In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the technology industry has played an unprecedented role in building solidarity and supporting the WHO to keep people safe and informed about the virus. Tech partnerships have enabled WHO to reach diverse global audiences in the palm of their hands with life-sav...ing health information translated into local languages. This broad portfolio of work can be categorized into WHO’s three-pillared-approach to improving health for everyone, everywhere through digital solutions:
WHO is actively promoting science-based health messages around the world to fill the vacuum with trusted health information
WHO is working with tech companies to fight misinformation and falsehoods, which are a threat to people everywhere
To help disseminate critical messages, WHO is creating tools, applications and channels to amplify accurate information
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Since the start of the pandemic, the region has been hit by multiple natural and biological disasters. At the same time, climate change has continued to warm the world, exacerbating the impacts of many of these disasters. The *Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2021, *also launched today, shows that the p...andemic, combined with the persistent reality of climate change, has reshaped and expanded the disaster “riskscape” in Asia and the Pacific.
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Over 18 months into the pandemic, WHO continues to conductglobal surveillance of COVID-19as part of activities on preparedness, readiness and response activities. The need for global surveillance of COVID-19 is greater than ever, asthe implementation of vaccination campaigns and the appearance of va...riants are prone to impact the course of the epidemic, as transmission patterns evolve. Timely and complete surveillance data are key to monitoring these changes.
Features include stratification by age and sex, trends over time, case fatality ratios by age, testing, hospitalization, and data on health workers –all visible at country and regional levels. The dashboard provides the ability for users to conduct further analyses by country and selected time period.
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Background paper 7
The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
May 2021
Background paper 13
The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
May 2021
Initial public health responses to control the pandemic focused on promoting protective behaviors among the general population, including frequent hand washing, physical distancing and the use of face masks in public spaces However, many saw these only as interim measures to reduce the spread of the... virus and hopes for a return to a sense of ‘ rested on the development of a safe and effective vaccine.
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Some observers have described the coronavirus pandemic as an 'Anthropocene disease,' thereby highlighting its connection with this new ecological era that is characterised by the considerable pressure human activities are exerting on ecosystems and the consequences on public health, society and the ...environment. This article focuses on the recent emergence of the 'Planetary Health' paradigm. Launched by the Rockefeller Foundation and the medical journal The Lancet, Planetary Health is one of the most ambitious attempts in recent years to systematize global health in the Anthropocene. While recognising the interest and necessity of reflecting on human health and the health of the planet, this article aims to show, however, that the Planetary Health paradigm is problematic and aporetic for two reasons. First, because it is based on a scientistic and depoliticised conception of the Anthropocene, which obscures capitalism's responsibility for the contemporary global and, especially, ecological crisis. Second, because this conception leads to a promotion of solutions that are essentially based on the financialization and technoscientific management of the living world - precisely the underlying cause of the degradation of ecosystems and living conditions that created the Anthropocene in the first place. A different kind of 'planetary health' remains possible and desirable.
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Testing coverage is a critical component of pandemic response, providing a view on the data available to inform policy and monitor the effectiveness of public health measures. While many countries do not publish official numbers of tests conducted, others are doing this across individual websites, s...tatistical reports and press releases, often in multiple languages and updated with different periodicity. FIND is working to build a global picture of the testing coverage for COVID-19 and facilitate the accurate interpretation and study of case and death numbers.
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From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until August 2021, extreme weather events have affected at least 139.2 million people and killed at least 17,242 people in at least 433 unique events. These figures are certainly an underestimate, as they do not include estimates of numbers of people affected ...by extreme temperatures, or mortality during drought events.
One dimension of the compound risk of COVID-19 and climate extremes was the additional challenge of preparing for and responding to disasters during the pandemic, such as the constraints of physical distancing during evacuations and response operations.
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Prepared by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response for the WHO Executive Board, January 2021
“The world was not as prepared as it should have been, and it must do better,” concludes a WHO panel reviewing the pandemic response "
Results of rapid assessment
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.
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A key component of epidemic and pandemic preparedness is ensuring systems are in place for real-time information to flow from a trusted source to the people at risk.
In the absence of such information rumours can spread rapidly through social media, resulting in an INFODEMIC. EPI-WIN is the WHO Inf...ormation Network for Epidemics that will provide tailored information to different audiences during a public health event.
