WHO continues to support countries to fight COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, WHO remains active around the world to support vaccination and information campaigns, deliver supplies, protect the vulnerable, maintain essential health services and more. WHO is able to continue its work to fight the pandemic around the world thanks to the continued generous support from its donors and partners.

WHO, diplomatic community and private sector join forces to increase vaccine uptake in Liberia

Dr Clement, WHO Representative in Liberia, speaking during the COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A panel discussion in Monrovia. Published by WHO/AFRO 18 May 2021.

To tackle COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and increase uptake, delegates from WHO, the Liberian Ministry of Health and the British Embassy recently held an interactive event to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration to fight misinformation. The first event of its kind addressed the vaccine and its benefits, provided clarity on the causes for vaccine hesitancy and focused on tactics to promote vaccine uptake. The event also included prominent Liberian influencers who will help spread the message to communities.

Also recently in Liberia, the WHO Country Office donated a consignment of essential medicines, infection prevention and control supplies and laboratory reagents to the Ministry of Health to control leprosy, enhance the national preparedness to Ebola, and strengthen the country's response to COVID-19.

WHO contributes to strengthening vaccination centres in Madagascar to help maintain essential health services

New vaccination centre reduces crowding and eases services for mothers and babies in the Diana region of Madagascar. Published by WHO/AFRO on 10 May 2021.

WHO recently supported the refurbishment of the latest in a series of six vaccination centres to maintain routine child vaccination during COVID-19. The new centre will be open every weekday and is meant to the reduce large crowds present at the previous centre. WHO and the Ministry of Public Health also continue to work with partners to scale-up vaccination in very 'hard-to-reach' and poor performing areas. Despite challenges due to COVID-19, WHO has been working with national authorities to achieve the objectives of the 2021-2030 Immunization Agenda - at least 90% of immunization coverage for all antigens at the national level and at least 90% in each district.

Ethiopia: WHO and the Tigray Regional Health Bureau reactivate toll-free COVID-19 call centre

Original story published by WHO/AFRO on 19 May 2021.

WHO and the Tigray Regional Health Bureau recently re-opened the Tigray Region toll-free call centre, which was widely solicited for COVID-19 related information before its closure. The reactivated centre will have an expanded scope and will provide information on a wide range of health issues ranging from COVID-19 to diseases such as malaria, measles, cholera and meningitis. The hotline will also provide confidential counselling and referral services to victims of sexual and gender-based violence. To reactivate the toll-free call centre, WHO and the regional health bureau trained 30 health workers. WHO continues to help promote and support monitoring and operation of the toll-free centre.

Syria's ambulance services strengthened as part of ongoing emergency response

To respond to urgent humanitarian needs and to improve health care in Syria, WHO recently delivered 40 equipped ambulancesto the Ministry of Health. During the conflict in recent years, two thirds of Syria's ambulances have been destroyed, impeding emergency services and causing life-threatening delays to emergency health services. The new ambulances will play a major role in strengthening the referral system, a key aspect in achieving universal health coverage. The need for referral services has become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of coordinating medical referrals to hospitals with available beds and sufficient health workforce capacity.

The WHO Country Office in Syria also continues drawing attention to the health needs in Northeast Syria (NES), where the health system is severely disrupted and the vulnerabilities are high, especially for the internally displaced and refugees in camps. Ongoing advocacy and partnership efforts resulted in allocating COVID-19 vaccines (delivered within COVAX partnership) to cover 100% of healthcare workers in the region with two doses, despite the limited number of vaccines received in Syria. Other governorates have received vaccines to cover 80% of health care workers. WHO was also able to advocate with the Syrian Ministry of Health to wave the online pre-registration process in the Northeast that would help minimize the sensitivities in non-Government aligned areas. WHO facilitated the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the Northeast by air. Additionally, WHO will provide logistical support to mobile vaccination teams in the region to ensure wider coverage and equitable access to the vaccines.

WHO training for midwives in Lebanon improves infection prevention and control measures

Published by WHO/EMRO on 24 May 2021.

WHO recently supported the launch of the first session in a training series to empower midwives operating private clinics in Lebanon in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and the Lebanese Order of Midwives. The workshop aims educate midwives about enhanced infection prevention and control measures to ensure patients' safety against preventable infections including COVID-19. Additional workshops will soon be rolled out in other parts of the country.

WHO Regional Office for the Americas helps countries cope with shortages of oxygen and health workers

Published by WHO/PAHO on 12 May 2021.

