The Lancet "With the number of COVID-19 cases decreasing across the continent, it is time to reflect on the first months of the pandemic in Africa. Munyaradzi Makoni reports. In February 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Africa. Borders were closed, confirmed cases quarantined, and curfews imposed early, which helped countries to slow down the spread of the virus. A slow rise in cases compared with other parts of the world resulted, highlighting Africa's weak health systems, fragile infrastructure, inadequate availability of trained personnel, and poor access to medical supplies and equipment." (Photo by 2Photo Pots on Unsplash)
www.aidspan.org "In a virtual meeting convened by the African Union on 8 and 9 October 2020, health and finance ministers from east and southern Africa discussed how to sustain Africa’s earlier health gains in the face of COVID-19. They agreed on the dual importance of raising domestic resources for health and improving the management of available resources. The stance is summarized as “more money for health and more health for money.” Strong leadership and social protection for the most vulnerable are the two other additional levers to “build back” after the COVID-19 crisis. Peter Sands, the Executive Director of the Global Fund and Donald Kaberuka, the Chairman of the Global Fund Board, as well as representatives of multilateral organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance), and the World Bank addressed the participants and emphasized different aspects of those four levers." (Photo: Pictures of Money/flickr/CC BY 2.0)
SEXUELLE GESUNDHEIT Schweiz Im vorliegenden Bericht belegt SEXUELLE GESUNDHEIT SCHWEIZ, dass in der Schweiz der Zugang zu Verhütungsmitteln nicht gewährleistet ist. Betroffen sind insbesondere armutsbetroffene Familien. Dank einem Fonds der Glückskette konnte SEXUELLE GESUNDHEIT SCHWEIZ vorübergehend Verhütungsmittel für Menschen finanzieren, die sich diese aufgrund der Covid-19-Auswirkungen nicht mehr leisten konnten. Die Resultate zum «Fonds Covid-19» können in dem Bericht nachgelesen werden.
MMS Avant la pandémie de coronavirus, l’Afrique du Sud comptait déjà le plus grand nombre de victimes de violence sexuelle et domestique au monde, rapporté au nombre d’habitants. Les mesures de confinement strictes des derniers mois ont certes permis d’enrayer la propagation du virus, mais ont fait monter en flèche le nombre de cas de violence basée sur le genre. Précisément à un moment où le nombre déjà élevé de victimes de violence augmente encore, le travail des bénévoles s’en trouve massivement impacté. L’exemple du travail de Lifeline, organisation partenaire sud-africaine de terre des hommes schweiz, montre à quel point la pression psychologique et les obstacles concrets sont importants pour les personnes en quête d’aide comme pour les aidants. Un reportage de Hafid Derbal et Tayson Mudarikiri, terre des hommes schweiz. (Photo : Des protestations majeures et ayant un impact public, comme ici en 2018, ne sont plus possibles aujourd’hui © terre des hommes schweiz)
The Economist "THE GLASS and metal headquarters of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN’s health agency, contrast starkly with their bucolic surroundings in the hills around Geneva. The only dabs of colour are the flags of its 194 member-states. For now the American flag still flutters beside the rest. But if President Donald Trump has his way, by July 2021 it will be gone. America is the WHO’s biggest donor. A tenth of its staff are American. Its influence runs through the agency, right down to the peanut-butter cups in the staff vending machine. It is an odd time to cut ties with the world’s foremost public-health body. There is a pandemic going on." (Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash)
Geneva Global Health Hub (G2H2) This meeting was organized and co-hosted by GENDRO and Women in Global Health together with the WHO Secretariat. It was announced as follows: “Through a dynamic, solutions-oriented dialogue session, this will be an opportunity to highlight three specific aspects of gender transformation: leadership, including in the response to COVID at local, national, regional and international levels; data, particularly strategies to ensure the collection and use of gender disaggregated data in times of COVID; and health care, with a focus on women on the frontlines. The session seeks to focus on solutions and strategies for progress, including what civil society asks of WHO and also what civil society itself can do.” (Photo: MONUSCO Photos/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
UNAIDS "A new report from UNAIDS shows how countries grappling with COVID-19 are using the experience and infrastructure from the AIDS response to ensure a more robust response to both pandemics. COVID-19 and HIV: 1 moment, 2 epidemics, 3 opportunities—how to seize the moment to learn, leverage and build a new way forward for everyone’s health and rights shows that by identifying the dynamic changes needed, systems can be found that are effective, inclusive, equitable and sufficiently resourced. “Given the epic dimensions of the emergency, the world needs unity and solidarity,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “Our decades-long fight against HIV offers essential lessons. By heeding those lessons and working together, we can ensure that national health responses deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the health and well-being of all.” (Photo by SJ Objio on Unsplash)
Health Policy Watch "Dire predictions of Africa being overwhelmed by a tsunami of COVID-19 infections and deaths have not materialized – yet – and this is confounding many researchers. So whether the reason is the continent’s youthful population, a certain level of “herd immunity” gained from prior exposure to other coronaviruses, or simply a lack of adequate disease surveillance, experts are trying to understand the reasons why." (Photo by Morning Brew on Unsplash)
