Health

© UNICEF/Karel Prinsloo

Coronavirus poses latest threat to battered health system in DR Congo

31 March 2020
Africa

The looming threat of the new coronavirus disease COVID-19 is just the latest challenge to the beleaguered health care system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is struggling with deadly measles and cholera epidemics that have killed thousands of children over the past year, the UN children’s fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

World Bank/Tom Perry

UN helps Pacific prepare for COVID-19 pandemic, warns that children are ‘hidden victims’

30 March 2020
Asia Pacific

United Nations agencies are working together to provide vital support to Pacific Island countries as they rally to combat COVID-19 outbreaks across the region. 

Provided by Lu Xiang

Protect ‘healthcare heroes’ from COVID-19, urges UN rights expert

27 March 2020
Global

States and business leaders must step up efforts to ensure that the selfless doctors, nurses, first-responders and other medical professionals working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic receive adequate protective equipment, a UN rights expert said on Friday.

UN Photo/Evan Schneider

A sustainable global economy must arise once COVID-19 pandemic is reversed, UN chief tells G-20 summit

26 March 2020
Global

World leaders at the G-20 virtual summit held on Thursday committed to inject over $5 trillion into the global economy to counteract the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Medical University

Human rights must be maintained in beating back the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘without exception’ – UN experts

26 March 2020
Global

Dozens of independent UN human rights experts stressed on Thursday that in addition to public health and emergency measures, battling the COVID-19 pandemic, must respect the fundamental human rights of every individual.

UNAMI

Iraq: Top UN official calls on political leaders to confront COVID-19 pandemic and unite

26 March 2020
Middle East

While the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the political, security, social and economic crises roiling Iraq, the top UN official in the country hopes it will spur leaders to put aside their differences and unite for the common good.

UNDP Armenia

New global platform to keep information networks ‘safer, stronger’ throughout COVID-19 pandemic

23 March 2020
Global

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) launched a new platform on Monday to help global networks under increasing strain and facing rising demand during the COVID-19 crisis to remain “safer, stronger and more connected”, according to the specialized agency’s chief.

U.N. Argentina

Another ‘tragic milestone’: Reported cases of COVID-19 pass 200,000, says UN health chief

20 March 2020
Global

It took three months to reach the first 100,000 cases of COVID-19 but only 12 days to double that, to reach over 200,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

UNOCHA/Iason Athanasiadis

UN aid teams work round the clock amid COVID-19 pandemic to ensure humanitarian support to millions

20 March 2020
Global

As the global humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues at breakneck speed, UN assistance remains critical for some 100 hundred million people living in emergency situations, and life-saving food aid is essential for 87 million people across the world.

UNOCHA/Shahrokh Pazhman

Treat migrants with dignity and respect during pandemic: UN migration agency

18 March 2020
Global

The importance of treating migrants with dignity and respect has not changed, UN migration agency (IOM), spokesperson Joel Millman has told UN News, adding that the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on migrants, highly represented in the food industry, which is now seeing widespread shutdowns, is ‘a huge concern’ to the agency.