoms and spread of infection to others treat or prevent symptoms as a life saving treatment for severe symptoms and as a treatment that can speed up recovery The aim in the next 12 months is to develop manufacture and distribute 245 million treatments helping COVID 19 sufferers to recover from the disease The vaccines pillar convened by CEPI Gavi and WHO is speeding up the search for an effective vaccine for all countries At the same time it is supporting the building of manufacturing capabilities and buying supply ahead of time so that 2 billion doses can be fairly distributed by the end of 2021 The health systems connector pillar led by the World Bank and the Global Fund is working to ensure that these tools can reach the people who need them Cross cutting all of these is the workstream on Access Allocation hosted by the World Health Organization For more information please visit WHO ACT Accelerator Website who int initiatives act accelerator Status Report Plan bit ly ACTAcceleratorStatusReport Economic Investment Case bit ly ACTAcceleratorInvestmentCase UN COVID 19 Response Portal un org en coronavirus Archived video of the event is available on UN Web TV', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-09-2020-un-welcomes-nearly-1-billion-in-recent-pledges-to-bolster-access-to-lifesaving-tests-treatments-and-vaccines-to-end-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(400, 'WHO to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'The World Health Organization leadership and staff are outraged by recent reports of alleged sexual exploitation and abuse in the context of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC The actions allegedly perpetrated by individuals identifying themselves as working for WHO are unacceptable and will be robustly investigated The betrayal of people in the communities we serve is reprehensible We do not tolerate such behaviour in any of our staff contractors or partners Anyone identified as being involved will be held to account and face serious consequences including immediate dismissal The Director General has initiated a thorough review of the specific allegations as well as broader protection issues in health emergency response settings WHO has a zero tolerance policy with regard to sexual exploitation and abuse', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-09-2020-who-to-investigate-allegations-of-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-in-ebola-response-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(401, 'WHO publishes pricing policy guideline to improve affordable access to medicines', 'Unaffordable prices can be one of the biggest barriers to access to pharmaceutical products A new WHO guideline for countries on managing pharmaceutical prices aims to help governments overcome this barrier and better address national public health needs Pharmaceutical pricing policies need to be carefully planned and carried out and to be regularly checked and revised according to changing conditions Strong well thought out policies can guide well informed and balanced decisions to achieve affordable access to essential health products More than 50 independent experts researchers external reviewers from a range of stakeholder groups and WHO staff were involved in assessing and evaluating current scientific evidence and country experiences in order to prepare the guideline It covers ten pricing policy approaches External reference pricing where prices are set by using the benchmark of prices for the same medicines in other comparable countries Internal reference pricing where prices are benchmarked against the price of products with the same medicine or therapeutically similar medicines within the same country Value based pricing where prices are set after considering how much the medicine is worth compared to existing available treatments for the same conditions This includes assessing factors such as how many years of life a treatment can save how much a treatment can improve the quality of life of the patient and if a treatment can save the system resources by avoiding hospitalization or longer term care Regulation of mark ups across the pharmaceutical supply and distribution chain where governments set rates for how much suppliers can add to the costs of medicines as they sell the medicine along the supply chain and eventually to patients Promoting price transparency to make sure that the prices of medicines and how such prices are set are known to all relevant stakeholders Tendering and negotiation where prices are set according to the best offer from suppliers Promoting the use of quality assured generic and biosimilar medicines to encourage the use of versions of brand name products that have exactly the same or similar characteristics as the original product Pooled procurement where financial and non financial resources are pooled to create greater purchasing power and improve efficiency Cost plus pricing where prices are set by assessing the costs of producing the medicine plus a profit margin Tax exemptions or tax reductions where taxes on pharmaceutical products are removed or reduced Spotlight on generics and biosimilars The guideline strongly recommends that countries promote the use of quality assured generic and biosimilar medicines This includes enabling early market entry of these medicines using multiple policies to achieve lower prices through greater market competition and a suite of policies to maximize uptake of these medicines and public confidence The need for price transparency Price transparency is essential for designing and implementing sound pricing policies The guideline suggests countries promote price transparency through a range of mechanisms including sharing the net transaction prices of pharmaceutical products with relevant stakeholders and along the supply and distribution chain WHO s long standing commitment WHO has a long standing commitment to work with countries to ensure essential medicines are more affordable to individual people and to the health system The WHO Essential Medicines List updated every two years has been a global reference for medicines access since 1978 and the Organization s Prequalification programme has played a critical role in expanding access to quality assured priority medicines particularly in the area of HIV AIDS In the coming years WHO will continue to work with countries to develop sound pharmaceutical pricing policies including by running training workshops with country stakeholders and enabling discussion and information sharing through the Fair Pricing Forum https apps who int iris bitstream handle 10665 335692 9789240011878 eng pdf', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-09-2020-who-publishes-pricing-policy-guideline-to-improve-affordable-access-to-medicines', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(402, 'International Safe Abortion Day', 'HRP works towards the prevention of unsafe abortion in the context of COVID 19 During the current pandemic International Safe Abortion Day is a timely reminder that access to legal and safe abortion is fundamental to every person s right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health Putting words into action partnering to prevent unsafe abortion HRP the UNDP UNFPA UNICEF WHO World Bank Special Programme of Research Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction is collaborating with several partners to prevent unsafe abortion and support women s and girls health well being and rights in the context of COVID 19 partners include DKT International Ipas International Planned Parenthood Federation IPPF Marie Stopes International Pathfinder International PSI and other organisations that are committed to preventing unsafe abortion and the devastating range of health risks it can lead to Sexual and reproductive health commodities and services are already limited in many settings and are becoming more difficult to access during COVID 19 It is important that we combine our efforts explained Dr Bela Ganatra Prevention of Unsafe Abortion Unit Head at HRP and the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research Access to modern contraception and comprehensive abortion care are crucial to avoid an increase in unintended pregnancies and subsequent unsafe abortions Stronger partnerships at the global regional and country level promote successful strategies for ensuring these essential health services and human rights Such collaborative efforts aim to support effective responses to sexual and reproductive health needs with a focus on service delivery and supply chain across four key areas Adaptations and indicators identifying successful approaches for maintaining and scaling safe abortion services during and after the COVID 19 pandemic Guidelines and recommendations reviewing existing and new resources to avoid duplication of guidelines across partners Mitigation strategies assessing where and what measures are needed to reduce disruption in access to safe abortion services and supplies Procurement and funding reviewing the impact of funding gaps on service delivery and availability of medical abortion Disruption to sexual and reproductive health services puts lives at risk Every year almost half of all pregnancies 121 million are unintended This calls for the strengthening of contraceptive services and access to comprehensive abortion care Since abortion services are time bound by gestational and legal limits women and adolescents seeking an abortion often resort to unsafe abortion when they cannot access safe abortion Postponing abortion care during COVID 19 may therefore lead to increased morbidity and mortality All individuals who can become pregnant and who seek medical abortion care women girls and those with varying gender identities should be provided with the necessary information to make an informed decision about their reproductive health rights bodies and futures The WHO guidance Maintaining essential health services operational guidance for the COVID 19 context recommends that countries should ensure ongoing access to contraception services as well as to safe abortion to the full extent allowed by law throughout the pandemic Telemedicine and an opportunity for leaving no one behind Abortions are safe when carried out with a WHO recommended method that is appropriate to the pregnancy duration and by a person who has the necessary skills Unfortunately the most recent available estimates show that around 45 of all abortions globally were unsafe Among the many barriers that limit access to safe abortion care the lack of skilled providers is one of the most critical in many countries women in rural areas and those who are dependent on the public sector are especially affected Telemedicine which has been promoted to support delivery of health services during COVID 19 may be a long term opportunity to safeguard every person s sexual and reproductive health and well being far into the future Evidence has demonstrated that when medicines are made available alongside a source of accurate information and access to a health care provider if needed or wanted at any stage of the process self medication can offer crucial support in providing access to safe abortion care Eliminating unsafe abortion is one of the key components of the WHO Global reproductive health strategy explained Ian Askew Director of HRP and the WHO Department of SRH COVID 19 is teaching us so many lessons about digital health self management and opportunities for better service delivery to achieve this now in future and in future healthcare emergencies', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-09-2020-international-safe-abortion-day', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(403, 'New WHO guidelines on promoting mental health among adolescents', '28 September 2020 New guidelines from WHO recommend a set of psychosocial interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental health conditions among adolescents aged 10 19 year olds The recommendations are based on the results of intervention studies both universal delivered to all adolescents and for selected individuals perceived to be at risk of mental health conditions They will help inform the development of policies and programmes for the improved mental health of young people', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-09-2020-new-who-guidelines-on-promoting-mental-health-among-adolescents', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(404, 'World Rabies Day 2020', 'FAO OIE and WHO leaders announce collective effort to end human rabies deaths by 2030', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-09-2020-world-rabies-day-2020', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(405, 'Changing the game to improve availability and affordability of quality-assured insulin and associated devices', 'There are more than 420 million people living with diabetes', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/25-09-2020-changing-the-game-to-improve-availability-and-affordability-of-quality-assured-insulin-and-associated-devices', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(406, 'UNIATF Awards 2020', 'The United Nations Interagency Task Force on the prevention and control of Non communicable Diseases UNIATF at its 11th meeting Geneva 8 9 November 2018 agreed further to the success of the UNIATF Awards in 2018 to run the award scheme annually to recognize those making an outstanding contribution to NCD prevention and control', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/25-09-2020-uniatf-awards-2020', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(407, 'Official UN General Assembly side event: Progress and Multisectoral Action towards achieving global targets to end TB', 'Nearly 5000 people virtually joined the official UN General Assembly side event Progress and Multisectoral Action towards achieving global targets to end TB co organized by the World Health Organization WHO and the Russian Federation on 23 September Held on the sidelines of the 75th UN General Assembly UNGA the event brought together a distinguished line up of speakers spanning WHO and UN leadership health ministers partners and civil society', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-09-2020-official-un-general-assembly-side-event-progress-and-multisectoral-action-towards-achieving-global-targets-to-end-tb', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(408, 'Conflict, climate crisis and COVID-19 pose great threats to the health of women and children', '25 September 2020 Fragile gains made to advance women and children s health are threatened by conflict the climate crisis and COVID 19 according to a new report from Every Woman Every Child Protect the Progress Rise Refocus Recover 2020 highlights that since the Every Woman Every Child movement was launched 10 years ago spearheaded by the United Nations Secretary General there has been remarkable progress in improving the health of the world s women children and adolescents For example under five deaths reached an all time recorded low in 2019 and more than 1 billion children were vaccinated over the past decade Coverage of immunization skilled birth attendant and access to safe drinking water reached over 80 per cent Maternal deaths declined by 35 per cent since 2000 with the most significant declines occurring from 2010 An estimated 25 million child marriages were also prevented over the past decade However conflict climate instability and the COVID 19 pandemic are putting the health and well being of all children and adolescents at risk The COVID 19 crisis in particular is exacerbating existing inequities with reported disruptions in essential health interventions disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable women and children At the height of pandemic lockdowns schools were closed in 192 countries affecting 1 6 billion students Domestic violence and abuse of girls and women increased Poverty and hunger are also on the rise Even before the COVID 19 pandemic a child under the age of five died every six seconds somewhere around the world said Henrietta Fore UNICEF Executive Director Millions of children living in conflict zones and fragile settings face even greater hardship with the onset of the pandemic We need to work collectively to meet immediate needs caused by the pandemic while also strengthening health systems Only then can we protect and save lives In 2019 5 2 million children under the age of 5 and 1 million adolescents died of preventable causes Every 13 seconds a newborn baby died Every hour 33 women did not survive childbirth and 33 000 girls a day were forced into marriages usually to much older men The report examines the deep rooted inequities which continue to deprive women children and adolescents of their rights noting birthplace as a significant determinant of survival In 2019 82 percent of under 5 deaths and 86 percent of maternal deaths were concentrated in sub Saharan Africa and South Asia Nine in 10 paediatric HIV infections occurred in sub Saharan Africa Maternal newborn child and adolescent mortality rates were substantially higher in countries chronically affected by conflict For too long the health and rights of women children and adolescents have received insufficient attention and services have been inadequately resourced said former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health Helen Clark We call on all partners to work together to support governments to strengthen health systems and tackle the inequities that constrain progress The report calls upon the global community to fight COVID 19 while honoring and respecting commitments that can improve the lives of women and children and not widen the gap between promise and reality The COVID 19 pandemic threatens to turn back the clock on years of progress in reproductive maternal child and adolescent health This is unacceptable said Muhammad Ali Pate Global Director for Health Nutrition and Population at the World Bank Group and Director Global Financing Facility The GFF partnership will double down on its efforts to engage with partners and countries and honor the global commitment to ensure that all women adolescents and children can access the quality affordable health care they need to survive and thrive The past decade of progress to advance the health of women children and adolescents must be protected from the impact of the pandemic and the responses to it the report says Rapid reversal of hard fought progress in women s children s and adolescents health is a real threat said Ties Boerma Director of the Countdown to 2030 for Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health As the intensive tracking of the COVID 19 pandemic tells us timely local data are necessary to be able to target actions and prevent rising inequalities Global and country investments in local health information systems are much needed to guide the response and protect progress Without intensified efforts to combat preventable child deaths 48 million children under age 5 could die between 2020 and 2030 Almost half of these deaths will be newborns The report advocates for countries to continue investing in the health of all women children and adolescents in all crises As we respond to COVID 19 and reimagine a better future with sustained peace including at home we must repeat unequivocally that the rights of women and girls are not negotiable Even in times of crisis especially in times of crisis their sexual and reproductive health and rights must be safeguarded at all costs said Natalia Kanem UNFPA Executive Director The report argues that the Every Woman Every Child movement is more critical than ever as we step into the SDG Decade of Action in the midst of the worst global health crisis of a generation The momentum of the movement must continue to champion multilaterialism to mobilize action across all sectors to safeguard the tremendous investments and gains realized by commitments since its launch 10 years ago and to protect the health and well being of every woman child and adolescent everywhere There is no doubt that the pandemic has set back global efforts to improve the health and well being of women and children but that should only serve to strengthen our resolve said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General Our joint action under the Every Woman Every Child movement is more important than ever We now must renew our commitment to a healthier safer fairer and more sustainable world for women children and future generations Link to report microsite http protect everywomaneverychild org Link to The WHO Global Strategy for Women s Children and Adolescents Health Data Portal https www who int data maternal newborn child adolescent global strategy data', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/25-09-2020-conflict-climate-crisis-and-covid-19-pose-great-threats-to-the-health-of-women-and-children', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(409, 'Australia\'s commitment to eliminating cervical cancer', 'The Australian government has reaffirmed its commitment to cervical cancer elimination in a statement on the recent adoption of the Global Strategy Australia played a critical role in the development of the World Health Assembly resolution', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-09-2020-australia-s-commitment-to-eliminating-cervical-cancer', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(410, 'FAO, OIE, and WHO launch new online training on navigating the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide (TZG)', 'Zoonotic diseases can have reaching impacts on the health of people animals environments economies and health systems globally Countries must be prepared to detect prevent and respond to these emerging and endemic diseases The Tripartite organisations FAO OIE and WHO have launched a guide entitled Taking a Multisectoral One Health Approach A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries the TZG to support countries in addressing zoonotic diseases It provides principles best practices and options to assist countries in achieving sustainable and functional collaboration at the human animal environment interface Today a new online training is available for free to help you navigate and implement the TZG Watch this video to know more about the training What are the benefits for your country After completing this training you will Understand the purpose of the TZG Recognize the tools that can be used to understand national context and priorities for One Health Explore the seven technical chapters of the TZG Learn from country examples about the application of key principles of the TZG Identify operational tools available to support the use of the TZG at a country level Start the online training now by clicking here', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-09-2020-fao-oie-and-who-launch-new-online-training-on-navigating-the-tripartite-zoonoses-guide-(tzg)', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(411, 'Managing the COVID-19 infodemic: Promoting healthy behaviours and mitigating the harm from misinformation and disinformation', 'The Coronavirus disease COVID 19 is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used on a massive scale to keep people safe informed productive and connected At the same time the technology we rely on to keep connected and informed is enabling and amplifying an infodemic that continues to undermine the global response and jeopardizes measures to control the pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-09-2020-managing-the-covid-19-infodemic-promoting-healthy-behaviours-and-mitigating-the-harm-from-misinformation-and-disinformation', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(412, 'Monkeypox – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 1 January through 13 September 2020 a total of 4 594 suspected cases of monkeypox including 171 deaths case fatality ratio 3 7 have been reported in 127 health zones from 17 out of 26 provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The first epidemic peak was observed at the beginning of March 2020 epi week 10 with 136 cases reported weekly Figure1 From 1 January through 7 August the Institut National de Recherche Biom dicale INRB received 80 samples from suspected cases of monkeypox of which 39 samples were confirmed positive by polymerase chain reaction Four out of the 80 specimens were skin lesions crusts vesicles the remaining samples were blood There is no further information at this time regarding the outcome of these 80 patients whose samples were tested Confirmatory testing remains ongoing During the same period in 2019 3 794 suspected cases and 73 deaths CFR 1 9 were reported in 120 health zones from 16 provinces while a total of 2 850 suspected cases CFR 2 1 were reported in 2018', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/01-october-2020-monkeypox-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(413, 'Chikungunya – Chad', 'On 28 August 2020 the National IHR Focal Point of Chad notified WHO of an outbreak of chikungunya in Ab ch eastern Chad', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/24-september-2020-chikungunya-chad/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(414, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'Three months after the declaration of the eleventh Ebola virus disease EVD outbreak in Equateur Province Democratic Republic of the Congo the number of confirmed cases continues to increase and the geographic spread of the outbreak continues to expand As of 1 September 2020 110 cases 104 confirmed and six probable including 47 deaths case fatality ratio 43 have been reported from 36 health areas in 11 health zones In the past 21 days 12 August 1 September 2020 24 confirmed cases have been reported in 15 health areas across eight health zones To date three healthcare workers have been affected making up 3 of all cases In addition 48 people have recovered from EVD to date', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/03-september-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(415, 'Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 – Sudan', 'On 9 August 2020 the Federal Ministry of Health Sudan notified WHO of the detection of a', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/01-september-2020-polio-sudan/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(416, 'Yellow fever – French Guiana, France', 'On 23 July 2020 the France IHR National Focal Point reported a confirmed autochthonous locally acquired case of yellow fever in a 14 year old male in French Guiana On 17 July 2020 the case was laboratory confirmed at the French National Reference Centre for arboviruses Institute Pasteur Cayenne The case patient had severe disability and developed dengue like symptoms on 12 July On 16 July he was hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Cayenne French Guiana with consciousness disorders and acute liver failure and died on 19 July', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/01-august-2020-yellow-fever-french-guiana-france/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(417, 'Plague – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'The health zone of Rethy in Ituri province the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen an upsurge of plague cases since June 2020 The first case a 12 year old girl reported to a local health centre on 12 June experiencing a headache fever cough and an enlarged lymph node She died on the same day and further deaths from the community due to suspected cases of plague were subsequently reported From 11 June though 15 July six out of 22 health areas have been affected within Rethy health zone 11 villages with a total of 45 cases including nine deaths case fatality rate 20 All nine 9 cases who died presented with signs of headache high fever and painful nodes four 4 out of the nine 9 cases had cough', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/23-july-2020-plague-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(418, 'Influenza A(H1N2) variant virus – Brazil', 'On 22 June 2020 the International Health Regualtions IHR Focal Point FP of Brazil shared a preliminary report with the Panamerican Health Organization the WHO Regional Office for the Americas of a human infection with Influenza A H1N2 variant virus A H1N2 v According to the report the patient a 22 year old female with no comorbidities worked in a swine slaughterhouse in Ibipor Municipality Paran State and developed an influenza like illness on 12 April 2020 The patient initially sought medical care on 14 April and a respiratory specimen was obtained on 16 April as part of routine surveillance activities The patient was treated with oseltamivir was not hospitalized and has recovered A real time RT PCR test conducted at the public health laboratory identified a non subtypable influenza A virus In May 2020 the specimen was forwarded to the Laboratory of Respiratory Virus and Measles Oswaldo Cruz Institute FIOCRUZ per its acronym in Portuguese a national influenza reference laboratory in Rio de Janeiro On 22 June genetic sequencing characterized this virus as an influenza A H1N2 v virus', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/09-jul-2020-influenza-a-brazil/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(419, 'Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia', 'Between 1 April and 31 May 2020 the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported nine new cases of MERS CoV infection including five deaths The cases were reported from Riyadh seven cases Assir one case and Northern one case Regions Most cases were and ages of the reported cases ranged from 40 to 96 years Of the cases reported in Riyadh six were from a hospital outbreak in the region between 21 and 31 May 2020 an index case who was a newly admitted patient and five secondary cases identified through contact tracing One of the secondary cases was a health care worker and the other four were in patients admitted due to other health conditions All four in patients were bedridden and above 75 years of age All reported cases had comorbidities with the exception of the healthcare worker', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/02-jul-2020-mers-saudi-arabia/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL);