World Health Organisation (WHO) "The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly disrupted freight movement, particularly by air, of essential health supplies, while nationally lockdowns disrupted pharmaceutical production. These and other unexpected supply chain disruptions all significantly complicated the delivery of vital health products just when health services needed them the most. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) through the‘ Strategic Fund for Essential Medicines and Public Health Supplies’ responded quickly to minimize the impact by working with three key stake holdergroups regional and national health authorities, technical experts, and suppliers." (Photo: OEA - OAS/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
British Medical Journal (bmj) "How does one fight an invisible, insidious, and all but intractable foe worth 30 kb in size? In Kenya, the hundred and fiftieth day of COVID-19 passed on 9th August 2020, nine months after the virus manifested itself in the Chinese province of Wuhan. The pandemic has brought forth some key learnings in the process. Even though modern science has risen at breath-taking speed, the most effective tools are still the public health measures, from the 19th century – quarantine and social distancing. The crisis has given us an opportunity to witness the speed and volume of innovation from local innovators and universities to give doctors a broader range of weapons." (Photo: AMISOM Public Information/flickr, CC0 1.0)
Times LIVE "The effect of lockdown on gender-based violence (GBV) has been laid bare by a researcher who collected data from every support call centre. The government GBV and femicide command centre alone recorded more than 120,000 victims in the first three weeks of lockdown, said Rose Gawaya, a gender adviser at the Social Policy Network." (Photo by Mélodie Descoubes on Unsplash)
Devex "Drastic measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, such as strict lockdowns, are not sustainable on many parts of the African continent because of crowded living conditions and the need to keep economies afloat. That’s why an effective vaccine is one of the best chances African countries have to return to normalcy, experts said this week. “A COVID vaccine would allow member states to return to a fully functional economy and society,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, during a virtual two-day conference focused on the role the continent hopes to play in the development, production, and distribution of future coronavirus vaccines." (Photo: KB Mpofu / International Labour Organization ILO/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
naturemedicine "Given the current trends in incidence and underlying healthcare systems vulnerabilities, Africa could become the next epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic transitions to more widespread community transmission, how can the lessons learned thus far be consolidated to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 while minimizing social disruption and negative humanitarian and economic consequences?" (Photo: USAFRICOM/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Health Policy Watch "African countries are lifting lockdowns even as COVID-19 cases across the continent reached a grim new milestone, topping 200,000 cases. The pandemic took only 19 days to reach 200,000 cases in Africa, while it took 98 days to reach the first 100,000 cases. Yet carefully easing lockdown orders in Africa may be the right move according to former United States CDC director Tom Frieden, who is currently president and chief executive officer of Resolve to Save Lives, an Vital Strategies initiative." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The New Humanitarian "No country escapes coronavirus unscathed, but South Africa seems to have done better than most – despite dire predictions that African countries are a “ticking time bomb” of COVID-19 devastation. President Cyril Ramaphosa has won international praise for a generally sure-footed response, and, after years of bad news, the country is experiencing a tentative feel-good bloom over its ability to pull together." (Photo: GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
The Lancet "Despite over 100 000 confirmed cases and infections in every country, the passage of COVID-19 through the African continent remains somewhat enigmatic. High numbers of deaths were expected in the region due to fragile health systems, lack of access to preventive measures, barriers to testing, and potentially vulnerable populations. But, according to WHO, Africa is the least affected region globally, with 1·5% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases and 0·1% of the world's deaths." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Health Policy Watch "Low and middle-income countries urgently need affordable personal protective equipment, diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to ward off even bigger waves of COVID-19 infection and mortality – and global production capacity is failing to ensure timely supply even of those products now on the market. Now, more than ever, producers in poor countries need to be integrated into the health products ecosystem – at national, regional and global level – something that is good for public health, local economic development – and global public health security." (Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) “Since the lockdown in Zimbabwe was mandated beginning on March 30th, I take my daily walks to get out of the confines of my house. As the weeks progress, these walks have become…busier. Cars everywhere, people everywhere. My local potato and tomato vendors started reappearing at street corners, attempting to sell their produce. At one point I asked one of the vendors if the lockdown had ended, and I had somehow missed that announcement. No, the lockdown hadn't ended but the need to feed their families and earn some income had intensified. As one vendor gently mentioned ‘kusiri kufa ndekupi’ which loosely translates to ‘we are all going to die anyways’." – Constancia Mavodza." (Photo:
