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
Make COVID recovery ‘a true turning point’ for people and planet, Guterres urges, calling for concerted action by G20
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on governments to incorporate “meaningful” climate action in all aspects of recovery from the global pandemic.
World’s richest nations must protect child well-being in COVID-19 fallout: UNICEF
Children in the world’s richest countries are grappling with mental health concerns, obesity and poor social and academic skills, according to a new study published on Thursday by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
COVID-19: ‘Game-changer for international peace and security’ – UN chief
The world has “entered a volatile and unstable new phase” in terms of the impact of COVID-19 on peace and security, the UN chief told a virtual meeting with world leaders on Wednesday.
Women bear the brunt, as COVID erodes progress on eradicating extreme poverty
The coronavirus pandemic and its fallout will likely push 47 million more women into poverty, reversing decades of progress to eradicate extreme poverty, new data released on Wednesday by the UN has revealed.
Kickstarting economies without COVID-19 plan, ‘a recipe for disaster’: Tedros
Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, countries want to “get their economies going again”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, advising on the measures that governments, communities and individuals should take, to do so safely.
Generations of progress for women and girls could be lost to COVID pandemic, UN chief warns
Highlighting the disproportionate and devastating socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on women and girls globally, The UN chief António Guterres called on Monday for a major push to prevent “years, even generations” worth of progress on women’s empowerment, from being lost to the pandemic.
The key to Viet Nam’s successful COVID-19 response: A UN Resident Coordinator blog
Whilst no country can claim to have beaten COVID-19, some countries have been noticeably more effective in curbing the spread of the disease. Kamal Malhotra, the UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam, explains why the country’s response to the pandemic has been so successful.
Committee to review global treaty on response to health emergencies
An independent expert committee will be established to examine various aspects of the international treaty that governs preparedness and response to health emergencies, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday.
Amid Afghanistan’s ‘vast’ COVID-19 crisis, people want security, jobs: UN
Although Afghanistan’s COVID-19 crisis is “vast”, what people really want are jobs and security, according to a senior UN relief official.
In an interview with UN News’s Daniel Johnson, the UN Development Programme’s representative there, Abdallah Dardari, explains how the agency is already helping the Government to confront the pandemic, and supporting the rising number of families falling into poverty.
Human rights are the ‘means by which governments can successfully beat pandemics’, says UNAIDS chief
Some of the world’s most marginalized and defenseless communities have fallen victim to violence and other rights abuses during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the UN agency dedicated to tackling the AIDS virus to urge Governments to protect the most vulnerable, particularly key populations at higher risk of HIV.