INSERT INTO `rss_articles` (`id`, `title`, `body`, `href`, `rss_id`, `status`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(420, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'On 25 June 2020 the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the end of the Ebola Virus Disease EVD outbreak in North Kivu Ituri and South Kivu Provinces In accordance with WHO recommendations the declaration was made more than 42 days after the last person who contracted EVD in this outbreak tested negative twice and was discharged from care The outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018 following investigations and laboratory confirmation of a cluster of EVD cases in North Kivu Province Further investigations identified cases in Ituri and North Kivu Provinces with dates of symptom onset from May to August 2018 In 2019 the outbreak subsequently spread to South Kivu Province and on 17 July 2019 the WHO Director General declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern In the Democratic Republic of the Congo 11 outbreaks have been recorded since the first recognized outbreak in 1976 The 10th EVD outbreak in North Kivu Ituri and South Kivu Provinces was the country s longest EVD outbreak and the second largest in the world after the 2014 2016 EVD outbreak in West Africa', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/26-June-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(421, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'No new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported in Ituri North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 27 April 2020 Figure 1 While this is a positive development there remains a risk of re emergence of EVD It is critical to maintain surveillance and response operations in the period leading up to the declaration of the end of the outbreak as well as after the declaration as outlined in the WHO recommended criteria for declaring the end of the EVD outbreak From 11 to 16 June 2020 an average of 2939 alerts were reported per day of which 2788 about 95 were investigated within 24 hours Of these an average of 453 alerts were validated as suspected cases each day requiring specialized care and laboratory testing to rule out EVD The number of reported and validated alerts has remained stable in recent weeks Timely testing of suspected cases continues to be provided from eight laboratories From 8 to 14 June 2020 3219 samples were tested including 2513 blood samples from alive suspected cases 324 swabs from community deaths and 382 samples from re tested patients Overall the number of samples tested by the laboratories increased by 3 compared to the previous week', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/18-June-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(422, 'Yellow fever – Gabon', 'On 15 April 2020 WHO received information regarding a confirmed case of yellow fever in Magandi village Tchibanga city in Nyanga Province of southern Gabon 590 km from the capital Libreville The case is an 83 year old male with no known vaccination history for yellow fever He had onset of symptoms on 30 January 2020 and presented to a health facility on 2 February 2020 with abdominal pain and jaundice Between 2 February and 9 April he consulted the Urban Health Centre in Tchibanga the Christian Alliance Hospital in Bongolo and the University hospital in the capital Libreville where the case received anti malarial treatment and remained hospitalized until his death on 9 April 2020 On 14 April 2020 the laboratory results received from the WHO Regional Reference Laboratory at the Institute Pasteur in Dakar Senegal confirmed yellow fever infection by seroneutralisation test The additional differential diagnostic tests performed were negative for dengue West Nile fever chikungunya Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic fever Zika and Rift Valley fever', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/17-june-2020-yellow-fever-gabon/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(423, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'No new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported in Ituri North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 27 April 2020 Figure 1 The source of infection of the cluster reported in April 2020 remains unconfirmed', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/11-June-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(424, 'Yellow fever – Togo', 'On 20 April 2020 WHO received information regarding a confirmed yellow fever case in Galangashie health area located 30 km from Mango village Oti district Savanes region in the northern part of Togo The case is a 55 year old woman with no vaccination history for yellow fever She had onset of symptoms on 31 January 2020 and presented to a health facility on 3 February 2020 with fever and aches The following day she developed jaundice and a blood sample was taken On 7 February the blood sample was transported to the national laboratory On 10 February the sample from the case was received at the national laboratory and test results on 17 March were Immunoglobulin M IgM positive for yellow fever The positive yellow fever result was confirmed by the Institute Pasteur in Dakar Senegal a yellow fever reference laboratory on 14 April 2020 by seroneutralisation', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/05-june-2020-yellow-fever-togo/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(425, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'No new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported in Ituri North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 27 April 2020 Figure 1 The source of infection of the cluster reported in April 2020 remains unconfirmed', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/04-June-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(426, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'On 31 May 2020 WHO received information that between 18 and 30 May four deaths were reported from the same quarter quartier Air Congo in Wangata Health Zone Mbandaka city Equateur Province the Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/03-June-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(427, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 20 to 26 May 2020 no new cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Figure 1', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/28-May-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(428, 'Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) – Ethiopia', 'Between 2 and 8 April 2020 six suspected human cases of dracunculiasis in Duli village Gog district Gambella region Ethiopia were reported to WHO', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/25-may-2020-dracunculiasis-ethiopia/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(429, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 13 to 19 May 2020 no new cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported from North Kivu Province Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/21-May-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(430, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'From 6 to 12 May 2020 no new cases of Ebola virus disease EVD have been reported from North Kivu Province Democratic Republic of the Congo Figure 1 Since the resurgence of the outbreak on 10 April 2020 seven confirmed cases have been reported from Kasanga Malepe and Kanzulinzuli Health Areas in Beni Health Zone Of these one is receiving care at the Beni Ebola treatment centre ETC one who was receiving care at the ETC recovered and was discharged and one remains in the community 35 days after symptom onset Efforts to locate this individual are being undertaken to test and provide care for this person Four of the people confirmed to have Ebola died including two community deaths and two deaths in the ETC in Beni So far no definitive source of infection has been identified As of 12 May 90 contacts are currently under surveillance of which 41 are high risk contacts who had direct contact with body fluids of the last confirmed case All contacts have exited their high risk period seven to 13 days after last exposure Contacts from the previous six cases reported in April have exited their follow up period Of the 41 high risk contacts 37 have been vaccinated A total of 1486 people have been vaccinated in Beni and Karisimbi since 10 April 2020', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/14-May-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(431, 'Predicting the pandemic', 'Mathematical simulation models play an important role in evaluating the course of an epidemic or pandemic in a population 1 Such models are based on more or less strong assumptions that include', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/fMt3IATBQVA/bmj.m3932.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(432, 'New guidance from the GMC: what constitutes meaningful dialogue?', 'Some 12 years after the 2008 version the General Medical Council has just published new guidance on decision making and consent which will come into effect on 9 November 2020 On two occasions the', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/VTO-qHCvg14/bmj.m3933.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(433, 'US doctors and hospitals offer a new treatment: voter registration', 'Several red white and blue posters spot the walls in the emergency waiting area at Seattle s Harborview Medical Center In the midst of a pandemic the message on these posters Register to vote', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/A_Iq5P88fhk/bmj.m3895.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(434, 'Management of hypertriglyceridemia', 'AbstractHypertriglyceridemia is one of the most common lipid abnormalities encountered in clinical practice Many monogenic disorders causing severe hypertriglyceridemia have been identified but in', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/rAQ0qjZlC9c/bmj.m3109.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(435, 'US ex-doctor who ran fraudulent clinical trial sites is sentenced to 28 years in prison', 'A former doctor who ran two US contract research companies has been imprisoned for 28 years for faking the results of clinical trials and in many cases failing to even administer the drugs under', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/efJwCyad7hA/bmj.m3946.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(436, 'Blood pressure targets for young adults: are we being too stringent?', 'Hypertension is a harbinger of a huge cardiovascular disease burden globally with an estimated one in three adults in low and middle income countries having hypertension previously defined as blood', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/51M2yfJeods/bmj.m3910.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-12 11:43:11', NULL),
(437, '\"2019-ncov\" OR nCov OR (coronavirus AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR \"novel coronavirus\" OR (pneumonia AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR COVID-19[TW] OR 2019ncov[TW] AND ( ( \"2019/12/01\"[PDat] : \"3000/12/31\"[PDat] ) ); +1280 new citations', '1280 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results 2019 ncov OR nCov OR coronavirus AND wuhan TIAB OR novel coronavirus OR pneumonia AND wuhan TIAB OR COVID 19 TW OR 2019ncov TW AND 2019 12 01 PDat 3000 12 31 PDat These pubmed results were generated on 2020 10 15 PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE life science journals and online books Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites', 'https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&amp;db=pubmed&amp;term=%28%20%28%222019-ncov%22%20OR%20nCov%20OR%20%28coronavirus%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20%22novel%20coronavirus%22%20OR%20%28pneumonia%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20COVID-19%5BTW%5D%20OR%202019ncov%5BTW%5D%20AND%20%28%20%28%20%222019%2F12%2F01%22%5BPDat%5D%20%3A%20%223000%2F12%2F31%22%5BPDat%5D%20%29%20%29%29%20AND%20%222020%2F10%2F12%2007.01%22%5BMHDA%5D%3A%222020%2F10%2F15%2009.26%22%5BMHDA%5D%29', 21, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(438, 'WHO appoints co-chairs of Independent Commission on sexual misconduct during the Ebola response in North Kivu and Ituri, the Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'The World Health Organization has appointed two distinguished leaders to co chair an Independent Commission on sexual abuse and exploitation during the response to the tenth Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri the Democratic Republic of the Congo The commission will be co chaired by Her Excellency A chatou Mindaoudou former minister of foreign affairs and of social development of Niger who has held senior United Nations posts in C te d Ivoire and in Darfur She will be joined by co chair Julienne Lusenge of the Democratic Republic of the Congo an internationally recognized human rights activist and advocate for survivors of sexual violence in conflict The role of the Independent Commission will be to swiftly establish the facts identify and support survivors ensure that any ongoing abuse has stopped and hold perpetrators to account It will comprise up to seven members including the co chairs with expertise in sexual exploitation and abuse emergency response and investigations The co chairs will choose the other members of the Commission which will be supported by a Secretariat based at WHO To support the Independent Commission s work the Director General has decided to use an open process to hire an independent and external organization with experience in conducting similar inquiries The tenth epidemic of Ebola Virus Disease in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri the world s second largest Ebola outbreak on record was declared over on 25 June 2020 after persisting for nearly two years in an active conflict zone and causing 2 300 deaths WHO has a zero tolerance policy with regard to sexual exploitation and abuse We reiterate our strong commitment to preventing and protecting against sexual exploitation and abuse in all our operations around the world', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/15-10-2020-who-appoints-co-chairs-of-independent-commission-on-sexual-misconduct-during-the-ebola-response-in-north-kivu-and-ituri-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(439, 'Sixth Annual meeting of the “Friends of the Task Force” Working with Member States to deliver the NCD-related SDG targets during and beyond COVID-19', 'On 24 September 2020 the Friends of the Task Force met in the margins of the high level segment of the 75thsession of the United Nations General Assembly Participants included Member States UN agencies and non State actors The meeting was co hosted by the Government of the Russian Federation and the World Health Organization and co sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme the International Development Law Organization and the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control The meeting provided an opportunity to review the contribution of the Task Force to global efforts to scale up prevention and control NCDs with a special focus on NCDs during the COVID 19 pandemic The WHO Director General also announced the fifteen winners of the 2020 UNIATF Awards The Task Force Secretariat provided a brief overview of Task Force activities over the last year Mikhail Murashko Minister of Health of the Russian Federation highlighted the importance of a systematic approach to combating NCDs and expressed his appreciation of the work done by the Task Force in promoting multi sectoral collaboration in the area of NCDs including through the development of the national NCD investment cases under the WHO UNDP joint programme The Russian Federation is now providing an additional 5 million over the next five years to build on this work Minister Murashko welcomed contributions from Italy the European Commission and the Gulf Health Council for the work of the Task Force Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General emphasized the importance of strengthening NCD response during and beyond COVID 19 He highlighted the impact of the pandemic on NCDs and mental health and that strong action on NCDs must be an integral part of the COVID 19 response and recovery The Director General reminded participants that he had recently launched a joint WHO UNDP and Task Force publication Responding to NCDs during and beyond the COVID 19 pandemic Dr Tedros described WHO s commitment to work with Task Force members to establish the NCD and Mental Health Multi Partner Trust Fund Once established Dr Tedros said that he would be calling on partners to mobilize additional resources beyond WHO s budget to scale up support to countries for their response to NCDs There s no doubt that COVID 19 is a setback to our efforts to beat NCDs but we cannot allow it to become an excuse for failing to deliver on our commitments On contrary we must use it as motivation to work all the harder Dr Tedros Aksel Jacobsen State Secretary of International Development for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Norway s NCD Development Policy 2020 2024 which will support low income countries in their efforts to address NCDs He underscored the high burden of NCD and COVID 19 comorbidity The State Secretary called upon countries to ensure that NCD prevention detection and treatment is included in their COVID 19 response plans highlighting the importance of political commitment to achieve equality and equity in access to health protection The long time global underinvestment in NCD prevention and control is part of the reason behind this tragic development Hon Jakobsen Dr Osagie Ehanire Minister of Health of Nigeria thanked the Task Force for its mission to Nigeria earlier this year indicating that the mission s recommendations have been approved by the President and an implementation unit to implement the recommendations has been established Dr Jennifer Harries Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the United Kingdom spoke about the UK s experience in fighting major NCD risk factors as well as obesity and the UK s efforts to support people to stay mentally well during the pandemic Dr Harries emphasized the importance of multilateral approaches to address NCDs highlighting national WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control FCTC investment cases that the UK has been supporting The UK would support further joint programming across multilaterals through the Multi Partner Trust Fund to catalyse action on NCDs in low and middle income countries at such a critical time Dr Harries Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency described IAEA s collaboration with WHO over many years especially with regards the Human Health Programme to address NCD challenges across a range of medical issues Mr Grossi highlighted IAEA s work in building capacity for NCD and COVID 19 detection which has involved the provision of thousands of health professionals with resources on the use of radiology for diagnosis and treatment Medical imaging has had a significant impact on our understanding of COVID 19 related signs and symptoms Mr Grossi Emanuela Del Re Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy shared the experience of Italy in dealing with NCDs though promotion of healthy diets and food quality assurance Healthy lifestyles and balanced diet not only prevent NCDs but also have a positive impact on people s general health especially children in the first years of life Hon Del Re Ahmed Mohammed Obaid Al Saidi Minister of Health of the Sultanate of Oman highlighted the increased use of innovative digital technology solutions for NCD care which emerged from the constraints imposed by COVID 19 In Oman service pathways for those seeking NCD care have been rearranged to ensure safety for patients and safe delivery of services and medications This had undoubtedly invited innovation and the introduction of new measures that rely on technology Hon Al Saidi Ms Jan Beagle Director General of the International Development Law Organization stressed the importance of the rule of law and functioning of legal and regulatory frameworks for adequate and equitable NCD and COVID 19 care for all Now more than ever COVID 19 has exposed and is being aggravated by the entrenched injustices and equalities under which too many people still live and from which no nation can claim to be exempt Ms Beagle Ms Katie Dain Chief Executive Officer of the NCD Alliance welcomed the Task Force s recent attention on NCD treatment and management as well as the development of the Multi Partner Trust Fund COVID 19 must be a wake up call for governments and political leaders to value prioritize and invest in health NCDs and prevention We simply won t be prepared for the next pandemic or any other health threat unless we really get to grips with the burden of NCDs Ms Dain Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo Head of Secretariat of the FCTC spoke about the threat posed by tobacco industry in the context of COVID 19 and NCDs and the important role that the WHO FCTC plays in directing national and international effort at reducing global tobacco prevalence Dr Blanco highlighted the urgent need to support tobacco users who want to quit pointing to sensitization of population about importance of health that occurred due to COVID 19 Ms Lena Nanushyan from the Ministry of Health in Armenia highlighted the experience of Armenia in working with the Task Force on development and implementation of a national NCD investment case Ms Nanushyan underscored that the results of the investment case were used to argue for the adoption of a stricter tobacco control law earlier this year Dr Douglas Webb Cluster Leader HIV Health and Development Group at the United Nations Development Programme spoke about the opportunity to address NCDs through national COVID 19 response and recovery plans which increasingly reveal synergies with NCD related action within and beyond the health sector Dr Webb endorsed the Multi Partner Trust Fund noting the significant funding gap in responding to NCDs The Multi Partner Trust Fund is a critical technical tool to allow member states to advance on strengthening their NCD response Dr Webb Mr Yahya Alfasi from the Gulf Health Council informed the participants about the ongoing work to develop NCD investment cases for six countries across the region through the WHO UNDP joint programme under the Task Force Mr William Twomey from Johnson and Johnson praised the Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco AIQT to improve global access to tobacco cessation support stating that it was an important step to curbing the very high economic and social costs that tobacco imposes on our society', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2020-sixth-annual-meeting-of-the-friends-of-the-task-force-working-with-member-states-to-deliver-the-ncd-related-sdg-targets-during-and-beyond-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(440, 'New electronic survey manual supports countries to combat micronutrient deficiencies', 'A new Micronutrient survey manual 2020 and toolkit developed in collaboration by WHO CDC UNICEF and Nutrition International were published today to meet the demand of countries interested in assessing the micronutrient status of their populations', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/15-10-2020-new-electronic-survey-manual-supports-countries-to-combat-micronutrient-deficiencies', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(441, 'WHO Bulletin Call for Papers: Behavioural and Social Sciences for Better Health', 'As part of WHO s efforts to scale up the use of behavioural and social sciences the Bulletin will publish a special issue on Behavioural and Social Sciences for Health in late 2021 The call for papers was published in the October 2020 issue and can be accessed here The deadline for submissions is 31 December 2020', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/15-10-2020-who-bulletin-call-for-papers-behavioural-and-social-sciences-for-better-health', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(442, 'WHO takes a position on genetically modified mosquitoes', 'Each year more than 700 000 people die from vector borne diseases VBDs such as malaria dengue schistosomiasis leishmaniasis Chagas disease yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis among others More than 80 of the global population lives in areas at risk of at least one major vector borne disease Taken together these diseases exact an immense toll on economies and can impede both rural and urban development Recognizing the urgent need for new tools to combat VBDs and in the spirit of fostering innovation WHO supports the investigation of all potentially beneficial technologies including genetically modified mosquitoes GMMs A new position statement launched today in a WHO seminar clarifies WHO s stance on the evaluation and use of GMMs for the control of vector borne diseases These diseases are not going away noted Dr John Reeder Director of TDR the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases as he presented the position statement in the seminar We really do need to think about new tools that could make an impact Position statement In recent years there have been significant advances in GMM approaches aimed at suppressing mosquito populations and reducing their susceptibility to infection as well as their ability to transmit disease carrying pathogens These advances have led to an often polarized debate on the benefits and risks of genetically modified mosquitoes According to the WHO statement computer simulation modelling has shown that GMMs could be a valuable new tool in efforts to eliminate malaria and to control diseases carried by Aedes mosquitoes WHO cautions however that the use of GMMs raises concerns and questions around ethics safety governance affordability and cost effectiveness that must addressed The statement notes that GMM research should be conducted through a step wise approach and supported by clear governance mechanisms to evaluate any health environmental and ecological implications It underscores that any effective approach to combating vector borne diseases requires the robust and meaningful engagement of communities This is especially important for area wide control measures such as GMMs as the risks and benefits may affect large segments of the population Countries and other stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback on the new position statement by contacting WHO at geneticallymodifiedmosquitoes who int New guidance Despite the growing threat of vector borne diseases to individuals families and societies the ethical issues raised by vector borne diseases have received only limited attention Recognizing this gap WHO has issued new guidance to support national VBD control programmes in their efforts to identify and respond to the core ethical issues at stake The new guidance titled Ethics vector borne diseases was issued today alongside the position statement on genetically modified mosquitoes Grounded in a multidisciplinary framework the guidance emphasizes the critical role of community engagement in designing and implementing an appropriate sustainable public health response', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2020-who-takes-a-position-on-genetically-modified-mosquitoes', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(443, 'RESPECT Implementation package for preventing violence against women', 'UN Women and WHO are publishing the RESPECT implementation package for preventing violence against women This implementation package comprises of a suite of practical resources and tools to support the implementation of the RESPECT women preventing violence against women framework which was developed by WHO with UN Women in 2019 and is endorsed by 12 other UN agencies and bilateral partners The RESPECT implementation package is aimed at helping policy makers and practitioners to design and implement evidence based ethical and effective national and sub national policies programmes and interventions for preventing violence against women based on each of the seven strategies of RESPECT Relationship skills strengthened Empowerment of women Services ensured Poverty reduced Environments made safe Child and adolescent abuse prevented Transformed attitudes beliefs and norms It distills programming knowledge based on existing and up to date global evidence It is divided into a series of standalone materials which include summaries for each of the seven RESPECT strategies programme summaries for promising intervention examples mini briefs for creating enabling environments a brief on monitoring and evaluation M E a workbook for developing national VAW prevention strategies The package is presented in a user friendly design to cater to the busy schedules of policy makers enabling easy access and reference to relevant materials It can be used as a resource to support policy dialogues or as a capacity building tool It can be used in its entirety or as individual strategy and programme summaries', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/11-10-2020-respect-implementation-package-for-preventing-violence-against-women', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(444, 'WHO: Global TB progress at risk', 'Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic many countries were making steady progress in tackling tuberculosis TB with a 9 reduction in incidence seen between 2015 and 2019 and a 14 drop in deaths in the same period High level political commitments at global and national levels were delivering results However a new report from WHO shows that access to TB services remains a challenge and that global targets for prevention and treatment will likely be missed without urgent action and investments Approximately 1 4 million people died from TB related illnesses in 2019 Of the estimated 10 million people who developed TB that year some 3 million were not diagnosed with the disease or were not officially reported to national authorities The situation is even more acute for people with drug resistant TB About 465 000 people were newly diagnosed with drug resistant TB in 2019 and of these less than 40 were able to access treatment There has also been limited progress in scaling up access to treatment to prevent TB Equitable access to quality and timely diagnosis prevention treatment and care remains a challenge said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of WHO Accelerated action is urgently needed worldwide if we are to meet our targets by 2022 About 14 million people were treated for TB in the period 2018 2019 just over one third of the way towards the 5 year target 2018 2022 of 40 million according to the report Some 6 3 million people started TB preventive treatment in 2018 2019 about one fifth of the way towards the 5 year target of 30 million Funding is a major issue In 2020 funding for TB prevention diagnosis treatment and care reached US 6 5 billion representing only half of the US 13 billion target agreed by world leaders in the UN Political Declaration on TB The COVID 19 pandemic and TB Disruptions in services caused by the COVID 19 pandemic have led to further setbacks In many countries human financial and other resources have been reallocated from TB to the COVID 19 response Data collection and reporting systems have also been negatively impacted According to the new report data collated from over 200 countries has shown significant reductions in TB case notifications with 25 30 drops reported in 3 high burden countries India Indonesia the Philippines between January and June 2020 compared to the same 6 month period in 2019 These reductions in case notifications could lead to a dramatic increase in additional TB deaths according to WHO modelling However in line with WHO