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World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Coronavirus: How polio personnel are pivoting against COVID-19

On World Polio Day, we recognize the immense contributions of polio workers to COVID-19 response and acknowledge the major challenges ahead

World Polio Day, on 24 October, is when the world comes together to celebrate the determination that has brought us 99% of the way to ending polio, and reflect on the heights we must scale to defeat the disease completely.    This year, Africa was declared free of wild poliovirus, a…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Coronavirus - Africa: COVID-19 could reverse decades of progress toward eliminating preventable child deaths, agencies warn

In May, initial modelling by Johns Hopkins University showed that almost 6,000 additional children could die per day due to disruptions due to COVID-19

With the number of under-five deaths at an all-time recorded low of 5.2 million in 2019, disruptions in child and maternal health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic are putting millions of additional lives at stake. The number of global under-five deaths dropped to its lowest point on record in…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Coronavirus - Africa and Middle East: Statement by WHO Regional Director Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari

Increasing numbers of cases are also being reported from Iraq, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Oman

By Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari June 30 marked six months since WHO received the first reports of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in China The six-month mark of the outbreak coincides with reaching 10 million cases and 500,000 deaths world-wide.  Although many countries have made some progress,…

World Health Organization (WHO)
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) |

Coronavirus - Middle East and North Africa: Joint Statement - Food crisis likely to worsen in the Middle East and North Africa as COVID-19 continues

Countries in the region already facing food crisis are hit hardest by the pandemic

Joint statement from the Regional Directors of UNICEF, FAO, WFP and WHO “Governments and partners across the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) are working around the clock to protect communities from the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). While these efforts are saving many lives, they are having a critical impact…