As COVID-19 cases rise again in many parts of the world and the Delta variant spreads rapidly in many countries, WHO continues to support its Member States in responding to the pandemic through a comprehensive range of initiatives, thanks to the generous contributions of its donors and partners.
Somalia: scaling up COVID-19 surveillance and training health workers with UK support
Published by WHO/EMRO Somalia in June 2021 .
In Somalia, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom recently supported WHO in implementing a training series on the Early Warning and Response Network. This surveillance system is designed to track diseases including COVID-19 and to trigger a prompt public health response when needed. The training for health workers focused on three pillars: detecting, verifying and responding to COVID-19 and other diseases. As a result, the reporting rate and case detection for COVID-19 increased from 57% to 79% from April 2020 to May 2021.
Syria: strengthening media partnerships to improve COVID-19 vaccine communications
Published by WHO/EMRO in June 2021
WHO and the Syrian Ministry of Health recently held an event for key Syrian media outlets to help address misinformation and increase public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. The session outlined new ways for media professionals to deliver effective and consistent messages to the public on vaccine-preventable diseases, the risks and benefits associated with vaccines, and how to find accurate, trustworthy information.
Also recently in Syria, more than 17,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were delivered to the northeast of the country through the COVAX Facility as part of the country’s national immunization programme.
Costa Rica: WHO donates equipment to strengthen health care in prisons
Published by WHO/PAHO in June 2021
The WHO Regional Office for the Americas/PAHO recently donated oxygen concentrators and personal protective equipment to protect health personnel against COVID-19 in Costa Rica’s prison system.
Germany provides medical masks to Barbados and Eastern Caribbean countries to slow the spread of COVID-19
Published by WHO/PAHO in June 2021
Germany recently shipped a donation of 924,000 medical masks to WHO in the Americas, for distribution to Barbados and Eastern Caribbean countries to support their COVID-19 response.
The delivery is part of Germany's donation of 250 million masks worth US$327 million to WHO, to assist countries hit the hardest by COVID-19.
Honduras: USA donates 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX
Published by WHO/PAHO in June 2021
Honduras recently received 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines donated by the United States of America through the COVAX mechanism. Honduras is the first of at least 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to receive doses through the latest aid from the Unites States.
To date, the country has received nearly 2 million doses of vaccines through COVAX. The donation is part of the U.S. Government's drive to increase vaccination coverage against COVID-19 in other countries around the world, counter new waves of contagion, and prioritize the vaccination of health workers and other vulnerable populations in neighbouring countries.
Bangladesh: Government of Japan and Asia-Europe Foundation deliver personal protective equipment amid surge in COVID-19 cases
Published by WHO Bangladesh in June 2021
The Japan International Cooperation System, on behalf of the Government of Japan and the Asia-Europe Foundation, recently donated a substantial delivery of personal protective equipment to WHO in Bangladesh to support the country’s COVID-19 response. In recent weeks, a new spike in the number of confirmed cases has been registered in Bangladesh, leading to new public health safety measures.
Thailand: Government of Japan provides newly-renovated biosafety laboratories to support public health system
Published by WHO Thailand in June 2021.
WHO in Thailand has been assisting the country in its response to COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak. Through WHO, financial and technical support was mobilized by donors to renovate six laboratories, equipping them with brand new working systems. This included generous support from the Government of Japan. Laboratories play a key role in achieving health security. They contribute to disease surveillance, patient management, and research and development. They are also essential in the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Europe: WHO launches a new monitoring tool to help track rates of COVID-19 in UEFA Euro 2020 host cities
Published by WHO/EURO in June 2021
With the UEFA European Football Championship taking place in cities across the WHO European Region, WHO/Europe has launched a monitoring tool that provides an overview of the current COVID-19 situation with a particular focus on EURO 2020 host cities.
The explorer is intended as a tool for authorities, organizers and the public to better understand the COVID-19 situation in host cities and assess related risks at the public health and individual levels. It also provides epidemiological trends across the region, an event-based surveillance system as well as details of public health and social measures.