guidance countries have taken measures to mitigate the impact of COVID 19 on essential TB services including by strengthening infection control A total of 108 countries including 21 countries with a high TB burden have expanded the use of digital technologies to provide remote advice and support To reduce the need for visits to health facilities many countries are encouraging home based treatment all oral treatments for people with drug resistant TB provision of TB preventive treatment and ensuring people with TB maintain an adequate supply of drugs In the face of the pandemic countries civil society and other partners have joined forces to ensure that essential services for both TB and COVID 19 are maintained for those in need said Dr Tereza Kaseva Director of WHO s Global TB Programme These efforts are vital to strengthen health systems ensure health for all and save lives A recent progress report from the UN Secretary General outlines 10 priority actions for Member States and other stakeholders to close gaps in TB care financing and research as well as advance multisectoral action and accountability including in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic Note for the editors Global targets In 2014 and 2015 all Member States of WHO and the UN adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals SDGs and WHO s End TB Strategy The SDGs and End TB Strategy both include targets and milestones for large reductions in TB incidence TB deaths and costs faced by TB patients and their households TB is included under Goal 3 Target 3 3 of the SDGs which aims to end the epidemics of AIDS tuberculosis malaria and neglected tropical diseases by the year 2030 The WHO End TB Strategy aims for a 90 per cent reduction in TB deaths and an 80 per cent reduction in the TB incidence rate by 2030 compared to the 2015 baseline Milestones for 2020 include a 20 reduction in the TB incidence rate and a 35 reduction in TB deaths Efforts to step up political commitment in the fight against TB intensified in 2017 and 2018 culminating in September 2018 in the first ever high level meeting on TB at the UN General Assembly The outcome was a political declaration in which commitments to the SDGs and End TB Strategy were reaffirmed The UN Political Declaration on TB also included 4 new targets for the period 2018 2022 Treat 40 million people for TB disease Reach at least 30 million people with TB preventive treatment for a latent TB infection Mobilize at least US 13 billion annually for universal access to TB diagnosis treatment and care Mobilize at least US 2 billion annually for TB research Progress towards global targets According to the new report the WHO European Region is on track to achieve key 2020 targets of the WHO End TB Strategy with reductions in incidence and deaths of 19 and 31 respectively over the last 5 year period The African Region has also made impressive gains with corresponding reductions of 16 and 19 in the same timeframe On a global scale however the pace of progress has lagged and critical 2020 milestones of the End TB Strategy will be missed Financing As in previous years most available TB funding 85 in 2020 came from domestic sources with Brazil Russian Federation India China and South Africa providing 57 of the global total International donor funding increased from US 900 000 in 2019 to US 1 billion in 2020 The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria was the single largest source of international TB financing in 2020 while the United States remains the biggest bilateral funder of efforts to end TB Research and innovation Reaching the 2030 global TB targets will require technological breakthroughs by 2025 The world needs affordable and accessible rapid point of care tests as well as new safer and more effective treatments and vaccines To meet these challenges Member States called on WHO in 2018 to develop a Global strategy for TB research and innovation that lays out key steps that governments and non state actors can undertake The strategy was adopted by the World Health Assembly in August 2020 Multisectoral action and accountability Further progress towards ending TB will depend on action across sectors underscoring the importance of the implementation of WHO s multisectoral accountability framework on TB In 2019 and 2020 WHO worked with high TB burden countries to ensure the inclusion of accountability mechanisms in national budget planning and pursuing assessment during high level missions and joint TB programme reviews with engagement of civil society representatives TB facts Tuberculosis TB the world s deadliest infectious killer is caused by bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis that most often affect the lungs It can spread when people who are sick with TB expel bacteria into the air for example by coughing Approximately 90 percent of those who fall sick with TB each year live in 30 countries Most people who develop the disease are adults and there are more cases among men than women TB is preventable and curable About 85 of people who develop TB disease can be successfully treated with a 6 month drug regimen treatment has the added benefit of curtailing onward transmission of infection Since 2000 TB treatment has averted more than 60 million deaths although with access to universal health coverage still falling short many millions have also missed out on diagnosis and care', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2020-who-global-tb-progress-at-risk', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(445, 'Investment in digital health needs careful planning: new WHO guide explains how to do it well', 'How to make positive and sustainable change with digital health investments With the right approach and effective investment digital health interventions can be successful long term solutions that help to improve the health and well being of the people they were designed to reach A new guide has been launched by WHO today to help ensure that digital health investments are effective sustainable and equitable and that they are implemented in a coordinated way and appropriate for the local context The Digital implementation investment guide integrating digital interventions into health systems also known as the DIIG has been published by WHO and HRP in collaboration with partners UNICEF UNFPA and PATH This guidance will be particularly useful for donors and ministries of health who make decisions on digital investments for health in government in technical bodies and in national health and or digital systems Ian Askew Director of WHO Department of sexual and reproductive health and research and HRP comments No matter where you live there are unique health needs which digital technologies can help to meet But these technologies can only be effective if they recognize these unique needs if they are appropriate to the context and if they receive sustained and informed investment How to guide on digital health The guide gives a step by step approach to planning costing and implementing digital health investments Users learn from diverse experiences covering the past ten years from institutions who have been deeply involved with planning and implementing digital health technologies with national governments In using the guide readers learn how to design cost and implement meaningful digital health isystems with the confidence in a well defined plan that will facilitate further collaboration and investment Realising the potential of digital health Digital health tools have the potential to transform health services and help accomplish universal health coverage With sustainable and robust governance structures in place It can reform public health systems by improving its reach impact and efficiency Investing wisely and well Wiser investment in digital health technologies is needed however in order to fully realise their potential and to enhance the integral role that they can play within health systems but it is crucial that such investment is responsible and well thought through Dr Soumya Swaminathan Chief Scientist at WHO remarks in the foreword to the guide that Investment must be carefully and thoughtfully coordinated for equitable access to meet the full spectrum of health needs leveraging mature digital public goods and building on digital development and donor principles to maximize the benefits of digital investments Responsible and informed investment in the right technologies appropriate for the context and health system and for the existing digital architecture is critical for ensuring their success Coordination of digital health Good planning and governance on digital health or by investors governments and technical bodies is needed when working to integrate digital investments into health systems Coordination of digital health systems is key for ensuring that digital investments are effective promote equitable access to health and address the health needs of the local context The DIIG aims to help all people involved with decision making related to digital technologies for health coordinate effectively in order to harmonise their efforts in investing in and integrating digital health technologies Mr Bernardo Mariano Director of WHO Digital Health Department and Innovation comments The DIIG is a tool that encourages strategic collaboration and governance It helps decision makers make ethical and evidence based decisions with sustainability and equity at their core in coordination with people working across sectors Principles at heart The guide is underpinned by a set of 9 principles known as The principles for digital development add infographic visual of this below web story or link to this to help stakeholders effectively and appropriately apply digital technologies in their health programmes Dr Garrett Mehl Scientist in WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research including HRP comments If implemented in a strategically harmonized manner leveraging the key principles and messages presented in the DIIG these digital health systems are powerful tools that will help us achieve the ultimate goal of health and well being for all The DIIG is rooted in evidence and WHO guidance and is part of a growing suite of digital health tools to help countries effectively put into place scale up maintain and evaluate the impact of digital health interventions It complements the WHO guidance on digital health interventions which examined the evidence for and issues to consider around implementing digital health More about digital health', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2020-investment-in-digital-health-needs-careful-planning', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(446, 'Release of module and mapping of tools on stakeholder and community engagement in quality of care initiatives for maternal, newborn and child health', 'The WHO and UNICEF recently published a module to guide policy makers and programme implementers working in quality improvement in maternal newborn and child health to support making comprehensive and meaningful stakeholder and community engagement an integral part of quality improvement QI initiatives Publications Read online Download the module View the mapping of tools Orientation module This module compliments the implementation guide developed by The Network for Improving Quality of care for Maternal Newborn and Child Health QoC Network Four key topics are covered including rationale for engagement building and strengthening partnerships strategies for information communication and advocacy and monitoring evaluation and learning Mapping of tools The mapping of tools identified 70 tools to further support implementation of stakeholder and community engagement across the seven steps of the Quality of Care Network s Implementation Framework The tools are available through an online portal which allows uses to filter based on the different topic focus and phase of implementation 1 establish leadership group 2 situation analysis 3 adapt standards of care 4 identify QI interventions 5 implementation of QI interventions 6 continuous measurement of quality outcomes and 7 refinement of strategies', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2020-release-of-module-and-mapping-of-tools-on-stakeholder-and-community-engagement-in-quality-of-care-initiatives-for-maternal-newborn-and-child-health', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL);
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(447, 'Impact of COVID-19 on people\'s livelihoods, their health and our food systems', 'The COVID 19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health food systems and the world of work The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty while the number of undernourished people currently estimated at nearly 690 million could increase by up to 132 million by the end of the year Millions of enterprises face an existential threat Nearly half of the world s 3 3 billion global workforce are at risk of losing their livelihoods Informal economy workers are particularly vulnerable because the majority lack social protection and access to quality health care and have lost access to productive assets Without the means to earn an income during lockdowns many are unable to feed themselves and their families For most no income means no food or at best less food and less nutritious food The pandemic has been affecting the entire food system and has laid bare its fragility Border closures trade restrictions and confinement measures have been preventing farmers from accessing markets including for buying inputs and selling their produce and agricultural workers from harvesting crops thus disrupting domestic and international food supply chains and reducing access to healthy safe and diverse diets The pandemic has decimated jobs and placed millions of livelihoods at risk As breadwinners lose jobs fall ill and die the food security and nutrition of millions of women and men are under threat with those in low income countries particularly the most marginalized populations which include small scale farmers and indigenous peoples being hardest hit Millions of agricultural workers waged and self employed while feeding the world regularly face high levels of working poverty malnutrition and poor health and suffer from a lack of safety and labour protection as well as other types of abuse With low and irregular incomes and a lack of social support many of them are spurred to continue working often in unsafe conditions thus exposing themselves and their families to additional risks Further when experiencing income losses they may resort to negative coping strategies such as distress sale of assets predatory loans or child labour Migrant agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable because they face risks in their transport working and living conditions and struggle to access support measures put in place by governments Guaranteeing the safety and health of all agri food workers from primary producers to those involved in food processing transport and retail including street food vendors as well as better incomes and protection will be critical to saving lives and protecting public health people s livelihoods and food security In the COVID 19 crisis food security public health and employment and labour issues in particular workers health and safety converge Adhering to workplace safety and health practices and ensuring access to decent work and the protection of labour rights in all industries will be crucial in addressing the human dimension of the crisis Immediate and purposeful action to save lives and livelihoods should include extending social protection towards universal health coverage and income support for those most affected These include workers in the informal economy and in poorly protected and low paid jobs including youth older workers and migrants Particular attention must be paid to the situation of women who are over represented in low paid jobs and care roles Different forms of support are key including cash transfers child allowances and healthy school meals shelter and food relief initiatives support for employment retention and recovery and financial relief for businesses including micro small and medium sized enterprises In designing and implementing such measures it is essential that governments work closely with employers and workers Countries dealing with existing humanitarian crises or emergencies are particularly exposed to the effects of COVID 19 Responding swiftly to the pandemic while ensuring that humanitarian and recovery assistance reaches those most in need is critical Now is the time for global solidarity and support especially with the most vulnerable in our societies particularly in the emerging and developing world Only together can we overcome the intertwined health and social and economic impacts of the pandemic and prevent its escalation into a protracted humanitarian and food security catastrophe with the potential loss of already achieved development gains We must recognize this opportunity to build back better as noted in the Policy Brief issued by the United Nations Secretary General We are committed to pooling our expertise and experience to support countries in their crisis response measures and efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals We need to develop long term sustainable strategies to address the challenges facing the health and agri food sectors Priority should be given to addressing underlying food security and malnutrition challenges tackling rural poverty in particular through more and better jobs in the rural economy extending social protection to all facilitating safe migration pathways and promoting the formalization of the informal economy We must rethink the future of our environment and tackle climate change and environmental degradation with ambition and urgency Only then can we protect the health livelihoods food security and nutrition of all people and ensure that our new normal is a better one', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/13-10-2020-impact-of-covid-19-on-people\'s-livelihoods-their-health-and-our-food-systems', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:49', NULL),
(448, 'Neglected tropical diseases: tackling stigmatization, discrimination and mental health through a person-centred approach', 'WHO recently published its guide on the mental health of people with neglected tropical diseases The work analyses the combined social and economic implications and evidences how pain disability and stigma put people affected by NTDs at high risk of mental depression anxiety and even suicidal thoughts Other themes associated with disability stigmatization and discrimination were also discussed during last week s webinar hosted by the NTD Department', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/12-10-2020-neglected-tropical-diseases-tackling-stigmatization-discrimination-and-mental-health-through-a-person-centred-approach', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(449, 'WHO publishes guidance on climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities', 'New WHO guidance for Climate Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities provides health professionals and health care facility managers with key tools and interventions to strengthen health care facilities in the context of climate change', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/12-10-2020-who-publishes-guidance-on-climate-resilient-and-environmentally-sustainable-health-care-facilities', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(450, 'One Year Commemoration of the High-Level Meeting on UHC: Measuring Progress, Challenges and Opportunities in the Context of COVID-19', 'Dr Tedros WHO Director General joined the Foreign Ministers of Japan Thailand and Georgia to host a Ministerial Meeting on Universal Health Coverage UHC to commemorate the one year anniversary of the High level Meeting on UHC and promote the release of the UN Secretary General s Policy Brief on COVID 19 and UHC Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Health from around the world reflected on the commitments made in the Political Declaration on UHC taking stock of national and global efforts to deliver UHC in the context of COVID 19 and the challenges and opportunities for building back better for a more equitable and sustainable world The Foreign Minister of Japan announced US 130 million to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitments of which the United Kingdom matched 32 5 million The event also included a thematic panel with global health leaders who explored new and innovative partnerships to accelerate and scale up the development production and equitable access to COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines as well as needed health system transformation to better protect health and human security Click here to watch the event Moderated by Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation the event included the participation of H E Mr MOTEGI Toshimitsu Foreign Minister of Japan H E Mr Don Pramudwinai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand H E Mr David Zalkaliani Foreign Minister of Georgia H E Ms Raychelle Omamo SC EGH Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Kenya H E Mr Amadou Ba Minister of Foreign Affairs Senegal H E Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu Minister of Health Ghana H E Dr Daniel Salinas Minister of Health Uruguay H E Dr Harsh Vardhan Minister of Health India H E Mr Jean Baptiste Lemoyne Minister of State for Tourism French Nationals Abroad Francophonie France H E Ms Wendy Morton MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office United Kingdom Ms Marjeta Jager Deputy Director General for International Cooperation and Development European Commission H E Mr ISHIKANE Kimihiro Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations H E Mr Antonio Guterres Secretary General of the United Nations Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of the World Health Organization Ms Henrietta Fore Executive Director of UNICEF Dr Seth Berkley CEO of Gavi Dr Richard Hatchett CEO of CEPI Ms Sylvana Q Sinha CEO and Founder of Praava Health Member of the UHC2030 Private Sector Constituency Dr Khuat Thi Hai Oanh Executive Director Center for Support Community Development Initiatives SCDI Advisory Group Member of the UHC2030 Civil Society Engagement Mechanism', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-10-2020-one-year-commemoration-of-the-high-level-meeting-on-uhc-measuring-progress-challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-context-of-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(451, 'Denmark boosts commitment to WHO', 'On 5 October 2020 WHO and Denmark signed a multiyear agreement in which Denmark increased its flexible support to WHO As part of the agreement Denmark s funding to WHO will exceed 140 million Danish kroner over US 20 million of flexible and thematic contributions for the 2020 2023 period Denmark s voluntary flexible contributions rise to 25 million Danish kroner over US 3 9 million per year A further 10 million Danish kroner over US 1 5 million of thematic funds will be provided to WHO broadly earmarked towards the battle of non communicable diseases The Danish government commits to doubling Denmark s voluntary core contribution to WHO from 2021 subject to parliamentary approval to take global responsibility in strengthening health for the most vulnerable RasmusPrehn healthforall https t co S5F0Z4CgSL Morten Jespersen DKAmb UNGva September 2 2020 The Danish Government announced in September their commitment to double Denmark s voluntary core contribution to WHO from 2021 Core voluntary funds are a key source of support that allows WHO to be agile strategic and work where and on what is needed most Denmark has long been an essential partner of WHO and a strong champion of health and human rights around the world Thanks to their continued support we look forward to stepping up our work to improve health all over the world fight non communicable diseases and continue our work on COVID 19 said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus According to its WHO agenda for 2020 2023 Denmark places a strong emphasis on gender equality and the rights of women and girls and includes sexual and reproductive health and rights as vital to improving health for all at all ages Noncommunicable diseases NCDs including heart disease stroke cancer diabetes and chronic lung disease are collectively responsible for almost 70 of all deaths worldwide WHO provides leadership and the evidence base for international action on surveillance prevention and control of NCDs Denmark s donation will help WHO strengthen its work on NCDs In addition to non communicable diseases Denmark is committed to strengthening WHO s response to emergencies as well as universal health coverage and fighting antimicrobial resistance Find out more about Denmark s contributions to WHO Find out more about Denmark s participation and support of WHO', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/09-10-2020-denmark-boosts-commitment-to-who', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(452, 'Launch of Ethics &amp; Vector-borne Diseases: WHO Guidance', 'On Wednesday 14 October WHO will launch new guidance Ethics vector borne diseases The guidance document is a culmination of more than three years of work and will be a valuable new tool to support global efforts to prevent and control vector borne diseases VBDs VBDs are a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality and have a disproportionate impact on the world s poorest populations However despite the growing burden and threat of VBDs to individuals families and societies the significant ethical issues raised by VBDs have received only limited attention Recognizing this gap WHO developed this guidance to help programs and staff working in VBD prevention and control identify and respond to the core ethical issues at stake The guidance was developed by an international group of experts in vector control infectious disease ethics maternal and child health ecology and climate change research and vaccine development and public health communication It examines a broad range of ethical considerations related to VBD prevention and control including the social and environmental determinants of health vector control methods including emerging technologies screening surveillance and research vaccine campaigns and mass drug administration Grounded in a multidisciplinary framework the guidance emphasizes the critical role of community engagement in designing and implementing an appropriate sustainable public health response In addition to the ethics guidance document WHO will also release its position statement Evaluation of genetically modified mosquitoes for the control of vector borne diseases The event will be hosted by WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan and feature the following speakers Euzebiusz Jamrozik University of Oxford UK and Monash University Australia Raman Velayudhan Coordinator WHO Veterinary Public Health Vector Control and Environment Unit Francine Ntoumi Fondation Congolaise pour la recherche M dicale Facult des Sciences et Techniques Universit Marien Ngouabi Republic of the Congo John Reeder WHO Research for Health Department Launch details Wednesday October 14 2020 12 00 PM 1 00 PM UTC 01 00 Register here', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-10-2020-launch-of-ethics-vector-borne-diseases-who-guidance', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(453, 'One stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds, according to first ever joint UN estimates', 'Almost 2 million babies are stillborn every year or 1 every 16 seconds according to the first ever joint stillbirth estimates released by UNICEF WHO the World Bank Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-10-2020-one-stillbirth-occurs-every-16-seconds-according-to-first-ever-joint-un-estimates', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(454, 'Global challenge for movement on mental health kicks off as lack of investment in mental health leaves millions without access to services', 'A global social media challenge to get the world moving on mental health is launched today with a call for a massive scale up in investment in mental health Ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October the World Health Organization in collaboration with United for Global Mental Health and the World Federation for Mental Health are encouraging people from all countries to support a global movement calling for greater investment in mental health The MoveforMentalHealth challenge is asking people around the world to post videos showing what they do in support of their mental well being whether it be dancing walking doing yoga cooking painting or something else entirely on their favourite social media platforms using the hashtag MoveForMentalHealth Social media platforms such as Tik Tok Facebook and Instagram are supporting the MoveforMentalHealth challenge and helping kickstart broader conversations about mental health and the importance of investment Messenger apps are providing support too On World Mental Health Day WHO will launch a digital stress management guide on the Whatsapp chat platform Based on the stress management guide Doing what matters in times of stress the digital guide includes short easy to follow guided exercises to help reduce stress In addition Messenger will be launching a new sticker pack designed with the support of WHO to facilitate conversations around mental health As we continue to live through a global pandemic we need movement on mental health perhaps more than we have ever needed it before said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of WHO We need to move for our own mental health the mental health of our families friends and colleagues and more importantly so that there is a massive increase in investment for mental health services at national and international levels The magnitude of the mental health burden faced around the world is not being matched by the investment it requires The extraordinary increase in mental health needs with the added challenges of COVID 19 is taking its toll on already overburdened and under resourced mental health services Countries spend on average only 2 of their health budgets on mental health Despite some increases in recent years international development assistance for mental health has never exceeded 1 of all development assistance for health Our world wasn t set up to respond to the growing mental health needs before COVID 19 and it certainly isn t now That s why now more than ever we need the world to move for mental health and as individuals communities businesses governments and funders we must prioritise action on and investment in mental health said Elisha London CEO and Founder of United for Global Mental Health Close to one billion people globally have a mental disorder and those with severe mental disorders tend to die 10 20 years earlier than the general population Suicide is claiming the lives of close