During the recent phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in hospitalizations across the Americas is triggering an unprecedented oxygen supply challenge. In response, the WHO regional office is helping countries scale up oxygen production and is donating vital supplies, including 7 000 pulse oximeters and 2 000 oxygen compressors. The organization has also helped deploy 26 emergency medical teams in 23 countries. Some 400 emergency medical team and alternative medical care sites have been established, helping countries expand capacity with 14 000 new hospital beds including 1 500 in intensive care.

Japan and WHO donate laboratory equipment to Guatemala

Published by WHO/PAHO on 11 May 2021.

The government of Japan and the WHO Regional Office for the Americas recently delivered critical laboratory equipment to continue the fight against COVID-19 to the Guatemalan Minister of Health.

The delivery will assist Guatemala to support the most vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic and has also strengthen the country's laboratories to better detect cases of SARS-CoV-2 throughout its network.

WHO helps strengthen COVID-19 variant surveillance network in Bolivia

Published by WHO/PAHO on 19 May 2021.

The WHO Regional Office for the Americas (PAHO/AMRO) recently delivered high tech equipment to Bolivia to strengthen its sequencing of COVID-19 variants. The new shipment will allow Bolivia, through the National Institute of Health Laboratories, to become part of the regional genomic surveillance network, and contribute to the better surveillance of the virus both in the country and the wider region. PAHO/AMRO also recently donated 20 000 special PCR tests to identify new variants.

WHO invests in workplace safety systems to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines

Published by the WHO Philippines Office on 17 May 2021.

To enhance workplace safety, the WHO Philippines country office, in partnership with the Department of Health Centre for Health Development Metro Manila and in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Centre of the Department of Labour and Employment, recently conducted a session on 'the COVID-19 Response in the Workplace' for safety officers of local government units.

Countries in the WHO South East Asia Region receive essential supplies as COVID-19 cases surge

A consignment of oxygen concentrators delivered by WHO team in India. Published by WHO/India 18 May 2021.

To support countries across the South-East Asia Region to respond to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, WHO has provided over 340 megatons of essential medical supplies and medicines. Oxygen concentrators, testing kits, hospital beds, tents and personal protective equipment are among critical supplies being shipped to countries and rushed to areas where they are needed most. In India, which in recent weeks accounted for a large proportion of global cases, essential supplies have reached 26 States and Union Territorieswithin days of a major consignment of medical equipment landing in New Delhi.

WHO supports COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Bangladesh while strengthening preparedness for Rohingya

WHO and partners continue enhancing community awareness and strengthening healthcare workers' capacities to ensure the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for the Rohingya refugees is ready to roll-out as soon as the vaccines arrive. Published by WHO Bangladesh on 20 May 2021.

In Bangladesh,WHO is supporting the government through technical guidance, capacity building and operationalizationto ensure the safe and effective roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country. Since October 2020, WHO has been providing guidance to the government to ensure an effective and safe deployment of the vaccines across the country. The WHO Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) team has been working closely with senior government authorities and key partners to develop the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP) for COVID-19 - a master document that aims to guide the national vaccine roll-out.

Ensuring equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines among the lower income countries and vulnerable populations has been part of WHO's core mission since the onset of the pandemic. Inclusion of the Rohingya refugee population in the Bangladesh national vaccination plan has been one of the Health Sector's priorities for Cox's Bazar. WHO and partners continue enhancing community awareness and strengthening healthcare workers' capacities to ensure the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for the Rohingya refugees is ready to roll-out as soon as the vaccines arrive.

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Read more about WHO's response to COVID-19 across the world.

Without the support of donors and partners, WHO would not be able to reach these countries in need and help them make it through the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO thanks all governments, organizations and individualscontributing to the COVID-19 response around the world since the beginning of the outbreak, and in particular those who have provided fully flexible contributions, to ensure a comprehensive fight against the disease.

Member States and other governments in 2021:

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lesotho, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States.

Other partners in 2021:

African Development Bank Group, African Reinsurance Corporation, Asian Development Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, China Medical Board, COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, European Commission, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Gavi-The Vaccine Alliance, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Islamic Development Bank, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center (Ksrelief), Latter Day Saints Charities, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), Rockefeller Foundation, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Southern African Development Community Secretariat (SADC), Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Task Force for Global Health, United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Veolia Environment Foundation, Vital Strategies, WHO Regional Office for the Americas, World Bank.

Read more about donors and partners contributing to the COVID-19 response

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