EPI-WIN seeks to give everyone access to timely, accurate, and easy-to-understand advice and information from trusted sources on public health events and outbreaks: currently the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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Going to work during this COVID-19 pandemic has placed frontline workers under immense and unprecedented pressure, putting their physical, mental and social well-being at risk. Exposure to excessive stress, for prolonged periods can have many harmful consequences on the emotional and mental well-bei...ng of frontline workers. This document outlines some actions that frontline workers can take to cope with stress and take care of themselves during COVID-19.
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Going to work during this COVID-19 pandemic has placed frontline workers under immense and unprecedented pressure, putting their physical, mental and social well-being at risk. Exposure to excessive stress, for prolonged periods can have many harmful consequences on the emotional and mental well-bei...ng of frontline workers. This document outlines some actions that frontline workers can take to cope with stress and take care of themselves during COVID-19.
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Facing the COVID-19 (new coronavirus disease) pandemic, the countries of the world must take decisive action to stop the spread of the virus. In these critical circumstances, it is es- sential that everyone is informed about other health risks and hazards so that they can stay safe and healthy.
The... following factsheet provides important information that you should know about alcohol consumption and COVID-19. It addresses, among other things, the misinformation that is being spread through social media and other communication channels about alcohol and COVID-19.
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How to respond to Covid19 pandemic in West and Central Africa
Immunization in the context of COVID-19 pandemic: frequently asked questions (FAQ), 16 April 2020 ترافق ھذه الأسئلة المتكررةالمبادئالتوجیھیة الخاصة بأنشطة التمنیع أثناء جائحةكوفید-19الصادرة عن... منظمة الصحة العالمیة.1و ، حّن قُس تحسب الاقتضاء، وفقا لتطور جائحة كوفید-19.التمنیع ھو خدمة من الخدمات ال صحیة الأساسیة التي تحمي الأفراد ضین لّالمعرلأمراض التي یمكن الوقایة منھاباللقاحات.2وبفضلتوفیر التمنیعللأفراد والمجتمعات المحلیة في الوقت المناسب ،سّی ظ لونمحمیین،م م ا سیؤدي إلى انخفاض احتمالوقوع فاشیات الأمراض التي یمكن الوقایة منھا باللقاحات. وعلاوة على أن تلافيحدوثفاشیات الأمراض التي یمكن الوقایة منھا باللقاحاتیؤدي إلى إنقاذالأرواح، فإنھ یتطلب موارد أقل من تلك التي تتطلبھا الاستجابة للفاشیة، كما أنھیساعد على تخفیفالعبء الملقى على نظام صحي مرھق أصلا نتیجة جائحة كوفید-19.وبینما تلتزم البلدان بالحفاظ على نظم التمنیع ،ینبغي لھا أن تتبعالھ ج ُنا ل ت ي تحترم مبدأ عدم إلحاق الأذى وا ل ت ي تحد من انتقالمرض كوفید-19عند اضطلاعھا بأنشطة التمنیع. وا ًیمكن أیضاغتنام الفرص التي تتیحھا زیارات التمنیعّلنشر رسائل تشجع ي الّعلى تبنسلوكیات التي تحد من مخاطر انتقال عدوى الفیروس المسبب لمرض كوفید-19 ،والتعرف علىعلامات مرض كوفید-19وأعراضھ، وتقدیم إرشادات بشأنالتدابیر الواجب اتخاذھا في حال ظھور الأعراض
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After Corona was declared as a pandemic by WHO, multiple government agencies, development agencies, and departments needed technically accurate materials for their relevant contexts. Department for Labor and Human Resource, Government of Punjab needed something immediate for industrial workers in la...rge scale manufacturing settings particularly the textile sector which alone employs millions of workers.
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Facing the COVID-19 (new coronavirus disease) pandemic, the countries of the world must take decisive action to stop the spread of the virus. In these critical circumstances, it is es- sential that everyone is informed about other health risks and hazards so that they can stay safe and healthy.
The... following factsheet provides important information that you should know about alcohol consumption and COVID-19. It addresses, among other things, the misinformation that is being spread through social media and other communication channels about alcohol and COVID-19.
more
Policy briefs
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting not only food trade, food supply chains and markets but also people’s lives, livelihoods and nutrition.
This collection of policy briefs presents a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the pandemic’s impacts on these areas.
Briefs are r...eleased on a day-to-day basis
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