to 800 000 people every year 1 person every 40 seconds and is the second leading cause of death for young people aged 15 29 years Relatively few people around the world have access to quality mental health services especially in low and middle income countries where more than 75 of people with mental neurological and substance use disorders receive no treatment for their condition at all Mental health is affected by many factors and circumstances It touches on everything poverty equality and development which is why we need to ensure greater investment and greater access to mental health for all said Dr Ingrid Daniels President of the World Federation for Mental Health Other events taking place around this year s World Mental Health Day include Big Event for Mental Health On World Mental Health Day Saturday 10 October WHO is inviting the global community to take part in The Big Event for Mental Health an unprecedented online advocacy event that will call for increased investment in mental health at all levels The Big Event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on 10 October from 16 00 to 19 00 CEST on WHO s YouTube Facebook Twitter TikTok and LinkedIn channels and website For updated information about the Big Event including the latest line up of performances and participants visit the Big Event web page To learn more about World Mental Health Day visit WHO s campaign page World s first virtual March for Mental Health The world s first virtual March for Mental Health will live stream 9 10 October and over the course of 24 hours mental health experts campaigners advocates and people with lived experience from more than 17 countries will be sharing their stories as part of a global momentum to drive change and investment in mental health globally For more information and to sign up and join the March visit www marchformentalhealth com The Grand Celebration The Global Mental Health Fest 20 organized by the World Federation for Mental Health will bring together people from different communities age groups organizations and institutions from across the world The stage will be open for various perspectives to blend and consolidate promoting the essence of unity and solidarity as we work together to establish mental well being as our universal right More information from www wmhd2020 com Note To access the stress management guide on Whatsapp click here The World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system Founded in 1948 WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 150 offices to promote health keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable WHO s goals for 2019 2023 are to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage to protect a billion more people from health emergencies and to provide a further billion people with better health and well being WHO United for Global Mental Health United for Global Mental Health brings together the global mental health community with governments funders and campaigners to help make sure everyone everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health The not for profit organization was launched at the UN in September 2018 www unitedgmh org UnitedGMH The World Federation for Mental Health The World Federation for Mental Health is an international membership organization founded in 1948 to advance among all peoples and nations the prevention of mental and emotional disorders the proper treatment and care of those with such disorders and the promotion of mental health The Federation was the initiator of World Mental Health Day https wfmh global WMHDay', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/07-10-2020-global-challenge-for-movement-on-mental-health-kicks-off-as-lack-of-investment-in-mental-health-leaves-millions-without-access-to-services', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(455, 'COVID-19 disrupting mental health services in most countries, WHO survey', 'The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing according to a new WHO survey The survey of 130 countries provides the first global data showing the devastating impact of COVID 19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for increased funding The survey was published ahead of WHO s Big Event for Mental Health a global online advocacy event on 10 October that will bring together world leaders celebrities and advocates to call for increased mental health investments in the wake of COVID 19 WHO has previously highlighted the chronic underfunding of mental health prior to the pandemic countries were spending less than 2 per cent of their national health budgets on mental health and struggling to meet their populations needs And the pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services Bereavement isolation loss of income and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones Many people may be facing increased levels of alcohol and drug use insomnia and anxiety Meanwhile COVID 19 itself can lead to neurological and mental complications such as delirium agitation and stroke People with pre existing mental neurological or substance use disorders are also more vulnerable to SARS CoV 2 infection they may stand a higher risk of severe outcomes and even death Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well being said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director General of the World Health Organization COVID 19 has interrupted essential mental health services around the world just when they re needed most World leaders must move fast and decisively to invest more in life saving mental health programmes during the pandemic and beyond Survey finds major disruptions to critical mental health services The survey was conducted from June to August 2020 among 130 countries across WHO s six regions It evaluates how the provision of mental neurological and substance use services has changed due to COVID 19 the types of services that have been disrupted and how countries are adapting to overcome these challenges Countries reported widespread disruption of many kinds of critical mental health services Over 60 reported disruptions to mental health services for vulnerable people including children and adolescents 72 older adults 70 and women requiring antenatal or postnatal services 61 67 saw disruptions to counseling and psychotherapy 65 to critical harm reduction services and 45 to opioid agonist maintenance treatment for opioid dependence More than a third 35 reported disruptions to emergency interventions including those for people experiencing prolonged seizures severe substance use withdrawal syndromes and delirium often a sign of a serious underlying medical condition 30 reported disruptions to access for medications for mental neurological and substance use disorders Around three quarters reported at least partial disruptions to school and workplace mental health services 78 and 75 respectively While many countries 70 have adopted telemedicine or teletherapy to overcome disruptions to in person services there are significant disparities in the uptake of these interventions More than 80 of high income countries reported deploying telemedicine and teletherapy to bridge gaps in mental health compared with less than 50 of low income countries WHO has issued guidance to countries on how to maintain essential services including mental health services during COVID 19 and recommends that countries allocate resources to mental health as an integral component of their response and recovery plans The Organization also urges countries to monitor changes and disruptions in services so that they can address them as required Although 89 of countries reported in the survey that mental health and psychosocial support is part of their national COVID 19 response plans only 17 of these countries have full additional funding for covering these activities This all highlights the need for more money for mental health As the pandemic continues even greater demand will be placed on national and international mental health programmes that have suffered from years of chronic underfunding Spending 2 of national health budgets on mental health is not enough International funders also need to do more mental health still receives less than 1 of international aid earmarked for health Those who do invest in mental health will reap rewards Pre COVID 19 estimates reveal that nearly US 1 trillion in economic productivity is lost annually from depression and anxiety alone However studies show that every US 1 spent on evidence based care for depression and anxiety returns US 5 Note on World Mental Health Day Mobilizing the global community to MoveforMentalHeatlh On World Mental Health Day Saturday 10 October as part of its campaign Move for mental health let s invest WHO is inviting the global community to take part in The Big Event for Mental Health an unprecedented online advocacy event that will call for increased investment in mental health at all levels from individuals to businesses to countries to civil society so that the world can begin to close the gaps highlighted by today s report The Big Event is free and open to the public and will be broadcast on 10 October from 16 00 to 19 00 CEST on WHO s YouTube Facebook Twitter TikTok and LinkedIn channels and website For updated information about the Big Event for Mental Health including the latest lineup of performances and participants visit the Big Event web page To learn more about World Mental Health Day visit WHO s campaign page', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-2020-covid-19-disrupting-mental-health-services-in-most-countries-who-survey', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(456, 'WHO welcomes a contribution of US$ 90 million from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support its COVID-19 global response', 'His Excellency Mr Mohammed A Al Jadaan Minister of Finance Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed a new contribution agreement in the amount of US 90 million in flexible funding to support of the implementation of the COVID 19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan The Flexible funding is critical to WHO s ability to direct resources to where they are most needed to respond to the health needs of vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic This important contribution is part of the US 500 million pledge announced following the extraordinary G20 summit on 26 March 2020 that was called and chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of WHO s major supporters in different areas of global health and primarily in emergency response said Dr Tedros We thank the Kingdom and its people for the continued support towards the Global COVID 19 Response Through this contribution the Kingdom has demonstrated its unequivocal solidarity with WHO and its global leadership which will greatly support the most vulnerable peoples across the world The contribution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is critical to WHO s efforts to support countries that are struggling to contain COVID 19 this contribution will enable WHO to continue strengthening country readiness and response operations accelerating priority research and innovation and coordination of the response at global regional and country level as set out in the Organizations Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a longstanding partnership with WHO and is a strong supporter of global public health initiatives Over the past five years alone the Kingdom has contributed over US 300 Million to WHO s operations in various countries including Yemen Iraq Pakistan Bangladesh among others', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/02-10-2020-who-welcomes-a-contribution-of-usd-90-million-from-the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-to-support-its-covid-19-global-response', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(457, 'The Russian Federation steps up support to WHO for global health security and noncommunicable diseases', 'Today Mr Gennady Gatilov Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus signed four new memoranda of understanding MoU agreements including a contribution for an amount exceeding US 15 million to support priority health actions The focus areas include the International Health Regulations 2005 implementation of the COVID 19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan increasing the quantity of WHO health information in the Russian language to promote health literacy in Russian speaking countries reducing maternal newborn and child deaths and strengthening WHO human resources The Russian Federation has been in important partner and Member State of WHO and has consistently demonstrated its solid commitment and strong support to WHO and the global health community said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus I thank the Russian Federation for their generous support to WHO s priority health actions As a vital actor in the global health arena and a valued and recognized WHO donor the Russian Federation consistently contributes expertise financial human technical and other resources to support the global community in tackling a broad spectrum of global health challenges More recently throughout 2020 Russia has contributed substantial resources to support a number of priority WHO projects to achieve health related SDGs such as maternal newborn and child health support to the global COVID 19 response and non communicable diseases prevention and control A signing ceremony has taken place to commemorate this important new contribution with the participation of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva WHO and other International Organizations in Geneva WHO plays a key role as the directing and coordinating authority on international health matters said Permanent Representative Gennady Gatilov The Government of the Russian Federation confirms its commitment to enhancing its constructive cooperation with WHO Russia remains a reliable partner of the WHO and looks forward to further collaboration with all interested parties in order to strengthen the Organization s capacity', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/02-10-2020-the-russian-federation-steps-up-support-to-who-for-global-health-security-and-noncommunicable-diseases', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(458, 'The best time to prevent the next pandemic is now: countries join voices for better emergency preparedness', 'COVID 19 will not be the world s last health emergency and there is an urgent need for sustainable health emergency preparedness to deal with the next one This was the strong sentiment shared by participants of the United Nations General Assembly side event on Sustainable preparedness for health security and resilience Adopting a whole of society approach and breaking the panic then forget cycle The high level virtual event was co hosted by Finland France and Indonesia along with the World Health Organization WHO Past crises have shown that once an outbreak is under control governments and donors tend to turn their attention to other pressing concerns This cycle of panic then forget has prevented the development of effective health emergency preparedness across the globe The world needs to break this cycle once and for all This week the world crossed a grim milestone with over a million lives lost to the COVID 19 pandemic and many more expected to have died from unprecedented disruptions to the health systems Over the years we have had many reports reviews and recommendations all saying the same thing the world is not prepared for a pandemic COVID 19 has laid bare the truth when the time came the world was still not ready said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General in his opening address He called for investing in preparedness with an all of government and all of society approach This will not be the last pandemic nor the last global health emergency But with the right political and financial investments now we can advance health security prevent and mitigate future pandemics and protect our future and the future of generations to come he said Countries spoke of their commitment to health emergency preparedness We know that preparedness makes economic sense and we have developed tools and models for multi sectoral cooperation Learning from the pandemic and building on the previous progress should guide our steps to strengthen Health Security and thus help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals said P ivi Sillanaukee Ambassador for Health and Wellbeing Republic of Finland There is an urgent need to leverage the response to COVID 19 to build maintain and strengthen sustainable public health capacities for emergency preparedness France firmly believes that preparedness deserves to be placed much higher on the foreign policy agenda and we are willing to foster cooperation among Member States to ensure the continued visibility of this topic whether here in Geneva or at the UNGA in New York said St phanie Seydoux Ambassador for Global Health French Republic Health emergency preparedness is part of the larger vision of health for all In her speech Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno L P Marsudi reminded participants that the investment we must make at the national level now is ensuring affordable health care for all Let us ask ourselves how many times have we heard of people denying themselves of much needed medical health care due to costs The issue of affordable health care for all is at the heart of Indonesia s chairmanship of the Foreign Policy and Global Health initiative Also sharing their countries experience with COVID 19 were the Ministers of Health of the Netherlands Oman Senegal and Singapore Speaking to this issue as well were the Coordinator of the Group of African Ambassadors in Geneva and Germany s Deputy Director General Federal Foreign Office The discussion was led by Ambassador Hasan Kleib of Indonesia in Geneva Stressing the role of community empowerment was the President of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC Mr Francesco Rocca He said his organization had learned from working with its network of responders in 192 countries that there is an urgent need to invest in preparedness at the community level to promote humanitarian action to be as local as possible as global as necessary We call on governments partners and donors to invest in preparedness at the community level to save lives and alleviate suffering in the next inevitable emergency The role of parliaments and the importance of a multisectoral approach was highlighted by the Secretary General of the Inter Parliamentary Union Mr Martin Chungong The International Association of National Public Health Institutes and the European Commission s Directorate General for Development and Cooperation emphasized the important role played by partner organizations in country and global preparedness and financing Mr Sami Kanaan the Mayor of Geneva stressed an all of society approach Local governments must not only be provided with the means to implement policies They also need to be included in the international debates that eventually shape solutions to the humanity s most pressing challenges he said Closing the event Dr Michael Ryan Executive Director WHO Health Emergencies Programme appreciated the participants remarks and asked for them to be met with sustained commitment to preparedness We cannot cannot cannot let the world forget because the next one may not be anything but the worst one he said This COVID 19 may just be a harbinger of what may come we are living with too much risk This event marked a crucial dialogue among countries donors and partners on building back better for future emergency preparedness during the current COVID 19 pandemic and beyond It comes on the heels of the release of a sobering report by the Global Preparedness and Monitoring Board that also called for urgent action in this area According to the report investments in preparedness would only cost US 5 per person annually whereas the cost of this pandemic is already over US 11 trillion and counting', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/01-10-2020-the-best-time-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic-is-now-countries-join-voices-for-better-emergency-preparedness', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(459, 'World leaders, celebrities to join WHO’s Big Event for Mental Health on 10 October', 'WHO s first ever online advocacy event for mental health will focus on the urgent need to address the world s chronic under investment in mental health a problem that has been thrown into the spotlight during the COVID 19 pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/01-10-2020-world-leaders-celebrities-to-join-who-s-big-event-for-mental-health-on-10-october', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(460, 'WHO launches portal for global data on the health and well-being of older people', 'On the International Day of Older Persons WHO is launching the first data portal that brings together in one place data on global indicators for monitoring the health and well being of people aged 60 and over Data is included for indicators such as percentage of older people aged 60 years and over healthy life expectancy at age 60 major causes of death in older people prevalence of common impairments such as hearing and vision loss percentage of older people receiving long term care in residential facilities and in their home and the percentage of older people living in an age friendly environment Also included are indicators for tracking the progress of government commitments to promote the health and well being of older adults Data in the portal is disaggregated by age sex and country to allow a comprehensive understanding of trends across different population groups and to better manage progress towards global goals Through maps charts and tables the portal offers tailored options for visualization and analysis of the data During the Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020 2030 endorsed by the World Health Assembly in August 2020 the portal will remain a gateway for accessing all global data related to older persons produced by WHO other international organizations such as the UNDESA the ILO the World Bank and the OECD as well as academic institutions such as the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation By the end of 2020 users of the portal will be able to create country profiles as background for conducting situational analyses and initiating policy dialogues with stakeholders Data will be updated as and when new estimates or information become available This information will strengthen the visibility of issues relating to the health and well being of older people and should ultimately help inform and drive action for national policies and plans to support healthy ageing', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/01-10-2020-who-launches-portal-for-global-data-on-the-health-and-well-being-of-older-people', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL);
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(461, 'UN welcomes nearly $1 billion in recent pledges - to bolster access to lifesaving tests, treatments and vaccines to end COVID-19', 'New commitments from governments international organizations and the private sector support unified approach to end pandemic backing a response of unprecedented scale scope and speed through the Access to COVID 19 Tools Accelerator as pandemic claims more than 1 million lives Recent Commitments at a Glance United Kingdom 571m US 732m for COVAX pillar of the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator of which up to 500m US 641m is to support low and middle income countries This includes a commitment to match 1 for every US 4 committed by others up to 250m US 321m Canada CAD 440m US 332m for the COVAX pillar of the ACT Accelerator of which CAD 220 US 166m is to support low middle income countries Germany EUR 100m US 117m for the COVAX pillar of the ACT Accelerator all of which is to support low and middle income countries Sweden US 10m for the COVAX pillar of the ACT Accelerator all of which is to support low and middle income countries World Bank US 12 billion to support developing countries to purchase COVID 19 vaccines as soon as they are available to be ratified by their shareholders A coalition of 16 pharmaceutical companies and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation signed an agreement to cooperate on vaccine manufacturing and to scale up production The United Nations and its partners today welcomed a monumental show of solidarity as governments private sector civil society and international organizations committed support to the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator initiative launched by the World Health Organization alongside international partners Today nearly US 1 billion in new financing has been committed to the initiative the world s most comprehensive multilateral end to end solution to the devastating COVID 19 pandemic The ACT Accelerator which was co launched by the World Health Organization European Commission France and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation just five months ago needs an additional US 35 billion to realize its goals of producing 2 billion vaccine doses 245 million treatments and 500 million tests The new commitments to the initiative are welcome and will be leveraged to catalyze further funding to continue the ACT Accelerator s groundbreaking work Most urgently the ACT Accelerator requires US 15 billion to support immediate capacity building for research and development manufacturing procurement and delivery systems by the end of the year Convening a high level event at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly to urgently mobilize support for the ACT Accelerator Secretary General Ant nio Guterres commended on the extraordinary international effort to address a human crisis like no other in our lifetimes adding that more efforts must be made to further deepen the remarkable progress so far It is in every country s national and economic self interest to work together to massively expand access to tests and treatments and to support a vaccine as a global public good a people s vaccine available and affordable for everyone everywhere The ACT Accelerator including its COVAX Facility is the vehicle to get us there Investing in the ACT Accelerator will accelerate every country s own recovery said Mr Guterres who co hosted the event with the United Kingdom s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab South Africa s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and the Director General of World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Unprecedented Global Collaboration The ACT Accelerator which was launched just five months ago is an unprecedented global collaboration of the world s top international health organizations working together to accelerate the development production and equitable delivery of COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines We have a duty to ensure vaccines treatments and tests for COVID 19 are available to all stopping the global spread of the pandemic protects the British people and will put humanity on the road to recovery Collaboration through the ACT Accelerator is critical to promoting development production and access for all countries said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab The United Kingdom recently committed up to 571m approximately US 732m for COVAX This includes up to 500m for the Gavi Advanced Market Commitment for COVID 19 COVAX AMC vaccines a financing instrument that incentivises vaccine manufacturers to produce sufficient COVID 19 vaccines to ensure access for developing countries Today the UK Foreign Secretary called for more support pledging that this 500m commitment would include 1 IS 1 29 in matched funding for every US 4 committed by others for up to 250m approximately US 321m Germany Canada and Sweden have also made new commitments to the COVAX AMC of Euro 100 million CAD 220 million and US 10 million respectively These are eligible for matching with today s UK matching commitment Science is giving us solutions in the form of new tests therapeutics and hopefully a vaccine But science and solutions will be ineffective without solidarity said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General I am grateful for the generous financial commitments made today but we still have a significant funding gap to close Fully financing the ACT Accelerator will help to control the pandemic restore confidence and stimulate the global recovery Frankly this is not a financial challenge it s a test of solidarity This is a moment for saying no to nationalism and yes to our shared humanity Because ultimately the ACT Accelerator is not delivering merely vaccines diagnostics and therapeutics It s delivering something far more important hope We must confront this health crisis as a global challenge together in solidarity and cooperation with one another working toward a global solution We have to generate the key tests treatments and vaccines that we all need and make sure they are distributed equitably to people who most need them regardless of where they live and whether their country is wealthy or not said South Africa s Health Minister Zweli Mkhize adding that large parts of the population especially in developing countries remain vulnerable and marginalized during this pandemic Today s event highlighted the substantial results achieved by the Access to COVID 19 Tools Accelerator initiative since its launch the availability of 120 million affordable and high quality rapid tests for low and middle income countries a breakthrough in trials with and a rapid rollout of Dexamethasone the only drug found to make a significant difference to patient mortality the creation of the COVAX Facility the global mechanism to ensure equitable access to eventual COVID 19 vaccines regardless of income comprising 168 economies and the largest and most diverse vaccine portfolio in the world with nine candidate vaccines under evaluation eight of them in clinical trials In another significant show of support a coalition of 16 pharmaceutical companies and the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation signed an agreement to cooperate on vaccine manufacturing and to scale up production at an unprecedented speed ensuring that approved vaccines are more broadly accessible and distributed as early as possible Bill Gates Co Chair of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation said One thing I ve learned studying the history of pandemics is that they create a surprising dynamic when it comes to self interest and altruism Pandemics are rare cases where a country s instinct to help itself is tightly aligned with its instinct to help others The self interested thing and the altruistic thing making sure poor nations have access to vaccines are one and the same A number of countries most recently the United Kingdom and Canada are good models for what other wealthy nations should do They