UN Women/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Imperial College London "COVID-19 has the potential to cause disruptions to health services in different ways; through the health system becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, through the intervention used to slow transmission of COVID-19 inhibiting access to preventative interventions and services, and through supplies of medicine being interrupted. We aim to quantify the extent to which such disruptions in services for HIV, TB and malaria in high burden low- and middle-income countries could lead to additional loss of life." (Photo: CDC Global/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Le Temps "Les pays africains sont dans l’ensemble peu touchés par le Covid-19. La jeunesse de la population et le climat freinent sans doute la transmission du coronavirus mais l’évolution de la pandémie est incertaine, d’autant que le confinement de la population est intenable." (Photo: Social Distancing in the Market/World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
British Medical Journal (bmj) "The covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly challenged our previously held assumptions about global disease epidemiology. Classic public health teaching promulgates the theory of a prevailing epidemiologic transition—one in which the burden of disease morphs from predominantly infectious causes to non-communicable causes as countries industrialize. That theory has now been turned on its head as public health campaigns in industrialized countries promote basic hygiene, while restrictive lockdowns upend regular life. For many, these developments feel like regression to a hitherto forgotten era, with industrialized nations now living the contemporary experience of many in developing countries." (Photo: 217 Cuban Health Specialists arriving in South Africa to curb the spread of COVID-19/GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
Heidi.News "The Geneva Health Forum, created in 2006 in Geneva, was forced to postpone its eighth annual conference, from March to 16-18 November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that has not prevented the Forum’s leadership, including GHF Director, Dr Eric Comte, from responding to the unprecedented challenge created by the crisis. From a small and modest gathering of booths and stands, the Geneva Health Forum has grown into an international event with a strong array of scientific sessions. Geneva Solutions interviewed Comte to hear about the role GHF is playing in the present emergency, and his views gleaned from years in epidemic management." (Photo: DFID - UK Department for International Development/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
MMS Ce sont principalement des touristes européens, puis des voyageurs venus des États-Unis, qui ont apporté le coronavirus dans cette région, où l'épidémie à la fin du mois de mars 2020 en est encore largement à ses débuts. Des systèmes de santé fragiles et partiellement privatisés dans des pays pour la plupart très endettés, dont une grande partie de la population n'a pas d'emploi formel et dont les systèmes de sécurité sociale sont faibles, sont de mauvais augure pour les mois à venir. (Leon Nicaragua. Photo: Massimo Pedrazzini)
World Health Organisation (WHO) Brazzaville/ Cairo, 7 April 2020 – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has risen to more than 10 000 and caused more than 500 deaths. While the virus was slow to reach the continent compared to other parts of the world, infection has grown exponentially in recent weeks and continues to spread. Reaching the continent through travellers returning from hotspots in Asia, Europe and the United States, Africa’s first COVID-19 case was recorded in Egypt on 14 February. Since then a total of 52 countries have reported cases. Initially, mainly confined to capital cities, a significant number of countries in Africa are now reporting cases in multiple provinces. (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The New Humanitarian "NAIROBI - Africa was one of the last regions to register a confirmed coronavirus case, but COVID-19 is now spreading fast. There have so far been more than 9,400 confirmed cases in 52 countries, with no sign yet of a slow down. Governments initially responded with travel bans and flight restrictions. As coronavirus cases have climbed, most African countries have implemented social distancing measures – including lockdowns and curfews – to try and contain the secondary spread within communities. But in cities like Nairobi, two-thirds of the 4.4 million people are crammed into informal settlements that lack basic services, and entire families can live in a single room." (Photo: Ben Cappellacci/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
The Washington Post "How do the world’s poorest nations tackle a global health crisis like the current novel coronavirus outbreak? After the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the World Bank launched the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) — an insurance-based mechanism to raise money for pandemic responses in low-income countries through “catastrophe bonds” and derivatives. The coronavirus pandemic is exactly the situation for which the PEF was designed. Most of the PEF-eligible countries are reporting cases of covid-19 (the disease caused by this coronavirus) and urgently require billions of dollars to scale up their public health response. So far, the PEF has yet to pay out a single dollar. Here’s what happened and why." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Devex "What do bleeding gums, the heart, and social distancing have in common? Aside from their medical implications, they are all challenging key phrases to translate, highlighting a “blind spot” in emergency responses, experts told Devex. As fears mount over the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income countries, health agencies have been ramping up communications to warn people of the virus and how to stay safe." (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Club suisse de la presse "Dans les pays en développement, le pire sur le front du coronavirus reste à venir. Mais déjà aujourd’hui les mesures de confinement prises par divers gouvernements du Sud, notamment en Afrique, ont un impact dévastateur sur la vie et l’économie de pays particulièrement vulnérables. En début de semaine, l’ONU a lancé un cri d’alarme en demandant que les Etats du Nord débloquent 2500 milliards de dollars d‘aide en faveur du Sud."
SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen Utilisé dans les pages listant des éléments et les pages de résultats de recherche.
"In Afrika wächst die Sorge vor einer ungebremsten Ausbreitung des Virus. Denn die Ärmsten können ihm kaum entfliehen. (...) Ärzte und Pflegekräfte nähern sich Kranken nur in Schutzanzügen, vor den Spitälern reiht sich Sarg an Sarg, das Gesundheitssystem steht am Rande des Kollaps: die Schreckensbilder der Ebola-Epidemie in Westafrika sind uns Europäern derzeit auf schauerliche Weise präsent. Nach konservativen Schätzungen der WHO starben von 2014 bis 2016 über 11'000 Menschen an der Infektionskrankheit. Die Dunkelziffer dürfte weit höher sein." (Foto: MMS)
International Health Policy Blog "WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous. ” (Munich Security Conference on Feb 15, 2020). (...) In the face of limited resources and weak health systems, the COVID-19 pandemic presented sub-Saharan Africa with new challenges: the urgent need for diagnostics, care and treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, the increased burden on health systems and collapsing economies. (...) To win this virus war and impending social disruption, there is a need for effective risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) – an essential component of health emergency and response activities." (Photo: Prachatai/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
tagesschau.de "Auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent gibt es immer mehr Corona-Infizierte. Experten fürchten, ein Ausbruch wie in Europa, werde die fragilen Gesundheitssysteme überlasten - mit schlimmen Folgen." (Foto: Protecting shared Microphones/ MONUSCO/ Radio Okapi/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) "Humanitäre Organisationen bereiten sich auf einen Ausbruch der Epidemie in Idlib oder auf Lesbos vor. Viele notwendige Massnahmen lassen sich kaum umsetzen. Ein Schreckensszenario könnte in den kommenden Tagen zur Gewissheit werden: der Ausbruch der Corona-Epidemie in der syrischen Region Idlib." (Foto: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) "Noch gibt es erst wenige Corona-Fälle auf dem Kontinent. Dennoch droht das Virus Afrika in seiner Entwicklung um Jahre zurückzuwerfen. 769 Infizierte, 19 Tote: Nimmt man die bisher bestätigten Covid-19-Fälle in den Ländern Afrikas als Massstab, scheint der Kontinent bisher nur am Rande betroffen von der weltweiten Corona-Krise. Bis dato wurden in 33 von 54 Staaten Infektionen nachgewiesen. Am meisten sind es in Ägypten (210) und Südafrika (150)." (Foto: President Cyril Ramaphosa briefs media on South Africa's first case of Covid-19 Coronavirus/GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
Le Temps "Le directeur général du CICR quitte ses fonctions en pleine tempête sanitaire mondiale. Mais si Yves Daccord s’inquiète des effets immédiats de la maladie, il redoute encore plus les crises économiques et politiques qu’elle entraînera." (Photo: swissnex San Francisco/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Foreign Policy (FP) "A poor country succeeded in fighting off Ebola. Wealthier countries should replicate Liberia’s strategy in combating the coronavirus. (...) Those first days of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and Liberia’s response from that point on can offer important lessons to European and North American governments in light of the World Health Organization’s announcement that the new coronavirus is now a pandemic—and the evidence in rising caseloads from Madrid to London to New York." (Photo: USAID U.S. Agency for International Development/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Center for Global Development (CGD) "As travelers cancel flights, businesses ask workers to stay home, and stocks fall, a global health crisis becomes a global economic crisis. In any health crisis, our first concern is (and should be) with the health of those affected. More than 4,000 people have died worldwide and more than 113,000 cases have been confirmed in over 110 countries. But unfortunately, the economic impacts also have dramatic effects on the wellbeing of families and communities. For vulnerable families, lost income due to an outbreak can translate to spikes in poverty, missed meals for children, and reduced access to healthcare far beyond COVID-19. While the spread in the United States and Europe absorbs much of the media coverage, confirmed cases from Bangladesh to Brazil, from Cameroon to Costa Rica, and in many other low- and middle-income countries mean that many of the economic impacts may affect the world’s most vulnerable populations." (Photo: Trade for Development/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Equinet Africa "This brief summarises and provides links to official, scientific and other resources to support an understanding of and individual to regional level responses to the epidemic of ‘novel coronavirus’, also known as COVID-19.On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and on March 11 2020 it declared it a pandemic. The International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 term a PHEIC an extraordinary eventthat constitutes “a risk to other States through the international spread of disease”, requiringa coordinated international response."
