This page brings together information and guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations regarding the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that was first reported in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. Please visit this page for daily updates. WHO is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.
Coronavirus global health emergency: Coverage from UN News
New COVID-19 variants under the microscope as travel bans mount over UK mutation
The UN health agency chief said on Monday that scientists have been working to understand new COVID-19 variants that have been reported in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
COVID-19: Avoid ‘nationalistic footrace’ in choosing vaccines
As governments move to secure COVID-19 vaccines for their populations, choosing these treatments should not be viewed as “some kind of nationalistic footrace”, with some countries winning and others losing, a senior official with the World Health Organization (WHO) told journalists on Friday.
Global challenges require global solutions, UN chief tells German parliament
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the Bundestag, the German parliament, on Friday, where he warned of a deficit of international cooperation and underscored that global challenges require global solutions.
To end the pandemic, WHO says $28 billion ACT project is ‘the best deal in town’
An international coalition aiming to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic needs $28 billion, a bargain price for stopping the damage done by a virus that has run rampant for the past year, a senior UN World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Tuesday.
‘Generation disrupted’ lays out plan to take on coronavirus through major youth mobilization
A new ground-breaking global youth initiative was launched on Monday to invest in and scale up youth-led solutions and engagement, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Avert ‘dire consequences’ for women's health, UNFPA urges in appeal to prevent maternal deaths
The UN agency dedicated to improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide (UNFPA) appealed on Monday for $2.5 billion by 2030 to help avert potential “dire consequences” surrounding pregnancies and maternal deaths.
ILO study finds migrants earn much less than locals, and the gap is widening
The gap between wages paid to migrant and national workers is big and growing, and may widen further because of the pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Monday.
Water, hygiene woes at health facilities putting lives at risk: UN report
Lack of basic water and sanitation services at health facilities has put around 1.8 billion health workers and patients at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and other diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have said.
COVID-19 vaccines: Donors urged to step up funding for needy countries
Addressing the financing gap to provide COVID-19 vaccines for everyone, everywhere, is an urgent priority, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, in an appeal for stepped-up funding to support poorer countries.
COVID-19 shows ‘urgent need’ for solidarity, UN chief tells Nobel forum
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for global solidarity and greater international cooperation, and must be turned into an opportunity for fundamental change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a keynote address to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on Friday.