have donated enough money for COVAX the vaccine pillar of the ACT Accelerator to procure probably hundreds of millions of vaccine doses for poor countries But more will be needed and I hope wealthy nations will continue to be generous The World Bank unveiled plans this week for a significant financial commitment to support developing countries to purchase COVID 19 vaccines as soon as they are available World Bank President David Malpass said that once the plans are ratified by stakeholders having up to US 12 billion available in finance will be a game changer because once a safe and effective vaccine is available it will allow people to resume their lives with confidence Investing in Global Recovery The ACT Accelerator Investment Case illustrates the considerable economic benefits of collectively accelerating the development and deployment of tools to rapidly reduce the risk of severe COVID 19 disease globally Prior to UNGA 2020 the ACT Accelerator has raised US 3 billion out of a need of US 38 billion More detail can be found in the Act Accelerator investment case The economic rationale for investing in an approach that can accelerate the end of the COVID 19 crisis remains clear Fully financing the initiative to help shorten the duration of the crisis would pay back this investment in less than 36 hours once global mobility and trade alone are restored Notes to Editors The Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator is the proven up and running global collaboration to accelerate the development production and equitable access to COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and launched by the WHO European Commission France and The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020 The ACT Accelerator is not a decision making body or a new organization it works to speed up collaborative efforts among existing organizations to end the pandemic It is a framework for collaboration that has been designed to bring key players around the table with the goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through the accelerated development equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of tests treatments and vaccines thereby protecting health systems and restoring societies and economies in the near term It draws on the experience of leading global health organizations which are tackling the world s toughest health challenges and who by working together are able to unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID 19 Its members share a commitment to ensure all people have access to all the tools needed to defeat COVID 19 and to work with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it The ACT Accelerator comprises four pillars diagnostics therapeutics vaccines and health system strengthening The diagnostics pillar co convened by the Global Fund and FIND is focused on bringing to market 2 3 high quality rapid tests training 10 000 healthcare professionals across 50 countries and establishing testing for 500 million people in Low and Middle Income countries by mid 2021 The therapeutics pillar is led by Unitaid and The Wellcome Trust Therapeutics can play a role in all stages of COVID 19 disease to prevent infection suppress symptoms and spread of infection to others treat or prevent symptoms as a life saving treatment for severe symptoms and as a treatment that can speed up recovery The aim in the next 12 months is to develop manufacture and distribute 245 million treatments helping COVID 19 sufferers to recover from the disease The vaccines pillar convened by CEPI Gavi and WHO is speeding up the search for an effective vaccine for all countries At the same time it is supporting the building of manufacturing capabilities and buying supply ahead of time so that 2 billion doses can be fairly distributed by the end of 2021 The health systems connector pillar led by the World Bank and the Global Fund is working to ensure that these tools can reach the people who need them Cross cutting all of these is the workstream on Access Allocation hosted by the World Health Organization For more information please visit WHO ACT Accelerator Website who int initiatives act accelerator Status Report Plan bit ly ACTAcceleratorStatusReport Economic Investment Case bit ly ACTAcceleratorInvestmentCase UN COVID 19 Response Portal un org en coronavirus Archived video of the event is available on UN Web TV', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/30-09-2020-un-welcomes-nearly-1-billion-in-recent-pledges-to-bolster-access-to-lifesaving-tests-treatments-and-vaccines-to-end-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(462, 'WHO to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'The World Health Organization leadership and staff are outraged by recent reports of alleged sexual exploitation and abuse in the context of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC The actions allegedly perpetrated by individuals identifying themselves as working for WHO are unacceptable and will be robustly investigated The betrayal of people in the communities we serve is reprehensible We do not tolerate such behaviour in any of our staff contractors or partners Anyone identified as being involved will be held to account and face serious consequences including immediate dismissal The Director General has initiated a thorough review of the specific allegations as well as broader protection issues in health emergency response settings WHO has a zero tolerance policy with regard to sexual exploitation and abuse', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/29-09-2020-who-to-investigate-allegations-of-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-in-ebola-response-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo', 22, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(463, 'Oropouche virus disease - French Guiana, France', 'On 30 September 2020 the French Guiana Regional Health Agency ARS reported the first detection of Oropouche virus OROV in French Guiana On 22 September 2020 the Pasteur Institute in Cayenne a member of the French National Reference Laboratory for arboviruses notified the France IHR National Focal Point of seven laboratory confirmed cases of Oropouche virus infection in the village of Sa l These cases were identified following clinical investigations of an unusually high number of dengue like illnesses in the village Between 11 August and 25 September there were 37 clinically compatible cases of Oropouche virus disease identified in Sa l The results of serology for dengue chikungunya and Zika were negative and seven of nine cases tested positive for OROV by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction RT PCR Among the 37 clinically compatible cases most cases are male 60 and the median age is 36 years range 3 82 years The most represented age range is 15 to 54 years old 19 cases followed by 0 to 14 years old 10 cases A peak of cases was observed in mid September however the outbreak investigation remains ongoing', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/13-october-2020-oropouche-french-guiana-france/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(464, 'Multiple sclerosis: NICE recommends treatment for secondary progressive MS', 'The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended an oral drug for treating secondary progressive multiple sclerosis the first new treatment for this group of patients in more', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/HKkdDXmUFSA/bmj.m3990.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(465, 'Warfarin in patients with mechanical heart valves', 'What you need to knowPatients with mechanical heart valves require lifelong anticoagulation with warfarin to prevent thromboembolismDo not prescribe direct oral anticoagulants as their safety in', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/crZ4gsmidmc/bmj.m3956.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(466, 'Covid-19 and net zero for health', 'Nine months ago the world stopped for covid 19 Amid the loss of life health and livelihoods there were welcome blue skies and birdsong People did less flying and driving more Zooming walking', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/ASWyA4bu71g/bmj.m3970.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(467, 'Drug deaths: England and Wales see highest number since records began', 'Nearly 4400 drug poisoning deaths were registered in England and Wales in 2019 the highest number since records began in 1993 a report from the Office for National Statistics ONS has shown 1While', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/eYelgagLzaM/bmj.m3988.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(468, 'Nabilone and Parkinson&amp;#x2019;s . . . and other stories', 'Nabilone for Parkinson s diseaseThe synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol analogue nabilone is sometimes used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cytotoxic chemotherapy A small open label trial reports', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/dDCGgchumC4/bmj.m3901.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(469, 'Sudden onset homonymous quadrantanopia', 'While looking at the starry night sky a man in his 60s a retired general practitioner with an unremarkable medical history noticed sudden loss of vision in both eyes affecting the upper left', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/jSaFuESpwT4/bmj.m3338.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-10-15 12:26:50', NULL),
(470, '\"2019-ncov\" OR nCov OR (coronavirus AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR \"novel coronavirus\" OR (pneumonia AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR COVID-19[TW] OR 2019ncov[TW] AND ( ( \"2019/12/01\"[PDat] : \"3000/12/31\"[PDat] ) ); +24204 new citations', '24204 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results 2019 ncov OR nCov OR coronavirus AND wuhan TIAB OR novel coronavirus OR pneumonia AND wuhan TIAB OR COVID 19 TW OR 2019ncov TW AND 2019 12 01 PDat 3000 12 31 PDat These pubmed results were generated on 2020 12 13PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE life science journals and online books Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites', 'https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&amp;db=pubmed&amp;term=%28%20%28%222019-ncov%22%20OR%20nCov%20OR%20%28coronavirus%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20%22novel%20coronavirus%22%20OR%20%28pneumonia%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20COVID-19%5BTW%5D%20OR%202019ncov%5BTW%5D%20AND%20%28%20%28%20%222019%2F12%2F01%22%5BPDat%5D%20%3A%20%223000%2F12%2F31%22%5BPDat%5D%20%29%20%29%29%20AND%20%222020%2F10%2F14%2004.12%22%5BMHDA%5D%3A%222020%2F12%2F13%2008.29%22%5BMHDA%5D%29', 21, 'pending', '2020-12-13 13:29:22', NULL),
(471, 'Leading through example: Norway paves the way to ensure equal access to COVID-19 treatments and develops trailblazing flagship initiative on noncommunicable diseases', 'On 1 December 2020 the Government of Norway and WHO met virtually for their annual strategic dialogue This year s meeting was particularly crucial with the overall objective of reviewing strategic challenges for WHO s Thirteenth General Programme of Work in view of the COVID 19 pandemic Key issues discussed included universal health coverage care management and risk reduction for noncommunicable diseases NCDs and health emergencies preparedness and country readiness Norway has been a stalwart supporter of global health issues for decades paving the way to strengthen health systems in lower and middle income countries as shown by the country s leadership of the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well being for All framework said Ms Jane Ellison WHO Executive Director for External Relations and Governance And now within the context of the COVID 19 pandemic Norway is playing a key role in ensuring equitable access to COVID 19 tools WHO is deeply grateful to the Government of Norway for its leadership and pioneer work acting as an example during the pandemic Norway is one of WHO s top 10 core voluntary donors Its flexible funding support helps WHO address pockets of poverty makes it possible for WHO to fill critical gaps to provide health interventions to the most vulnerable populations It also allows WHO to act quickly by allocating funds when and where they are needed most Norway is also a pioneer in the area of NCDs and has initiated the development of a flagship initiative on NCDs in the context of development cooperation A first of its kind it sets out a trailblazing model of engagement across WHO divisions and the three levels of the Organization More in depth discussions on this new strategy will take place in the first quarter of 2021', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/11-12-2020-leading-through-example-norway-paves-the-way-to-ensure-equal-access-to-covid-19-treatments', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(472, 'WHO, IFRC sign memorandum of understanding on emergency medical teams', 'The World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC today launched a new collaboration to strengthen the delivery of emergency medical and health services during humanitarian crises WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and IFRC Secretary General Mr Jagan Chapagain signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on implementing the Emergency Medical Team EMT initiative We thank the IFRC for their support from the onset of the EMT Initiative and we look forward to this continued partnership in improving the quality of care in emergencies said Dr Tedros With the COVID 19 pandemic and the significant increase in emergencies around the world this agreement could not come at a better time Mr Chapagain said IFRC was committed to working side by side with WHO in providing life saving health services to communities affected by humanitarian emergencies This MoU will allow us to standardize our emergency health response work and provide increased support for National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies which play such a crucial role in emergency response Mr Chapagain said We are very committed to working together with WHO to provide quality emergency health services that communities desperately need in times of crisis The MoU also known as the Red Channel Agreement is the culmination of years of collaboration between IFRC and the WHO Emergency Medical Team Initiative The new agreement will bring more synergies to health emergency response between the two international organizations particularly in technical standards accountability and coordination It aligns the IFRC s system with that of the WHO Emergency Medical Teams global classification system in doing so recognizing the IFRC s Emergency Response Units as EMTs and heightens the involvement of IFRC teams and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the capacity building efforts of the EMT network', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/11-12-2020-who-ifrc-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-on-emergency-medical-teams', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(473, 'New checklist supports schools to reopen and prepare for COVID-19 resurgences', 'A new WHO Checklist to support schools re opening and preparation for COVID 19 resurgences or similar public health crises lists 38 essential actions to be considered by different stakeholders as they work together to agree school reopening plans According to data collected by UNESCO classrooms for nearly 1 in 5 schoolchildren globally or 320 million are closed as of 1 December an increase of nearly 90 million from 232 million on 1 November In some places children have been out of school for 9 months or more Prolonged school closures in response to the COVID 19 pandemic are presenting an unprecedented challenge to children s education health and well being worldwide The longer a student stays out of school the higher their risk of dropping out As school closure numbers continue to soar and many schools break for holidays a new WHO checklist aims to support the different levels of decision making national local and the schools themselves that are needed in order to reopen schools safely The checklist also aims to help improve adherence to existing COVID 19 related public health and social measures designed to protect children under the age of 18 years in educational settings Schools can reopen safely says Dr Ruediger Krech WHO Director of Health Promotion Decisions to reopen schools should be driven by data and the safety measures in place but also address the concerns of students parents caregivers and teachers These concerns are best addressed if reopening approaches are co designed with students parents caregivers and teachers Developed in accordance with the health promoting schools principles the checklist aims to enhance compliance and adherence to the public health measures outlined in the recently updated Considerations for school related public health measures in the context of COVID19 It focuses on protective measures such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette physical distancing use of masks in schools environmental cleaning and ventilation and respecting procedures for isolation of all people with symptoms Of the 38 essential actions 21 focus on individual school level measures to ensure the school returns to equitable and high quality education while safeguarding the health and well being of all students Some of these school level actions include reorganizing school layouts to space desks or changing school schedules to stagger recesses and breaks depending on the local context There is one set of actions to prepare to reopen schools and another to prepare schools for COVID 19 resurgences WHO encourages active engagement with concerned stakeholders including students parents and caregivers in all decisions that impact their lives families safety and education Students can be strong allies in strengthening efforts and reinforcing or amplifying public health messages The actions specific to preparing for COVID 19 resurgences aim to support schools to design plans protocols and trainings in anticipation of potential resurgences that might result in a reclosure such as increased transmission and or prevalence of COVID 19 related illness or hospitalizations following a period of cessation or interruption The checklist is not intended to suggest either uniform or all or nothing approaches Users are urged to constantly adapt the checklist and specific actions or combinations of actions in accordance with the changing local social epidemiological economic and cultural contexts The checklist was developed by WHO in collaboration with UNESCO the World Food Programme UNICEF and members from the health promoting schools expert working group', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/11-12-2020-new-checklist-supports-schools-to-reopen-and-prepare-for-covid-19-resurgences', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(474, 'Call for Action: Managing the Infodemic', 'Since the beginning of the outbreak over a year ago the COVID 19 pandemic has gravely affected our societies and economies Likewise it has deeply disrupted the lives of billions of people across the globe including the way we consume produce and react to information Thanks to new technologies we have been able to widely disseminate knowledge and evidence on this new disease However social media platforms have also been the carriers of falsehoods and distortions Underlying that the world is facing a rapid amplification and circulation of accurate but also false information the UN Secretary General and the Director General of the World Health Organization both declared that we are currently fighting an infodemic in the same way as we are fighting a pandemic An infodemic is defined as a tsunami of information some accurate some not that spreads alongside an epidemic If it is not managed accordingly an infodemic can have direct negative impacts on the health of populations and the public health response by undermining the trust in science and interventions We are also seeing that infodemics hinder the cohesiveness of societies by increasing existing social inequities stigma gender disparity and generation rift Although infodemics are not a new phenomenon the volume and rapid scale up of facts but also misinformation and disinformation surrounding the COVID 19 outbreak are unprecedented Owing to the opportunities and challenges brought by new technologies and social media platforms the infodemic that accompanies the first pandemic of the digital age is more visible and challenging than ever before Practicing information hygiene just as we are practicing hand and cough hygiene is thus becoming vital to prevent the spread of the virus This overflow of information knows no boundaries and affects our physical as well as our digital spaces By acting together to improve infodemic management online and offline and advocating for continued solidarity we believe that we can help our communities and those most vulnerable adopt healthy behaviors As outlined in the Resolution on COVID 19 1 adopted by consensus at the 73rd World Health Assembly and the G20 Health Ministers Declaration at the Riyadh Summit we need to provide populations with reliable and comprehensive information on COVID 19 and take measures to counter misinformation and disinformation The response to this infodemic demands the support development and application of efficient solutions that equip individuals and their communities with the knowledge and tools to promote accurate health information upstream and mitigate the harm that misinformation and disinformation causes downstream Fully aware of the limits of top down approaches we call upon the implementation of interventions that engage with listen to inform and empower people so that they can make decisions to protect themselves and others Deeply concerned with the undermining consequences of the current infodemic to the COVID 19 response and acknowledging the great potential for improved risk communication through new tools we hereby call on key stakeholders and the global community to commit to undertaking the following actions Recognize that an infodemic is a tsunami of information some accurate some not that spreads alongside an epidemic and note that it cannot be eliminated but it can be managed Acknowledge that infodemic management can reduce the direct and indirect negative impacts on the health of populations as well as growing mistrust towards governments science and health personnel which has fueled the polarization of societies Emphasize that everyone has a role to play in addressing the infodemic Support a whole of society approach and engage with communities in the production verification and dissemination of information that leads to healthy behaviors during epidemics and pandemics Commit to finding solutions and tools consistent with the freedom of expression to manage the infodemic embedding the use of digital technologies and data science Strive to make science more accessible transparent and understandable maintain trusted sources of information and promote evidence informed policies thereby fostering people s trust in them Learn from the COVID 19 infodemic management practices and share experience on value added partnerships We encourage other organizations and individuals to join the World Health Organization in making these commitments and holding ourselves accountable to them by signing this statement of commitment Please join us by signing this manifesto by submitting this electronic form here LINK 1 Resolution WHA73 1 COVID 19 response', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/11-12-2020-call-for-action-managing-the-infodemic', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(475, 'Statement from the ‘civil society’ track of the 3rd Global Infodemic Management Conference', 'Civil Society is not homogenous and does not encompass a singular view however we as civil society representatives and advocates come together around a shared interest and purpose to advocate for a community led approach to halt the spread of the COVID 19 Infodemic To help mitigate the impacts of and develop resilience to the COVID 19 Infodemic and future infodemics the 3rd Global Infodemic Management Conference has asked us as civil society representatives to engage in dialogue as well as discuss and commit to necessary actions that will enable individuals and communities globally to mitigate the dangerous effects of infodemics Though we are a diverse group geographically linguistically culturally and professionally we share similar challenges when it comes to infodemic management within our respective communities Throughout the first workshop we discussed debated and analysed the multitude of challenges faced by civil society across the globe While consolidating our list of challenges to the top three was not an easy task we have worked collaboratively to find consensus around the following challenges which we believe must be addressed in order to manage the COVID 19 Infodemic and mitigate its re emergence in future pandemics Challenge 1 A lack of timely accessible credible verifiable and contextualized information in a variety of local languages and formats ex digital and non digital from local regional and global actors makes it difficult for factual information to reach intended audiences and creates opportunities for disinformation misinformation and malinformation to thrive We struggle to tailor information for the diverse communities we serve From a refugee camp in Greece to a rural village in Malaysia we must find a way to contextualise at a micro level translating language and science through the correct geographical and cultural lens and making it accessible to a diverse set of people Challenge 2 Mistrust in government and global health agencies is pervasive and proliferating due to uncoordinated and at times misleading or even false information Trust is earned through meaningful engagement action and accountability not merely through top down or one way communication Individuals and communities across the globe from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere and in between are increasingly skeptical of health messages from institutions they are meant to trust most their governments global public health authorities and healthcare professionals How do we support communities and governments to rebuild trust and ultimately instill confidence in evidence based health communication Challenge 3 Making information available is insufficient in addressing the barriers that communities especially those that are marginalized and excluded experience in accessing understanding and co creating knowledge and content Low health digital media and information literacy and capacities make it difficult to access and reach our intended audience Technical and inaccessible language make it difficult for broader audiences to understand the information that is being shared with them The Westernization and colonization of global health systems alienates people especially diverse multi ethnic multi lingual and religious groups These challenges affect us all People around the globe are eager to halt the spread of COVID 19 There are many however that are uncertain concerned afraid and mistrustful They want to end the pandemic but may struggle to find actionable information relevant to their lives and contexts They want to meaningfully address COVID 19 but have concerns questions and doubts about potential treatments including vaccines Humanitarian and development actors must strive to shift from solving these challenges in a vacuum to a more inclusive and comprehensive approach where communities are actively engaged in dialogue and co creation and are able to propose and co develop solutions to the challenges they face In the second workshop and subsequent smaller working groups we considered solutions and asks of support for the challenges defined above as well as consideration and engagement to and from the wider response community represented at this global conference The golden thread that weaves through our solutions is one of placing communities at the heart of decision making Civil society cannot act alone Unless we listen dialogue and work together as a whole of society we will not be successful in mitigating the harmful effects of the COVID 19 Infodemic and other infodemics Solution 1 Develop meaningful engaging and trusting relationships with systematically excluded and marginalized communities on the basis of intersectional identities including youth women forcibly displaced persons persons with disabilities gender and sexually diverse persons Indigenous persons etc By investing supporting and leveraging existing community based structures including local media we can advance the agency and ownership of communities through the co creation and co development of solutions This process ensures credible verified and actionable information is accessible and contextualized with the needs perspectives experiences and realities of all actors in the information ecosystem Ask 1 Multilateral organizations should support and build the capacity and agency of community based structures so that communities are able to meaningfully engage in decision making governance and program development This entails active and continuous engagement mainstreaming sponsorship and resources based on the principles of trust consent accessibility justice and Open Science between communities and governments multilateral organizations media and civil society organizations to enable a whole of system approach to address the infodemic Solution 2 Infodemics thrive In the absence of trust accountability dialogue and quality equitable healthcare In order to address these drivers of disinformation and misinformation we must hold governments and other authoritative bodies accountable to the communities they serve We must shift from words to action and foster trust and continued dialogue between communities and relevant stakeholders with the ultimate goal of ensuring that communities are at the center of decision making processes and that public health solutions are co created with communities to reflect their needs concerns and ideas Ask 2 Government agencies and multilateral organizations must be held accountable and adopt an inclusive intersectional responsive transparent and community driven approach to rebuild trust Funding needs to be transparent and responsive to the communities they are meant to serve and include accountability and oversight mechanisms to ensure impact for the community Additionally global and government agencies must address issues of inequality inequity and injustice in community healthcare in order to be more inclusive transparent and responsive to the communities they serve Solution 3 Literacy is not simply an issue of being able to read and write comprehensive literacy entails critical thinking and analysis including an ability to discern fact from fiction Advancing literacy requires us to understand key barriers to meaningful access to