Dr Mokshanand Fhooblall works with RNA samples extracted from throat swabs at the Candos Virology Lab in Mauritius. © WHO / Gilliane Soupe
Thanks to generous contributions from Member States and other donors, WHO has been supporting countries in all regions with a multi-faceted approach to responding to the pandemic.
Funds provided to WHO are helping slow the spread of COVID-19 in countries all over the world. The support has enabled WHO, amongst others, to ship nearly 300 million items of personal protective equipment to close to 200 countries; strengthen hundreds of national and subnational laboratories with technical support and more than 250 million tests; coordinate the deployment of more than 180 teams and missions to strengthen critical response functions at national and subnational level; deliver 27 million respirators, and support more than 12 000 intensive care beds.
Here’s a sample of stories showing how WHO deployed its valuable donor contributions this past week:
Theresa Twumwaa brought her daughter for postnatal care at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO is supporting the Ghana Health Service in their efforts to continue providing essential medical services to the population. © WHO / Nana Kofi Acquah
Reinforcing key health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana
To safely resume the mass polio immunization drive, WHO helped train vaccinators on COVID-19 prevention and provided them with personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer.
In collaboration with WHO, health authorities are now reviving and reinforcing essential services to not only better withstand disruption in case of a new COVID-19 wave, but also to improve quality.
Dr Daniela Di Luca, an anesthesiologist who is currently serving as the Clinical Director of the COVID-19 ICU at the St. Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic in Bologna, Italy says "I think we'll overcome this. It has been tragic, we haven't seen anything like it since the Spanish flu. But I think we shall overcome. Already, the treatment has improved a lot" © WHO/Lindsay Mackenzie
Mapping the pandemic in Europe
The WHO Regional Office for Europe has just launched its Public Health and Social Measures (PHSM) Severity Index to provide standardized data on the ways in which countries in the WHO European Region have sought to slow or stop community spread of COVID-19. This latest tool systematically captures and analyses individual governmental PHSM responses to COVID-19 in the region’s 53 countries.
By presenting epidemiological data and government measures, the new tool aims to inform countries’ efforts in further strengthening their response to the pandemic.
Cooperation between WHO and the European Union boosts response to COVID-19 in Cuba
The WHO Regional Office for the Americas recently announced a new cooperation agreement with the European Union to boost the COVID-19 response in Cuba. Through the agreement, the EU will contribute €1.5 million to strengthen the response capabilities of the Ministry of Public Health.
The initiative aims to reinforce national capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing the availability of critical medical devices and personal protective equipment for health workers. It will also improve national capacity to perform diagnostics, epidemiological surveillance and improve treatment protocols.
Donation of medical devices, PPEs, and food safety kits to the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Belize City, Belize. © PAHO
Belize: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and WHO strengthen points of entry
To strengthen the COVID-19 response and surveillance at Belize’s points of entry, as well as mental health and psychosocial support related to the disease, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the WHO Regional Office for the Americas (PAHO) donated a stock of critical equipment. The shipment included 3 walk-through digital temperature body scanners, 13 HP Elitebook laptops with accessories, 5 desktop computers, 3 projectors, 8 digital cameras with accessories, 40 Samsung Galaxy tablets, and 34 refillable wall-mounted touchless sanitizer dispensers to the Ministry of Health.
In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state with nearly 200 million people, the fight against COVID-19 has been particularly challenging. When cases surged after the lifting of the first series restrictions as part of its surveillance response activities with support from WHO, the state government put in place a mechanism to evaluate the status and quality of contact tracing to guide decision making for an informed public health response.
The WHO National Public Health Surveillance Project (NPSP) team of medical officers along with 800 field monitors undertook a massive exercise to assess the status and quality of contact tracing amongst the 58 000 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 75 districts across the state.
Philippines: WHO donates COVID-19 data processing and encoding equipment
WHO has continued to support the Philippine government’s COVID-19 response by strengthening the Department of Health’s (DOH) Bureau of Quarantine. The office ensures that points of entry into the country are safe from the spread of infectious diseases and inspects health conditions of incoming and outgoing vessels and aircraft.
WHO recently delivered a large stock of IT equipment to the Bureau. The equipment is valued at $US 15 000 and will be used at the Manila headquarters and in seven major ports of entry in the Philippines to ensure an efficient surveillance process to detect COVID-19.
Read more about WHO’s response to COVID-19 across the world
Without the support of donors and partners, WHO would not be able to reach these countries in need and help them make it through the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO thanks all governments, organizations and individuals contributing to the COVID-19 response around the world, and in particular those who have provided fully flexible contributions, to ensure a comprehensive fight against the disease.
African Development Bank, Alwaleed Foundation, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bulgaria, CAF, Canada, Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), China, Côte d’Ivoire, COVID MPTF, COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, European Commission, Finland, France, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, Germany, GFATM, Pacific Health Officers’ Association, Guinea, Holy See, Iceland, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Japan, Ireland, Islamic Development Bank, Italy, King Baudouin Foundation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Novartis International AG, OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Pacific Health Officers’ Association, Pandemic Tech, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Slovenia, Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tetra Pak Export FZE, Standard Chartered Bank, Thailand, United Kingdom, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNDP/UNOSS, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNFCU Foundation, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United States, Viet Nam, Vital Strategies/Resolve to Save Lives, World Bank, World Bank/PEF.
Read more about donors and partners contributing to the COVID-19 response