information and services including healthcare Once these barriers are understood investments must be made in literacy capacity building and information infrastructure Information literacy must be developed with and informed by the inputs beliefs attitudes experiences perceptions social norms and capacities of individuals and communities Information and communication systems should be developed with communities and a comprehensive understanding of information actors and the existing ecosystem s in which they operate Ask 3 We must reimagine the way s in which we communicate with communities and invest resources in accessible infrastructure services and comprehensive literacy capacity building Governments and multilateral organizations must invest in transliteracy ensuring that diverse communities have the resources and skills necessary to access understand and critically analyze and or assess information especially as it relates to their health and wellbeing Investments should be made globally and locally in media and information literacy education ensuring it is part of core education curriculum Media organizations and practitioners need to be more inclusive and equitable reflecting the diverse identities and experiences of the communities they are working in and reporting on Capacity building programmes and initiatives should focus on supporting and engaging with diverse local media outlets and actors in order to build a more resilient dynamic and responsive information ecosystem Lastly scientific and public health communities should make efforts to translate complex health and other technical concepts into relevant and accessible content that uses familiar terms and languages Difficult challenges require innovative and robust solutions but most important they require the will and desire to change What we have presented above requires a global shift from top down to bottom up and systems approaches to community led problem solving and decision making Until we meaningfully shift how we view engage and support communities across the globe mainstreaming their role in response efforts we will continue to face the core drivers of the infodemic 1 Malinformation is defined in the Council of Europe s Information Disorder Report as Information that is based on reality used to inflict harm on a person organization or country 2 https en unesco org science sustainable future open science text if open science stakeholders Open to Society', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/10-12-2020-statement-from-the-civil-society-track-of-the-3rd-global-infodemic-management-conference', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(476, 'Medical Product Alert N°7/2020', 'Falsified HARVONI Ledipasvir sofosbuvir identified in the WHO regions of the Americas and EuropeAlert Summary This WHO Medical Product Alert relates to one batch of confirmed falsified HARVONI Ledipasvir sofosbuvir identified in Brazil and Turkey Falsified Harvoni was identified in Brazil in May 2020 and in Turkey in November 2020 WHO has received recent information that suggests these products are still in circulation Available information indicates that these falsified medicines were supplied at patient level The WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System database has prior records of other falsified Harvoni batches Consistent reporting is essential to determine the scope and scale of such falsified products HARVONI is an antiviral medicine indicated for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis C Please refer to the WHO Fact Sheet here for further information on Hepatitis C The falsified products identified in this Alert are confirmed falsified on the basis that they deliberately fraudulently misrepresent their identity composition or source The genuine manufacturer of HARVONI Gilead Sciences has confirmed it did not produce the product referenced in this WHO Medical Product Alert n 7 2020 AND the variable data batch number and expiry dates of these products do not correspond to genuine manufacturing records Table 1 Products referenced in WHO Medical Product Alert n 7 202 Advice to regulatory authorities and the publicWHO requests increased vigilance within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these falsified products Increased vigilance should include hospitals clinics health centres wholesalers distributors pharmacies and any other suppliers of medical products All medical products must be obtained from authorized licensed and reliable suppliers The products authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked Seek advice from a healthcare professional in case of doubt If you are in possession of the above falsified products please do not use them If you have used these falsified products or you suffered an adverse reaction event having used these products you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and to report the incident to the National Regulatory Authorities National Pharmacovigilance Centre National regulatory health authorities are advised to immediately notify WHO if these falsified products are discovered in their country If you have any information concerning the manufacture distribution or supply of these products please contact rapidalert who int Table 2 Photographs of products subject of WHO Medical product Alert n 7 2020WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring Systemfor Substandard and Falsified Medical ProductsFor more information please visit https www who int health topics substandard and falsified medical products Email rapidalert who int', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-12-2020-medical-product-alert-n-7-2020', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(477, 'Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas: a systematic review', 'Rural populations across the globe continue to face health economic and social inequities A major contributor to pervasive health inequalities in rural and remote areas is a shortage of available appropriate and motivated health workers Compounding this the COVID 19 pandemic s health health systems and socio economic impacts threaten to worsen the health outcomes of the more vulnerable rural populations Owing to partnership and the commitment and contributions of 35 reviewers with expertise in rural health workforce as researchers or practitioners And to dialogue notably at the Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in Dublin in 2017 and the WONCA World Rural Health Conference in India in 2018 WHO is able to launch a synthesis of recent evidence to see what has worked and what has not to attract develop recruit and retain health workers in rural and remote areas This review The Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas a systematic review assesses the evolution of evidence in the decade that has passed since the global policy recommendations were released and builds on the work previously undertaken to develop the WHO s 2010 Global policy recommendations Increasing access to health workers in remote and rural areas through improved retention The context and research base has greatly evolved since 2010 over 100 new studies across a wider array of health worker occupations and countries now form the evidence base This larger evidence is critical to informing effective policy approaches to redress rural health workforce gaps The review also examines the recurring factors that influence attraction development recruitment and retention of health workers in rural areas emphasizing important considerations such context occupation and career stage of workers which influence the outcomes of interventions Also highlighted are the impacts of an optimally engaged community and sustainable health systems or lack thereof on the outcomes of interest The review also underscores the need for an appropriate bundle of interventions to address the factors that influence the availability and performance of health workers It reiterates that for rural populations the universal truths no health without a health workforce and achieving universal health coverage implies leaving no one behind call to attention the need to rapidly increase efforts to close the gap to in access to health workers and has direct and indirect implications on the timely achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-12-2020-retention-of-the-health-workforce-in-rural-and-remote-areas-a-systematic-review', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(478, 'Strategic partnerships for global health: Luxembourg and WHO convene strategic dialogue', 'The overall objective of the meeting was to engage in a political dialogue and exchange views on strategies policies and activities of WHO the current WHO transformation process and COVID response review the key areas financed by Luxembourg and explore new areas of collaboration', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-12-2020-strategic-partnerships-for-global-health-luxembourg-and-who-convene-strategic-dialogue', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(479, 'Iceland joins forces with WHO to support an integrated approach to brain health', 'On 27 November 2020 Iceland signed a new contribution agreement to support work towards integrated brain health that will be led by a newly established unit within the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/27-11-2020-iceland-joins-forces-with-who-to-support-an-integrated-approach-to-brain-health', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL);
INSERT INTO `rss_articles` (`id`, `title`, `body`, `href`, `rss_id`, `status`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(480, 'G20 First-time Released Report on Digital Health Interventions for Pandemic Management', 'The first G20 report in area of digital health Report on Digital Health Implementation Approach to Pandemic Management was announced in advent of the G20 Summit This report promptly outlines digital health emergency responses landscape and proposed actions and implementation recommendations WHO assumes leadership in multiple strategic recommendation areas in this report and is committed to support countries to enhance capacity in leveraging digital intervention for emergency response through strengthened international collaboration Creation of G20 Digital Health Taskforce During the Saudi Arabian G20 presidency a G20 Digital Health Taskforce was created by endorsement of the Health Ministers The aim of the Taskforce is to strengthen international collaboration on leveraging digital health interventions addressing challenges in access to foundational requirements and supporting policy making In response to the Covid 19 emergency in April 2020 the taskforce started to tackle the pandemic challenge by bringing together 17 countries international organization including WHO ITU OECD Global Digital Health Partnership GDPH Global Fund and UNICEF to explore mechanisms to harness the digital health interventions for Covid 19 emergency response The pandemic has revealed our vulnerability but the Digital Health Taskforce confirms that today sharing resources utilities and expertise can go across national borders and beyond Dr Mona AlMehaid Saudi Arabia G20 Digital Health Lead Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia stated Launch of G20 Report on Digital Health Implementation Approach to Pandemic ManagementThe first G20 report in the area of digital health G20 Report on Digital Health Implementation Approach to Pandemic Management was launched by the Taskforce This report provides the basis of a blueprint for countries to use digital health interventions for emergencies and in future and it supports countries to select information and tools relevant to each country s health situation regulatory environment and digital maturity Colleen Brooks from the G20 Digital Health Taskforce Secretariat explains the objectives of the report Based on data collected by the Saudi G20 Digital Health Secretariat this report provides timely information to facilitate countries digital health emergency responses with proposed actions and implementation resources recommendations The information covered the whole circle of emergency response including preparation and initiation prevention and triage tracking tracing and testing treatment and vaccine and post pandemic preparation 11 recommendations have been raised for future work among which WHO takes leadership in multiple areas Support countries documenting digital health maturity in key building blocks areas including leadership and governance strategy and investment legislation policy and compliance workforce standards and interoperability and infrastructure Support international collaboration of countries in developing data standards and interoperability specifications for all types of surveillance co lead with ITU Support international collaboration in determining the best process for supplementing the available information Support open source digital health applications to be compliant with interoperability standards and specifications Support sharing telemedicine tools and platforms for free open source during a state of emergency where these tools are not available WHO is committed to take leadership to strengthen international cooperation and digital health capacity building of countries response to emergencies and will continue this effort together with G20 to enhance global health system strengthening building on lessons learnt from the Covid 19 pandemic and will continue this dialogue in G20 2021 hosted by Italy stated Bernardo Mariano Junior Chief Information Officer Director of Department of Digital Health and Innovation World Health Organization The report can be downloaded from digitalhealthtaskforce org', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/07-12-2020-g20-first-time-released-report-on-digital-health-interventions-for-pandemic-management', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(481, 'WHO reveals leading causes of death and disability worldwide: 2000-2019', 'Noncommunicable diseases now make up 7 of the world s top 10 causes of death according to WHO s 2019 Global Health Estimates published today This is an increase from 4 of the 10 leading causes in 2000 The new data cover the period from 2000 to 2019 inclusive', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/09-12-2020-who-reveals-leading-causes-of-death-and-disability-worldwide-2000-2019', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(482, 'WHO launches year-long campaign to help 100 million people quit tobacco', 'WHO today launches a year long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021 Commit to Quit The new WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp and publication More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco are being released today to mark the start of the campaign The COVID 19 pandemic has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit The campaign will support at least 100 million people as they try to give up tobacco through communities of quitters Commit to Quit will help create healthier environments that are conducive to quitting tobacco by advocating for strong tobacco cessation policies increasing access to cessation services raising awareness of tobacco industry tactics and empowering tobacco users to make successful quit attempts through quit win initiatives WHO together with partners will create and build up digital communities where people can find the social support they need to quit The focus will be on high burden countries where the majority of the world s tobacco users live WHO welcomes new contributions from partners including private sector companies that have offered support including Allen Carr s Easyway Amazon Web Services Cipla Facebook and WhatsApp Google Johnson Johnson Praekelt and Soul Machines Quitting tobacco is challenging especially with the added social and economic stresses that have come as a result of the pandemic Worldwide around 780 million people say they want to quit but only 30 of them have access to the tools that can help them do so Together with partners WHO will provide people with the tools and resources they need to make a successful quit attempt Smoking kills 8 million people a year but if users need more motivation to kick the habit the pandemic provides the right incentive said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO released a scientific brief earlier this year showing that smokers are at higher risk of developing severe disease and death from COVID 19 Tobacco is also a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases like cardiovascular disease cancer respiratory disease and diabetes Moreover people living with these conditions are more vulnerable to severe COVID 19 Both global and regional cessation tools will be rolled out as part of the campaign WHO s 24 7 digital health worker to help people quit tobacco is available in English and will soon be released to support people in Arabic Chinese French Russian and Spanish Millions of people worldwide want to quit tobacco we must seize this opportunity and invest in services to help them be successful while we urge everyone to divest from the tobacco industry and their interests said Dr Ruediger Krech Director of Health Promotion To create environments conducive to quitting tobacco WHO has worked with partners and countries around the globe to implement tobacco control measures that effectively reduce the demand for tobacco WHO calls on all governments to ensure their citizens have access to brief advice toll free quit lines mobile and digital cessation services nicotine replacement therapies and other tools that are proven to help people quit Strong cessation services improve health save lives and save money Note to editors The campaign focus countries are Democratic Republic of Timor LesteFederal Democratic Republic of EthiopiaFederal Republic of Germany Federal Republic of NigeriaFederative Republic of BrazilHashemite Kingdom of JordanIslamic Republic of Iran Islamic Republic of PakistanPeople s Republic of BangladeshPeople s Republic of China Republic of IndiaRepublic of IndonesiaRepublic of the Philippines Republic of PolandRepublic of South AfricaRepublic of SurinameRepublic of TurkeyRussian FederationSocialist Republic of Viet NamUnited Mexican StatesUnited States of AmericaUkraine', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/08-12-2020-who-launches-year-long-campaign-to-help-100-million-people-quit-tobacco', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(483, 'Countries, partners and civil society commit to strengthening public-private care provider engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable access to affordable TB care at PPM Working Group Meeting', 'Over 300 representatives from countries partners and civil society came together virtually at the Global Meeting of the Working Group Meeting on Public Private Mix PPM on TB prevention and care on 23 and 25 November The Meeting was convened by the World Health Organization WHO and the Stop TB Partnership with support from the US Agency for International Development USAID and the Global Fund The meeting was opened by Dr Tereza Kasaeva Director of WHO s Global TB Programme and Dr Madhukar Pai Chair of the Stop TB PPM Working Group and Associate Director of the McGill International TB Centre Nigerian TB survivor and advocate Funke Dosumu shared her personal struggle against TB and made a passionate plea for stronger public private collaboration to ensure access to quality care for those ill with TB without added financial burden The meeting placed a spotlight on the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the TB response which has been especially severe on private sector care delivery A special talk was delivered by award winning journalist Barkha Dutt She issued a strong wake up call on the tragic impact of COVID 19 on the poor and vulnerable especially those struggling with TB and other infectious diseases in accessing affordable care', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/27-11-2020-countries-partners-and-civil-society-commit-to-strengthening-public-private-care-provider-engagement-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-to-enable-access-to-affordable-tb-care-at-ppm-working-group-meeting', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(484, 'WHO announces forthcoming updates on the systematic screening for tuberculosis', 'In a Rapid Communication issued today the World Health Organization WHO is announcing a number of updates to its forthcoming guidance on the systematic screening of tuberculosis TB disease This will help national TB programmes public and private healthcare providers funders and other stakeholders to prepare for the changes that will be introduced when the new guidelines are released in early 2021 It is estimated that close to three million people with TB are not diagnosed or reported annually around the world Improved TB screening using new tools and approaches to reach all people with care could help bridge this gap Measures like screening need to be stepped up rapidly to reach the global target of treating at least 40 million people with TB by 2022 The updated guidance will avail of the latest evidence and best available practices on amongst others new approaches to screening of people at risk the role of new technologies such as computer aided detection CAD to interpret chest radiography and the use of molecular rapid diagnostics for screening Systematic screening is critical to ensure we can detect TB early in the people who need it while also identifying people who could benefit from TB preventive treatment This is important to break the chain of transmission and to ensure no one is left behind said Dr Tereza Kasaeva Director of WHO s Global TB Programme We need to maximize upon the synergies between the delivery of TB and COVID services during contact investigation and other situations especially at these times of crisis when the demand on healthcare services is high', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/07-12-2020-who-announces-forthcoming-updates-on-the-systematic-screening-for-tuberculosis', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(485, 'Investing in midwife-led interventions could save 4.3 million lives per year, new study finds', 'About two thirds of maternal deaths newborn deaths and stillbirths could be prevented by 2035 if the current level of care by professional midwives educated and regulated to international standards was scaled up to provide universal access finds a new study led by the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA WHO and the International Confederation of Midwives published today in the Lancet Global Health The study s modelled estimates indicate that where midwife delivered interventions such as family planning diabetes management assisted delivery and breastfeeding support take place 4 3 million lives could be saved per year by 2035 These findings should leave no doubt in the minds of ministers of health education and finance that midwife led interventions have the potential to save the lives of women and their newborns at a vast scale says Elizabeth Iro WHO Chief Nursing Officer Now it is time to act We must take urgent action to invest in midwives Greater investment in professional midwives a profession categorised by the International Labour Organization as distinct from nursing could improve the survival of mothers and babies particularly in low and middle income countries To realise this potential midwives need education and training to international standards to be part of a supportive and skilled team and work in an environment with adequate water sanitation and medical supplies The study is based on modelled estimates of deaths averted in 88 low and middle income countries that account for more than 95 of global maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths These countries have severe health workforce shortages they are home to 74 of the world s population but just 46 of the world s doctors nurses and midwives The new study follows a 2014 publication in The Lancet Series in Midwifery and uses the Lives Saved Tool LiST which models variations in deaths based on the uptake effectiveness and impact of about 30 midwife delivered interventions Using an updated version of LiST the current study provides three scenarios on the impact of increasing the provision of midwife healthcare around the world The three scenarios include achieving universal coverage by 2035 increasing coverage of midwife delivered interventions by 25 every 5 years or increasing coverage by 10 every 5 years Improving the health of mothers and newborns remains an important priority on the international agenda and there has been an increasing awareness around the role of midwives in addressing this need including through WHO s campaign on the year of the nurse and wife Key Findings', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/03-12-2020-investing-in-midwife-led-interventions-could-save-4.3-million-lives-per-year-new-study-finds', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(486, 'Global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines estimated to generate economic benefits of at least US$ 153 billion in 2020–21, and US$ 466 billion by 2025, in 10 major economies, according to new report by the Eurasia Group', 'As world leaders gather virtually at the Special Session of the General Assembly in response to the COVID 19 pandemic new data published today finds that leaving low and lower middle income countries LLMICs without access to vaccines amid the COVID 19 pandemic will cause significant economic damage that puts decades of economic progress at risk for both LLMICs and advanced economies alike The report by the Eurasia Group analyses ten major economies Canada France Germany Japan Qatar South Korea Sweden United Arab Emirates United Kingdom and the United States to assess the economic benefits to advanced economies of contributing to the work of the Access to COVID 19 Tools ACT Accelerator The ACT Accelerator led by WHO and partnering with the world s leading international health organizations is a unique global collaboration which supports the development and equitable distribution of the tests treatments and vaccines the world needs to fight COVID 19 However the programme still has a significant funding gap of US 28 2 billion with US 4 3 billion needed urgently to fast track critical areas of work If that shortfall isn t met low and low middle income countries will have delayed access to these vital tools in 2021 which will result in a protracted pandemic with severe economic consequences not just for these countries by also for the wider global economy The report which was commissioned by the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation finds that the economic benefits of a global equitable vaccine solution alone for the 10 countries included in the analysis would be at least US 153 billion in 2020 21 rising to US 466 billion by 2025 This is more than 12 times the US 38 billion estimated total cost of the ACT Accelerator This figure was compiled using the expected negative effects of sustained coronavirus outbreaks in LLMICs based on the downside and baseline scenarios of the IMF s October 2020 World Economic Outlook forecasts So far the 10 countries featured in the report have contributed 2 4 billion to the work of the ACT Accelerator with the United Kingdom committing just over US 1 billion and Germany Canada Japan and France committing US 618 million US 290 million US 229 million and US 147 million respectively In just seven months the ACT Accelerator s progress has been significant over 50 diagnostic tests have been evaluated and new rapid antigen diagnostics have been developed and being made available for LMICs life saving Dexamethasone treatments are being rolled out research into monoclonal antibody treatments is advancing and through the Health Systems Connector the health system requirements for delivery of COVID 19 tools have been mapped in 4 out of 6 world regions COVAX the Vaccines Pillar of the ACT Accelerator has the world s largest and most diverse portfolio of vaccines It aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID 19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every participating country Working with 189 countries COVAX is supporting the development of 9 vaccine candidates through CEPI 8 of which are in clinical trials COVAX has secured hundreds of millions of doses of three promising candidates including at least 200 million doses for LICs with the support of the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation This new report emphasizes the funding urgency and the return on investment for donor countries of the work of the ACT Accelerator which published its Urgent Priorities and Financing Requirements on 10 November Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General called on countries to commit to the work of the ACT Accelerator stating that The ACT Accelerator is the global solution to ending the acute phase of the pandemic as quickly as possible by ensuring equitable access to COVID 19 tools Contributing to the ACT Accelerator it is not just the right thing to do it s the smart thing for all countries socially economically and politically Alexander Kazan Managing Director for Global Strategy at Eurasia Group and one of the authors of the report said There is a clear humanitarian and ethical case for supporting the ACT Accelerator and the Covax facility along with the obvious economic gains it would bring to developing countries doing nothing risks reversing years if not decades of economic progress But our analysis shows that the program is likely to yield economic and other returns for major donor countries as well The ACT Accelerator is a unique opportunity to save lives repair the global economy and build diplomatic capital that will last a generation Hassan Damluji Deputy Director at the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation commenting on the report s findings said The moral case for an equitable global solution to the COVID 19 crisis has always been clear but with high income countries reeling from a huge shock their governments are increasingly focusing on investments that can help their own economies to rebound This report adds to the body of evidence that shows that the ACT Accelerator is precisely one of those investments It is both the right thing to do and an investment that will pay dividends by bringing the global economy back from the brink benefiting all nations Notes to EditorsEurasia GroupEurasia Group is the world s leading global political risk research and consulting firm By providing information and insight on how political developments move markets we help clients anticipate and respond to instability and opportunities everywhere they invest or do business Our expertise includes developed and developing countries in every region of the world specific economic sectors and the business and investment playing fields of the future With our best in class advisory and consulting offerings and GZERO Media the Eurasia Group umbrella provides the marketplace with a complete political risk solution Headquartered in New York we have offices in Washington DC London San Francisco Brasilia Sao Paulo Singapore and Tokyo as well as on the ground experts and resources in more than a hundred countries Politics first grounds our work Politics is the lens through which we view the world and we are committed to analysis that is free of political bias and the influence of private interests The ACT AcceleratorThe Access to COVID 19 Tools Accelerator ACT Accelerator is the proven up and running global collaboration to accelerate the development production and equitable access to COVID 19 tests treatments and vaccines It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and launched by the WHO European Commission France and The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020 The ACT Accelerator is not a decision making body or a new organization but works to speed up collaborative efforts among existing organizations to end the pandemic It is a framework for collaboration that has been designed to bring key players around the table with the goal of ending the pandemic as quickly as possible through the accelerated development equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of tests treatments and vaccines thereby protecting health systems and restoring societies and economies in the near term It draws on the experience of leading global health organizations which are tackling the world s toughest health challenges and who by working together are able to unlock new and more ambitious results against COVID 19 Its members share a commitment to ensure all people have access to all the tools needed to defeat COVID 19 and to work with unprecedented levels of partnership to achieve it The ACT Accelerator comprises four pillars diagnostics therapeutics vaccines and health system strengtheningThe diagnostics pillar co convened by the Global Fund and FIND is focused on bringing to market 2 3 high quality rapid tests training 10 000 healthcare professionals across 50 countries and establishing testing for 500 million people in Low and Middle Income countries by mid 2021 The therapeutics pillar is led by Unitaid and Wellcome Therapeutics can play a role in all stages of COVID 19 disease to prevent infection suppress symptoms and spread of infection to others treat or prevent symptoms as a life saving treatment for severe symptoms and as a treatment that can speed up recovery The aim in the next 12 months is to develop manufacture and distribute 245 million treatments helping COVID 19 sufferers to recover from the disease The COVAX vaccines pillar convened by CEPI Gavi and WHO is speeding up the search for an effective vaccine for all countries At the same time it is supporting the building of manufacturing capabilities and buying supply ahead of time so that 2 billion doses can be fairly distributed by the end of 2021 The health systems connector led by the WHO World Bank and the Global Fund is working to ensure that these tools can reach the people who need them Cross cutting all of these is the workstream on Access Allocation hosted by the World Health Organization WHO', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/03-12-2020-global-access-to-covid-19-vaccines-estimated-to-generate-economic-benefits-of-at-least-153-billion-in-2020-21', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(487, 'Global Solidarity to End TB and HIV', 'The theme of this year s World AIDS Day is Global solidarity resilient services At the 2016 UN High level Meeting on ending AIDS member states committed to a 75 reduction of TB deaths among people living with HIV by 2020 compared with 2010 Estimates for 2019 suggest that there has been some notable progress with a 63 reduction however the target for 2020 is unlikely to be reached particularly in the context of the current COVID 19 pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/01-12-2020-global-solidarity-to-end-tb-and-hiv', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(488, 'WHO announces development of new guidance on Hepatitis C self-testing', 'WHO has released new details regarding membership of the Guidelines Development Group GDG for development of new guidance on Hepatitis C self testing in 2021', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/07-12-2020-who-announces-development-of-new-guidance-on-hepatitis-c-self-testing', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(489, 'Profile: Dr Collins Tabu, Head of Immunization Programme, Ministry of Health, Kenya', 'In this Q A Dr Collins Tabu head of Kenya s National Vaccines and Immunization Program reflects on the country s malaria vaccine pilot experience on the recent 1st anniversary of RTS S AS01 introduction particularly in the context of COVID 19', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/02-12-2020-profile-dr-collins-tabu-head-of-immunization-programme-ministry-of-health-kenya', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(490, 'New toolkit aims to improve global birth defects surveillance', 'Birth defects or congenital anomalies are an invisible tragedy around the world Every year an estimated 295 000 newborns die due to congenital anomalies during the first 28 days of life The most common severe congenital anomalies are heart defects neural tube defects and Down s syndrome Congenital anomalies can cause miscarriage stillbirth and for those who survive lifelong physical and psychological difficulties The lack of medical surgical and support services to care for children affected especially in low resource settings can take a toll on families and children In an effort to build up better prevention and care services to decrease the number of congenital anomalies worldwide and to better care for those who are born with birth defects WHO the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research and the March of Dimes today launched a new toolkit Birth defects surveillance a manual for programme managers and Birth defects surveillance quick reference handbook of selected congenital anomalies Many birth defects go unreported worldwide and surveillance systems particularly in low and middle income countries are weak or do not exist says Dr Anshu Banerjee Director WHO Department of Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing By investing in birth defects surveillance to collect better quality data countries can adequately provide the high quality services for prevention care and support these children and families need With the growing recognition of the impact of birth defects due to infectious diseases like Zika virus nutrition deficiencies and other conditions in pregnancy the updated manual is intended to serve as a tool for the development implementation and ongoing improvement of national congenital anomalies surveillance programmes The manual is also accompanied by a newly created quick reference handbook for front line health care professionals who are diagnosing and collecting data on congenital infections and birth defects It includes illustrations and photos of different birth defects as well as summaries of the guidance for diagnosis and data collection Through the development of a population based surveillance programmes that accurately capture congenital anomalies countries can better understand the burden of these conditions become more aware of the risks involved refer identified infants to services in a timely manner and use prevalence estimates to evaluate and strengthen any current prevention or clinical management programmes Countries can also use the information gathered to inform stakeholders and policy makers about the importance of investing in programmes aimed at reducing the occurrence of congenital anomalies and to help them plan for appropriate services Congenital anomalies are largely preventable through improved nutrition in women of reproductive age prenatal counselling and folic acid supplementation adequate antenatal care including vaccination and screening prevention and treatment for infectious diseases during pregnancy like syphilis and rubella In 2010 Member States adopted a resolution to promote primary prevention and improve the health of children with congenital anomalies through developing and strengthening registration and surveillance systems developing expertise and building capacity and strengthening research and studies on etiology diagnosis and prevention Today WHO is committed as ever to increasing awareness reducing stigma and expanding access to services for prevention and care of birth defects as part of every country s journey towards universal health coverage says Zsuzsanna Jakab WHO Deputy Director General', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/02-12-2020-new-toolkit-aims-to-improve-global-birth-defects-surveillance', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(491, 'World AIDS Day 2020 – WHO calls for global solidarity to maintain HIV services', 'On 1 December WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to rally for global solidarity to maintain essential HIV services during COVID 19 and beyond and to ensure continued provision of HIV services for children adolescents and populations most at risk for the disease The Organization also calls on countries to provide healthworkers with greater protection and support so they can continue their work safely during the pandemic', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/30-11-2020-world-aids-day-2020-who-calls-for-global-solidarity-to-maintain-hiv-services', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(492, 'WHO calls for reinvigorated action to fight malaria', 'The World Health Organization WHO is calling on countries and global health partners to step up the fight against malaria a preventable and treatable disease that continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year A better targeting of interventions new tools and increased funding are needed to change the global trajectory of the disease and reach internationally agreed targets According to WHO s latest World malaria report progress against malaria continues to plateau particularly in high burden countries in Africa Gaps in access to life saving tools are undermining global efforts to curb the disease and the COVID 19 pandemic is expected to set back the fight even further It is time for leaders across Africa and the world to rise once again to the challenge of malaria just as they did when they laid the foundation for the progress made since the beginning of this century said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Through joint action and a commitment to leaving no one behind we can achieve our shared vision of a world free of malaria In 2000 African leaders signed the landmark Abuja Declaration pledging to reduce malaria deaths on the continent by 50 over a 10 year period Robust political commitment together with innovations in new tools and a steep increase in funding catalyzed an unprecedented period of success in global malaria control According to the report 1 5 billion malaria cases and 7 6 million deaths have been averted since 2000 A plateau in progressIn 2019 the global tally of malaria cases was 229 million an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last 4 years The disease claimed some 409 000 lives in 2019 compared to 411 000 in 2018 As in past years the African Region shouldered more than 90 of the overall disease burden Since 2000 the region has reduced its malaria death toll by 44 from an estimated 680 000 to 384 000 annually However progress has slowed in recent years particularly in countries with a high burden of the disease A funding shortfall at both the international and domestic levels poses a significant threat to future gains In 2019 total funding reached US 3 billion against a global target of 5 6 billion Funding shortages have led to critical gaps in access to proven malaria control tools COVID 19 an added challenge In 2020 COVID 19 emerged as an additional challenge to the provision of essential health services worldwide According to the report most malaria prevention campaigns were able to move forward this year without major delays Ensuring access to malaria prevention such as insecticide treated nets and preventive medicines for children has supported the COVID 19 response strategy by reducing the number of malaria infections and in turn easing the strain on health systems WHO worked swiftly to provide countries with guidance to adapt their responses and ensure the safe delivery of malaria services during the pandemic However WHO is concerned that even moderate disruptions in access to treatment could lead to a considerable loss of life The report finds for example that a 10 disruption in access to effective antimalarial treatment in sub Saharan Africa could lead to 19 000 additional deaths Disruptions of 25 and 50 in the region could result in an additional 46 000 and 100 000 deaths respectively While Africa has shown the world what can be achieved if we stand together to end malaria as a public health threat progress has stalled said Dr Matshidiso Moeti WHO Regional Director for Africa COVID 19 threatens to further derail our efforts to overcome malaria particularly treating people with the disease Despite the devastating impact COVID 19 has had on African economies international partners and countries need to do more to ensure that the resources are there to expand malaria programmes which are making such a difference in people s lives WHO responseA key strategy to reignite progress is the High burden to high impact HBHI response catalyzed in 2018 by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria The response is led by 11 countries including 10 in sub Saharan Africa that account for approximately 70 of the world s malaria burden Over the last 2 years HBHI countries have been moving away from a one size fits all approach to malaria control opting instead for tailored responses based on local data and intelligence A recent analysis from Nigeria for example found that through an optimized mix of interventions the country could avert tens of millions of additional cases and thousands of additional deaths by the year 2023 compared to a business as usual approach While it is too early to measure the impact of the HBHI approach the report finds that deaths in the 11 countries were reduced from 263 000 to 226 000 between 2018 and 2019 India continued to make impressive gains with reductions in cases and deaths of 18 and 20 respectively over the last 2 years There was however a slight increase in the total number of cases among HBHI countries from an estimated 155 million in 2018 to 156 million in 2019 Meeting global malaria targetsThis year s report highlights key milestones and events that helped shape the global response to the disease in recent decades Beginning in the 1990s leaders of malaria affected countries scientists and other partners laid the groundwork for a renewed malaria response that contributed to one of the biggest returns on investment in global health According to the report 21 countries eliminated malaria over the last 2 decades of these 10 countries were officially certified as malaria free by WHO In the face of the ongoing threat of antimalarial drug resistance the 6 countries of the Greater Mekong subregion continue to make major gains towards their goal of malaria elimination by 2030 But many countries with a high burden of malaria have been losing ground According to WHO global projections the 2020 target for reductions in malaria case incidence will be missed by 37 and the mortality reduction target will be missed by 22 Note to editorsWHO s work on malaria is guided by the Global technical strategy for malaria 2016 2030 GTS approved by the World Health Assembly in May 2015 The strategy includes four global targets for 2030 with milestones along the way to track progress The 2030 targets are 1 reducing malaria case incidence by at least 90 2 reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90 3 eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries and4 preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria free Near term GTS milestones for 2020 include global reductions in malaria case incidence and death rates of at least 40 and the elimination of malaria in at least 10 countries According to the report the 2020 milestones for malaria case incidence and mortality rates will be missed Case incidence WHO projects that in 2020 there were an estimated 56 malaria cases for every 1000 people at risk of the disease against a GTS target of 35 cases The GTS milestone will be missed by an estimated 37 Mortality rate The estimate for globally projected malaria deaths per 100 000 population at risk was 9 8 in 2020 against a GTS target of 7 2 deaths The milestone will be missed by an estimated 22 WHO African Region Since 2014 the rate of progress in both cases and deaths in the region has slowed attributed mainly to the stalling of progress in several countries with moderate or high transmission In 2019 six African countries accounted for 50 of all malaria cases globally Nigeria 23 the Democratic Republic of the Congo 11 United Republic of Tanzania 5 Niger 4 Mozambique 4 and Burkina Faso 4 In view of recent trends the African Region will miss the GTS 2020 milestones for case incidence and mortality by 37 and 25 respectively High burden to high impact HBHI Launched in November 2018 HBHI builds on the principle that no one should die from a disease that is preventable and treatable It is led by 11 countries that together accounted for approximately 70 of the world s malaria burden in 2017 Burkina Faso Cameroon Democratic Republic of the Congo Ghana India Mali Mozambique Niger Nigeria Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania Over the last two years all 11 HBHI countries have implemented activities across four response elements 1 political will to reduce the toll of malaria 2 strategic information to drive impact 3 better guidance policies and strategies and 4 a coordinated national malaria response Malaria elimination Between 2000 and 2019 10 countries received the official WHO certification of malaria elimination United Arab Emirates 2007 Morocco 2010 Turkmenistan 2010 Armenia 2011 Kyrgyzstan 2016 Sri Lanka 2016 Uzbekistan 2018 Paraguay 2018 Argentina 2019 and Algeria 2019 In 2019 China reported zero indigenous cases of malaria for the third consecutive year the country recently applied for the official WHO certification of malaria elimination In 2020 El Salvador became the first country in Central America to apply for the WHO malaria free certification In the six countries of the Greater Mekong subregion Cambodia China Yunnan Province Lao People s Democratic Republic Myanmar Thailand and Viet Nam the reported number of malaria cases fell by 90 from 2000 to 2019 while P falciparum Pf cases fell by 97 in the same time period This accelerated decrease in Pf malaria is notable in view of the threat posed by antimalarial drug resistance in the subregion A call for innovation Eliminating malaria in all countries especially those with a high disease burden will likely require tools that are not available today In September 2019 the WHO Director General issued a malaria challenge calling on the global health community to ramp up investment in the research and development of new malaria fighting tools and approaches This message was further reinforced in the April 2020 report of the WHO Strategic advisory group on malaria eradication', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/30-11-2020-who-calls-for-reinvigorated-action-to-fight-malaria', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(493, 'Existing HIV and TB laboratory systems facilitating COVID-19 testing in Africa', 'Many countries in resource limited settings have high HIV malaria tuberculosis hepatitis and or sexually transmitted infection STI burdens ince the start of the COVID 19 pandemic scaling up testing has been a critical component to identify isolate and trace suspected cases as efforts to reduce transmission and care for patients early Through conducting over 10 million tests countries in Africa have identified nearly 2 000 000 COVID 19 cases In many countries there has been heavy reliance on the laboratory systems built and developed by HIV and TB programs', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2020-existing-hiv-and-tb-laboratory-systems-facilitating-covid-19-testing-in-africa', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(494, 'Continuing PrEP services for adolescents in Brazil despite COVID-19 disruptions', 'PrEP1519 is the first demonstration study in Latin America exploring acceptability use and persistence of pre exposure prophylaxis PrEP amongst adolescent men who have sex with men MSM and transgender women TGW aged 15 19 years The study is ongoing in three cities in Brazil Salvador S o Paulo and Belo Horizonte During the COVID 19 pandemic the PrEP1519 study team ensured a contingency plan to minimize effects of the pandemic disruptions on people participating in the study to initiate and continue accessing PrEP and other sexual health services They use telehealth platforms such as text messages online social media Instagram and Facebook and an artificial intelligence chatbot called Amanda Selfie to recruit participants provide peer support and care The team also provides discreet home delivery of condoms lubricants douches HIV self tests and medicines for PrEP In addition in person appointments remain possible when necessary Importance of maintaining HIV prevention services during the COVID 19 pandemicThe story of Miguel a young person who joined the study in July 2019 highlights the importance of maintaining HIV prevention services during the COVID 19 pandemic While Miguel was enrolled in the PrEP programme he reported poor adherence to his PrEP medication During the lockdown he contacted the PrEP1519 team for an HIV test due to an acute viral infection The test was facilitated under safe conditions at a PrEP1519 clinic He tested negative for HIV but positive for syphilis and was treated on the same day His partner however tested positive for HIV after which Miguel was tested again for HIV The second test confirmed that he was HIV negative Following his experience Pedro is motivated to continuing his PrEP regimen to prevent HIV Name changed for anonimity A PrEP1519 participant receives a home based HIV prevention kit during COVID 19 lockdown A member of the clinical team conducting a PrEP1519 telehealth consultationRapid test for syphilis at the PrEP1519 clinic The clinical team also advised that the participant s partner undergo STI and HIV testing PrEP1519 client with the physician prescribing PrEPAll photos credit Project PrEP1519', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2020-continuing-prep-services-for-adolescents-in-brazil-despite-covid-19-disruptions', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:47', NULL),
(495, 'Pre-exposure prophylaxis services in Thailand during COVID-19', 'Thailand s key population led health services KPLHS are a hallmark of the success of the country s HIV response In Thailand KPLHS refer to a defined set of HIV related health services for key populations designed and delivered by trained and qualified lay providers who are often members of key populations These services are needs based demand driven and client centered and include HIV testing pre exposure prophylaxis PrEP services and linkage to HIV care KPLHS augments the national program in Thailand by bridging the gap between government services and key populations especially for the most marginalized communities Currently more than half of all Thai PrEP users access PrEP through KPLHS In the first half of 2019 COVID 19 impacted the delivery of and access to KPLHS and other HIV services in Thailand For example numbers of HIV and STI testing clients in major HIV STI centers declined by 50 75 there were reductions in numbers of new HIV diagnoses and treatment initiations there was uncertainty around the supply of PrEP travel restrictions prevented some clients from visiting their usual providers and there were personal protective equipment shortages PrEP Xpress delivery service Mplus Foundation Chiang Mai The Institute of HIV Research and Innovation IHRI supported KPLHS to adapt PrEP services and implement a range of innovations at the community level These included extending PrEP prescriptions from 3 to 6 months for many clients continuing PrEPtelehealth consultations to minimize clinic visits and allow those under movement or travel restrictions to continue to access PrEP care Xpress delivery services for medicationSTI self sampling and PrEP effective use counseling was introduced allowing MSM clients to choose to stop re start and tailor daily or event driven use to their HIV risk Self sampling Tangerine Clinic IHRI As KP lay providers in community based clinics were not prioritized during personal protective equipment shortages KPLHS made improvised plastic shields and other protective equipment to help protect themselves and their clients Improvised PPE to protect clients and their providers at the MPLUS clinic Mplus Foundation Chiang Mai Outside the clinic KPLHS also helped ensure that client s essential life needs were met during the pandemic including food packages daily necessities temporary housing shelter emergency funds and live saving guides and toolkits for those practicing sex work Food deliveries to vulnerable clients SWING Foundation These service adaptations have helped overcome some of the barriers to PrEP services for key populations during the COVID 19 pandemic The adaptations are largely sustainable have helped expand the differentiated service delivery model for PrEP and are becoming popular options for clients Indeed STI self sampling has increased in popularity with rates of acceptance increasing from 48 in May 2020 to 78 in July 2020 KPLHS and other HIV services should embed adaptations that improve accessibility availability quality and acceptability including those introduced in response to the COVID 19 pandemic to improve PrEP services post COVID 19 The adaptations introduced by KPLHS in Thailand and their successes provide important lessons for other countries and HIV services', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2020-pre-exposure-prophylaxis-services-in-thailand-during-covid-19', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(496, 'SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark', 'Since June 2020 Danish authorities have reported an extensive spread of SARS CoV 2 the virus that causes COVID 19 on mink farms in Denmark', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/03-december-2020-mink-associated-sars-cov2-denmark/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(497, 'Acute hepatitis E – Burkina Faso', 'Between 8 September and 24 November 2020 the North Central region of Burkina Faso reported a', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/27-november-2020-hepatitis-e-burkina_faso/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(498, 'Yellow fever – Nigeria', 'Reports of a cluster of deaths from an undiagnosed disease were notified on 1 November 2020 through Event Based Surveillance in two states Delta and Enugu located in southern Nigeria', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/24-november-2020-yellow-fever-nigeria/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(499, 'Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo', 'On 18 November 2020 the Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared the end of the Ebola Virus Disease EVD outbreak in Equateur Province', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/18-november-2020-ebola-drc/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL);
INSERT INTO `rss_articles` (`id`, `title`, `body`, `href`, `rss_id`, `status`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(500, 'Avian Influenza A(H5N1)- Lao People\'s Democratic Republic', 'The Ministry of Health in Lao People s Democratic Republic PDR reported a human case of infection with an avian influenza A H5N1 virus The case is a one year old female who developed symptoms of fever productive cough difficulty breathing and runny nose on 13 October 2020 She was hospitalized for her illness on 16 October and discharged on 19 October As part of severe acute respiratory infection SARI sentinel surveillance a specimen was collected on the date of hospitalization and confirmed to be positive for avian influenza A H5N1 on 28 October by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction RT PCR at the National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology NCLE Among the close contacts of the patient one contact developed fever and cough after the onset of illness in the case Specimens collected from all household contacts including the symptomatic contact were negative for influenza A viruses', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/17-november-2020-ah5n1-lao/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(501, 'Rift Valley Fever – Mauritania', 'The Ministry of Health MoH notified WHO that between 13 September and 1 October 2020 eight cases of Rift Valley Fever RVF including seven deaths were confirmed in animal breeders Districts affected include Tidjikja and Moudj ria Tagant region Guerou Assaba region and Chinguetty Adrar region Laboratory confirmation of RVF infection was performed using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction RT PCR at the National Institute for Public Health Research INRSP in Nouakchott The age of infected patients varied between 16 and 70 years old and included one woman and seven men All seven deaths occurred among hospitalised patients with fever and haemorrhagic syndrome petechia gingivorrhagia and vomiting Between 4 September and 7 November 2020 a total of 214 people were sampled and their samples have been sent to the INRSP for laboratory testing with a total of 75 testing positive for RVF RT PCR and serology by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ELISA Positive cases have been reported in 11 of 15 regions of the country Brakna Trarza Gorgol on the border with Senegal Adrar Assaba Hodh El Gharby Hodh El Chargui Guidimaka on the border with Mali and Nouakchott Sud Nouakchott Ouest and Tagant The Tagant region is the most affected 38 75 51 with principal hotspot districts being Tidjikja and Moudjeria Thus far a total of 25 deaths have been reported from this outbreak', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/13-november-2020-rift-valley-fever-mauritania/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(502, 'SARS-CoV-2 mink-associated variant strain – Denmark', 'Since June 2020 214 human cases of COVID 19 have been identified in Denmark with SARS CoV 2 variants associated with farmed minks including 12 cases with a unique variant reported on 5 November', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/06-november-2020-mink-associated-sars-cov2-denmark/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(503, 'Mayaro virus disease - French Guiana, France', 'On 13 October 2020 the French health authorities officially reported 13 laboratory confirmed cases of Mayaro fever in French Guiana France In September 2020 the Institut Pasteur de la Guyane IPG member of the French National Reference Laboratory for arboviruses identified two cases of Mayaro virus infection MAYV confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction RT PCR and one probable case found positive for Mayaro antibodies The case patients presented dengue like symptoms and joint pains and tested negative for dengue by RT PCR', 'http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/25-october-2020-mayaro-fever-french-guiana-france/en/index.html', 24, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:48', NULL),
(504, 'Covid-19: Moving London into tier 3 would be &amp;#x201C;big mistake,&amp;#x201D; warns leading epidemiologist', 'A leading epidemiologist has urged the government not to put the UK capital into strict tier 3 measures next week saying the move would be a big mistake Tim Spector professor of genetic', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/KshfrYQuNv8/bmj.m4798.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:49', NULL),
(505, 'Peter Holt Dootson', 'bmj 371 dec11 9 m4769 FAF1faPeter Holt Dootson a much loved general practitioner in Cheshire for over 38 years was born in Middleton near Manchester After qualifying in Edinburgh he worked in a', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/9oxA365reDY/bmj.m4769.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:49', NULL),
(506, 'Brian D Hore', 'bmj 371 dec11 8 m4771 FAF1faBrian D Hore was born on 21 September 1937 and died on 26 July 2020 The intervening 82 years were incredibly full He directly gave hope and successful treatment to', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/KuZNME44v0s/bmj.m4771.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:49', NULL),
(507, 'Evan Reginald Price', 'bmj 371 dec11 6 m4772 FAF1faEvan Reginald Price was born in the village of Llanon Cardiganshire and grew up in Cardiff He entered the University of Wales to study medicine at the age of 17 One', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/30zT-7tbiyQ/bmj.m4772.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:49', NULL),
(508, 'Sam Simon Sebastian Gibbs', 'bmj 371 dec11 7 m4770 FAF1faSam Simon Sebastian Gibbs grew up in East Anglia with two other doctors in the family his father a general physician and an older brother a neurologist He studied', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/8DvtuP9o9-g/bmj.m4770.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:49', NULL),
(509, 'Covid-19: FDA panel votes to approve Pfizer BioNTech vaccine', 'The US Food and Drug Administration s FDA independent panel of experts voted on 10 December in favour of emergency use authorisation for the Pfizer BioNTech covid 19 vaccine The FDA is expected to', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/CYR2k5GJxwI/bmj.m4799.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-13 14:00:49', NULL),
(510, '\"2019-ncov\" OR nCov OR (coronavirus AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR \"novel coronavirus\" OR (pneumonia AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR COVID-19[TW] OR 2019ncov[TW] AND ( ( \"2019/12/01\"[PDat] : \"3000/12/31\"[PDat] ) ); +3755 new citations', '3755 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results 2019 ncov OR nCov OR coronavirus AND wuhan TIAB OR novel coronavirus OR pneumonia AND wuhan TIAB OR COVID 19 TW OR 2019ncov TW AND 2019 12 01 PDat 3000 12 31 PDat These pubmed results were generated on 2020 12 15PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE life science journals and online books Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites', 'https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&amp;db=pubmed&amp;term=%28%20%28%222019-ncov%22%20OR%20nCov%20OR%20%28coronavirus%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20%22novel%20coronavirus%22%20OR%20%28pneumonia%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20COVID-19%5BTW%5D%20OR%202019ncov%5BTW%5D%20AND%20%28%20%28%20%222019%2F12%2F01%22%5BPDat%5D%20%3A%20%223000%2F12%2F31%22%5BPDat%5D%20%29%20%29%29%20AND%20%222020%2F12%2F12%2014.55%22%5BMHDA%5D%3A%222020%2F12%2F15%2010.16%22%5BMHDA%5D%29', 21, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:26', NULL),
(511, 'WHO Information Notice for IVD Users', 'Purpose of this notice To ensure users of certain nucleic acid testing NAT technologies are aware of certain aspects of the instructions for use IFU for all products Description of the problem WHO has received user feedback on an elevated risk for false SARS CoV 2 results when testing specimens using RT PCR reagents on open system', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-12-2020-who-information-notice-for-ivd-users', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(512, 'The Decade of Healthy Ageing: a new UN-wide initiative', 'The United Nations General Assembly today declared 2021 2030 the Decade of Healthy Ageing The UN Resolution which follows recent endorsement of the Decade by the World Health Assembly expresses concern that despite the predictability of population ageing and its accelerating pace the world is not sufficiently prepared to respond to the rights and needs of older people It acknowledges that the ageing of the population impacts our health systems but also many other aspects of society including labour and financial markets and the demand for goods and services such as education housing long term care social protection and information It thus requires a whole of society approach', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-12-2020-decade-of-healthy-ageing-a-new-un-wide-initiative', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(513, 'World’s largest youth organizations, representing 250 million members, and WHO launch global mobilization to respond to disruptive impacts of COVID-19 on young people', 'Funding for community programmes engaging youth in solutions to address COVID 19 and convening Global Youth Summit are key features of this new mobilizationA new ground breaking global youth mobilization was launched today to invest in and scale up youth led solutions and engagements in response to COVID 19 The initiative was launched by an alliance of the world s largest youth movements and organizations together with the World Health Organization WHO and the United Nations Foundation The Global Youth Mobilization for Generation Disrupted is being led by the Big 6 Youth Organizations Young Men s Christian Association YMCA World Young Women s Christian Association YWCA World Organization of the Scout Movement World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC and The Duke of Edinburgh s International Award which together actively involve more than 250 million young people and aims to support young people to engage in and design efforts to turn around the impact of the pandemic The Global Youth Mobilization will feature the convening of a Global Youth Summit in April 2021 and a fund of US 5 million to support local and national youth organizations including grants for youth led solutions and an accelerator programme to scale up existing response efforts The leadership of the WHO Big 6 and youth organizations around the world are calling on governments businesses and policy makers to back the Global Youth Mobilization effort and commit to investing in the future of young people These measures will directly support young people engaged at the grassroots level to tackle some of the most pressing health and societal challenges resulting from the pandemic WHO is honoured to join this truly exciting and powerful global movement to mobilize and empower youth worldwide to be the driving force of the recovery to COVID 19 said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General Joining forces with the Big 6 and the United Nations Foundation provides WHO and the world a unique opportunity to learn from hundreds of millions of young people and be guided by their sustainable solutions to help communities build back better from the pandemic While the direct health impacts of the pandemic on young people have been generally less severe they are disproportionately affected by the long lasting consequences of the pandemic Such effects include disruptions to education economic uncertainty loss or lack of employment opportunities impacts on physical and mental health and trauma from domestic violence For example mental anxiety brought on by COVID 19 has been identified in nearly 90 per cent of young people more than 1 billion students in almost every country have been impacted by school closures and 1 in 6 young people worldwide have lost their jobs during the pandemic At the same time young people are also driving change and implementing solutions in response to COVID 19 by taking action through community based interventions and voluntary service such as acting as first responders and delivering food and supplies to those in need The Global Youth Mobilization will draw attention to the urgent need for solutions to support young people and to highlight the critical leadership role young people are playing in their communities to counter the effects of the pandemic We are proud to team up with the WHO to provide opportunities and funding to help millions of young people across the globe to respond to local challenges related to COVID 19 in their communities said the leadership of the Big 6 in a joint statement The mobilization will provide direct financial and programmatic support to youth organizations at the national and international level We believe that young people have the solutions to solve their own problems and by providing a global youth platform combined with national activation for youth projects we can unleash the skills enthusiasm and desire for young people to be a force for good in their communities Supported by the COVID 19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and powered by the United Nations Foundation the Global Youth Mobilization features a strategic partnership with the WHO and its newly launched Youth Council It will involve other United Nations agencies as well as a number of high profile global partners brands and advocates from FIFA to YOUNGA by BridgingTheGap Ventures and the creation of a youth council of social media influencers including the Influential platform The initiative developed in consultation with young people from across the globe will be youth led community driven evidence based and inclusive of diverse communities rooted in meaningful youth participation and engagement About the Big 6 Youth OrganizationsFormed in 1996 the Big 6 Youth Organizations are an alliance of leading international youth serving organizations The Big 6 comprises the five largest youth movements in the world Young Men s Christian Association YMCA World Young Women s Christian Association YWCA World Organization of the Scout Movement WOSM World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts WAGGGS International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC and a leading programme for youth development The Duke of Edinburgh s International Award The Award Together the Big 6 actively involve in excess of 250 million young people contributing to the empowerment of more than 1 billion young people during the last century For more information visit www bigsix org In response to the unique challenges facing young people today and to coincide with the launch of the Global Youth Mobilization the Big 6 have also published a new policy paper Young People Championing Post Pandemic Futures The paper is a joint call to action on behalf of 250 million children and young people that make up the Big 6 Youth Organizations and includes recommendations concerning education employment mental health and digital inclusion Read the full report and calls to action at bigsix org About the World Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system Founded in 1948 WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 149 offices to promote health keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable Our goal for 2019 2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage to protect a billion more people from health emergencies and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing For updates on COVID 19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus visit www who int and follow WHO on Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Pinterest Snapchat YouTube and Twitch About the United Nations FoundationThe United Nations Foundation brings together ideas people and resources to help the United Nations drive global progress and tackle urgent problems Our hallmark is to collaborate for lasting change and innovate to address humanity s greatest challenges Learn more at www unfoundation orgAbout the COVID 19 Solidarity Response FundTo support the World Health Organization WHO and partners in their global response to COVID 19 the United Nations Foundation helped launch the COVID 19 Solidarity Response Fund which has raised more than 238 million for lifesaving work around the world to prevent detect and respond to COVID 19 Learn more about the COVID 19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO powered by the United Nations Foundation at www covid19responsefund org', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-12-2020-world-s-largest-youth-organizations-and-who-launch-global-mobilization-to-respond-to-disruptive-impacts-of-covid-19-on-young-people', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(514, 'New WHO tool to help countries advance towards universal health coverage', 'One of WHO s 3 strategic goals is to ensure that an additional 1 billion people in the world are protected by universal health coverage UHC by 2023 able to access the services they need to keep healthy without falling into poverty as a result A key step in making this a reality is for countries to be able to work out what services their people need and how to provide them WHO s new UHC Compendium the product of a wide ranging multi year collaboration across WHO programmes and partners is designed to help them do just this Basically a toolbox for countries to build packages of essential services the Compendium offers national health authorities and decision makers a database of over 3500 health actions across all health areas from which they can choose when planning and budgeting their health programmes The Compendium brings together evidence guidance resource inputs and cost analysis into one go to platform In addition it gives tips and options for choosing among the most cost effective actions to develop a comprehensive package suited to national context The database provides a global reference point for how to organize and present information on health interventions for UHC across the full life course and for all diseases and includes a diverse set of actions spanning prevention rehabilitation and treatment as well as inter sectoral interventions Version 1 0 of the Compendium focuses on clinical health services that can be grouped dynamically into categories such as health programmes life course stage and sustainable development goals For example the Expanded Program for Immunization EPI can filter health actions related to immunization to see the relevant health actions in a table So country users can refer to the UHC Compendium as a one stop shop to inform decisions around which services to consider for provision within their system In forthcoming versions users will be able to view resource needs costs and other information to guide their prioritization process A public webinar will be held on Monday 14 December at 13 00 to explain and illustrate how and why all countries can benefit from this new vital tool to achieve universal health coverage To register in advance for this webinar https who zoom us webinar register WN XV99Hl8SgWu MQQrJFGMA', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/11-12-2020-new-who-tool-to-help-countries-advance-towards-universal-health-coverage', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(515, 'Eliminating onchocerciasis: continued political support, new tools and measures are needed to sustain progress', 'A report on onchocerciasis also known as river blindness shows continued global progress towards achieving interruption of transmission of the disease Data captured during 2019 show that more than 153 million people received treatment through large scale medicine distribution in areas at risk for transmission Furthermore due to the successful completion of past rounds of treatments and surveillance an estimated 1 8 million people no longer require any further preventive treatment against the disease', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/10-12-2020-eliminating-onchocerciasis-continued-political-support-new-tools-and-measures-are-needed-to-sustain-progress', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(516, 'Almost 2 billion people depend on health care facilities without basic water services – WHO, UNICEF', 'Lack of water puts health care workers and patients at higher risk of COVID 19 infectionAround 1 8 billion people are at heightened risk of COVID 19 and other diseases because they use or work in health care facilities without basic water services warn WHO and UNICEF Working in a health care facility without water sanitation and hygiene is akin to sending nurses and doctors to work without personal protective equipment said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director General Water supply sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities are fundamental to stopping COVID 19 But there are still major gaps to overcome particularly in least developed countries The report Fundamentals first Universal water sanitation and hygiene services in health care facilities for safe quality care comes as COVID 19 is exposing key vulnerabilities within health systems including inadequate infection prevention and control Water sanitation and hygiene WASH are vital to the safety of health workers and patients yet provision of these services is not prioritized Worldwide 1 in 4 health care facilities has no water services 1 in 3 does not have access to hand hygiene where care is provided 1 in 10 has no sanitation services and 1 in 3 does not segregate waste safely Sending healthcare workers and people in need of treatment to facilities without clean water safe toilets or even soap puts their lives at risk said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore This was certainly true before the COVID 19 pandemic but this year has made these disparities impossible to ignore As we reimagine and shape a post COVID world making sure we are sending children and mothers to places of care equipped with adequate water sanitation and hygiene services is not merely something we can and should do It is an absolute must The situation is worst of all in the world s 47 Least Developed Countries LDCs 1 in 2 health care facilities does not have basic drinking water 1 in 4 health care facilities has no hand hygiene facilities at points of care and 3 in 5 lack basic sanitation services But this can be fixed The report s preliminary estimates indicate that it would cost roughly USD 1 per capita to enable all 47 LDCs to establish basic water service in health facilities On average USD 0 20 per capita is needed each year to operate and maintain services According to the report immediate incremental investments in WASH have big returns improving hygiene in health care facilities is a best buy for tackling antimicrobial resistance It reduces health care costs because it reduces health care associated infections which are costly to treat It saves time as health workers do not have to search for water for hand hygiene Better hygiene also increases uptake of services This all adds up to a return of USD 1 5 for every dollar invested These services are especially critical for vulnerable populations including pregnant mothers newborns and children Improving WASH services in health care facilities is particularly important around childbirth when far too many mothers and newborns suffer and die including from preventable conditions like sepsis Better WASH services could save a million pregnant women and newborns lives and reduce still births The report provides four main recommendations Implement costed national roadmaps with appropriate financing Monitor and regularly review progress in improving WASH services practices and the enabling environment Develop capacities of health workforce to sustain WASH services and promote and practice good hygiene Integrate WASH into regular health sector planning budgeting and programming including COVID 19 response and recovery efforts to deliver quality services Global WASH and health partners have shown their support for meeting global and country WASH in health care facility targets By 2020 over 130 partners have committed resources of which 34 have made dedicated financial commitments totalling USD125 million Nevertheless implementation of the 2019 World Health Assembly Resolution on WASH in health care facilities is uneven Of the nearly 50 countries for which WHO and UNICEF have data 86 per cent have updated standards and 70 per cent have conducted initial assessments which show that these areas are generally on track Yet just a third of countries have costed national WASH in health care facility roadmaps and only 10 per cent have included WASH indicators in national health systems monitoring More catalytic global funding technical support and domestic resourcing is needed to keep health care workers and patients safe and protected Now an opportunity exists to build on existing efforts and commitments and integrate WASH in health care facilities in all national COVID 19 plans vaccine distribution and economic recovery packages For millions of healthcare workers across the world water is PPE said Jennifer Sara Global Director for Water at the World Bank Group It is essential that financing keeps flowing to bring water and sanitation services to those battling the COVID crisis on the frontlines Funding WASH in healthcare facilities is among the most cost effective investments that governments can make Data published by WHO in October indicates that COVID 19 infections among health care workers are far greater than those in the general population Health care workers represent less than 3 per cent of the population but account for 14 per cent of global COVID 19 cases reported to WHO Ensuring health care workers have the basic WASH necessities to keep themselves their patients their families and children safe is imperative Millions have no option but to seek care from the 50 of health care facilities in the developing world which don t have clean water on the premises This cannot continue Every day both healthcare workers and patients lives are being put at risk saidTim Wainwright Chief Executive at international charity WaterAid Without frontline health workers being able to wash their hands provide their patients with clean water or have somewhere decent to go to the toilet a hospital is not a hospital at all it s a breeding ground for disease Note to Editors The data in this year s report include statistics for 165 countries from surveys representing 760 000 facilities Compared to last year s baseline report estimates were available for 125 countries with data from surveys representing 560 000 facilities The data on county progress in implementing the World Health Assembly Resolution represent 47 countries It is the first time these data have been compiled and analyzed Sanitation services are measures taken to ensure the hygienic management of excreta along all stages of the sanitation chain capture containment emptying transport treatment and safe disposal About the World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system Founded in 1948 WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions and from more than 150 offices to promote health keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable Our goal for 2019 2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage to protect a billion more people from health emergencies and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing For updates on COVID 19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus Visit www who int and follow WHO on Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Pinterest Snapchat YouTube About UNICEFUNICEF works in some of the world s toughest places to reach the world s most disadvantaged children Across more than 190 countries and territories we work for every child everywhere to build a better world for everyone Follow UNICEF on Twitter and Facebook', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-12-2020-almost-2-billion-people-depend-on-health-care-facilities-without-basic-water-services-who-unicef', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(517, 'Call for consultant expressions of interest: Hand Hygiene for All Initiative', 'Call for consultant expressions of interest for support to the Hand Hygiene for All Initiative', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/10-12-2020-call-for-consultant-expressions-of-interest-hand-hygiene-for-all-initiative', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(518, 'Available for review: Chemical background documents for the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality', 'Revised background documents for asbestos and manganese are available for public review', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/14-12-2020-available-for-review-chemical-background-documents-for-the-who-guidelines-for-drinking-water-quality', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:29', NULL),
(519, 'Covid-19: Lateral flow tests miss over half of cases, Liverpool pilot data show', 'The rapid test kits most widely used in UK universities schools and care homes detect just 48 89 of covid 19 infections in asymptomatic people when compared with a polymerase chain reaction PCR', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/xtxFKGzNKcQ/bmj.m4848.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:31', NULL),
(520, 'Kenneth Kaye', 'bmj 371 dec15 9 m4793 FAF1faKenneth Kaye Ken was born to Alfred and Edith in Farnley Tyas Huddersfield the son of a farmer with older brother Joseph and younger brother Peter Ken studied at', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/XBoFybDzg-M/bmj.m4793.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:31', NULL),
(521, 'Shepherding preprints through a pandemic', 'People tend to have opinions on preprints and whether they help or hinder progress in research I m an unabashed preprint advocate Of course some preprints are more important and interesting than', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/Zqgm8Z3Zw6o/bmj.m4703.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:31', NULL),
(522, 'Lockdowns don&amp;#x2019;t kill women, abusive men do', 'Bavli and colleagues report that public health interventions against covid 19 are associated with increased rates of domestic violence 1 To tackle issues around the murder of women at the hands of', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/tSP6gefhVmA/bmj.m4795.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:31', NULL),
(523, 'Covid-19: Logistical problems frustrate GPs ready to deliver vaccine in England', 'Some GPs are calling the roll out of the Pfizer BioNTech covid 19 vaccine in England a shambles as delivery delays have forced them to cancel appointments and poor communication has left them', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/GbnGY9U6Z18/bmj.m4849.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:31', NULL),
(524, 'Covid 19: Christmas relaxation will overwhelm services', 'Since the UK s first lockdown in March the government has had one perhaps only one consistent message protect the NHS Now with the number of hospital patients with covid 19 again on the rise', 'http://feeds.bmj.com/~r/bmj/recent/~3/53xV5U-yeu0/bmj.m4847.short', 26, 'pending', '2020-12-15 15:16:31', NULL),
(525, '\"2019-ncov\" OR nCov OR (coronavirus AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR \"novel coronavirus\" OR (pneumonia AND wuhan[TIAB]) OR COVID-19[TW] OR 2019ncov[TW] AND ( ( \"2019/12/01\"[PDat] : \"3000/12/31\"[PDat] ) ); +3041 new citations', '3041 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results 2019 ncov OR nCov OR coronavirus AND wuhan TIAB OR novel coronavirus OR pneumonia AND wuhan TIAB OR COVID 19 TW OR 2019ncov TW AND 2019 12 01 PDat 3000 12 31 PDat These pubmed results were generated on 2020 12 20PubMed comprises more than millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE life science journals and online books Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites', 'https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&amp;db=pubmed&amp;term=%28%20%28%222019-ncov%22%20OR%20nCov%20OR%20%28coronavirus%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20%22novel%20coronavirus%22%20OR%20%28pneumonia%20AND%20wuhan%5BTIAB%5D%29%20OR%20COVID-19%5BTW%5D%20OR%202019ncov%5BTW%5D%20AND%20%28%20%28%20%222019%2F12%2F01%22%5BPDat%5D%20%3A%20%223000%2F12%2F31%22%5BPDat%5D%20%29%20%29%29%20AND%20%222020%2F12%2F15%2007.06%22%5BMHDA%5D%3A%222020%2F12%2F20%2007.17%22%5BMHDA%5D%29', 21, 'pending', '2020-12-20 12:17:00', NULL),
(526, 'Meet the 100+ outstanding Nurses and Midwives', 'To mark the end of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife we are honored to unveil the 2020 List of 100 Outstanding Women Nurses and Midwives This partnership of the World Health Organization WHO United Nations Population Fund UNFPA Nursing Now International Council of Nurses ICN International Confederation of Midwives ICM and Women in Global Health WGH features the achievements and contributions of nurses and midwives from 43 countries and across 6 global regions to recognize these women and the millions of nurses and midwives around the world Midwives and nurses the overwhelming majority of whom are women are the backbone of primary health systems Their care during this monumental year has had an impact far beyond the facilities in which they work However the dedication that midwives and nurses have epitomized throughout the onslaught of the pandemic often goes unrecognized and merits much more than applause more investment more support safe and decent work equal pay more resources and an equal say in leadership Despite shortages of Physical Protective Equipment PPE a lack of support and crippling uncertainty these women represent millions more nurses and midwives on the frontlines of patient care providing solutions every day to people around the globe Let us use the stories of their everyday heroism and service to call for all countries to invest in decent work and a new social contract for all women health workers particularly nurses and midwives as part of their commitment to health for all Above all we want nurses and midwives to have an equal say in decision making on the health systems they know best', 'https://www.who.int/news/item/18-12-2020-meet-the-100-outstanding-nurses-and-midwives', 22, 'pending', '2020-12-20 12:17:03', NULL);