British Medical Journal (bmj) "A global expert group on older people might be useful: The global response to covid-19 has been described as being “too little, too late.” National and international efforts are now gathering pace. Those involved in these efforts can draw on a rapidly growing body of research, much summarised in regularly updated guidelines published by national and international authorities, covering the latest information on the virus, its mode of transmission, its spread, and the susceptibility of different groups within the population. Although many aspects of this new infection remain uncertain, one thing is already clear. The risk of dying from covid-19 increases with age, and most of the deaths observed are in people older than 60, especially those with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease." (Photo: MMS)
UHC2030 "The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the world, reshaping the global health landscape and sparking an economic crisis deeper than anything seen since the great depression. The pandemic has plainly shown the interdependence of health security and economic security. While health security - reducing the vulnerability of societies to pandemics like COVID-19 - is a distinct goal, it is interlinked with efforts to move towards universal health coverage (UHC). Neither UHC nor health security can be achieved without the foundation of common goods for health, produced through strong and resilient health systems." (Photo: USAFRICOM/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Kristof Decoster´s personal blog "My assessmentof the current corona moment and how global health, so far,fails toseize it. See also the intro of this week. Our “global health financing toolbox”still seems, by and large, stuck in the neoliberal/Third Way MDG era. Anybody who believes that will suffice to deal with the challenges of the 21stcentury (not the leastthe climate emergency & widespread populism) can raise his/her hands. PS: that would include the fansof ‘Team Europe’." (Photo: Trinity Care Foundation/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
United Nations - Human Rights "Several Special Procedure mandate holders will focus their forthcoming thematic reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council or the General Assembly on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the enjoyment of human rights. The questionnaire is meant to assist the human rights experts to obtain information and elaborate comprehensive recommendations on the measures taken by national, federal and local governments to protect their population and ensure the enjoyment of human rights, including particular groups at risk of discrimination or social exclusion (...)." (Photo:
UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
British Medical Journal (bmj) "Principles and methods drawn from decades of work showing that lower socioeconomic status is associated with poorer health should guide efforts to monitor and mitigate the impact of the covid-19 pandemic argue Geoffrey Anderson and colleagues." (Photo: USAID U.S. Agency for International Development/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
nature "As President Trump terminates the US relationship with the agency, experts foresee incoherence, inefficiency and a resurgence of deadly diseases. - US President Donald Trump has announced that he is “terminating” the country’s relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), and that the United States will redirect funds intended for the agency to other global-health projects. During the announcement at a news briefing on 29 May, Trump reiterated accusations that the WHO is too lenient with China." (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
World Health Organisation (WHO) "The pandemic is a reminder of the intimate and delicate relationship between people and planet. Any efforts to make our world safer are doomed to fail unless they address the critical interface between people and pathogens, and the existential threat of climate change, that is making our Earth less habitable." WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Address to the 73rd World Health Assembly. May 18th 2020." (Photo: United States Mission Geneva/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
WHO Foundation "The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the creation of the WHO Foundation, an independent grant-making entity, that will support the Organization’s efforts to address the most pressing global health challenges." (Photo: United States Mission Geneva/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
Health Policy Watch US President Donald Trump announced on Friday he was terminating the US’ relationship with the World Health Organization. "Trump’s declaration came hours after WHO’s celebratory launch of a new ‘Solidarity Call to Action ,’ urging countries to make patents and data for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines freely available as ‘global public goods.’ Some 37 countries have supported the call." (Photo: Prachatai/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
International AIDS Society "The International AIDS Society (IAS) is organizing a series of webinars on the topic of COVID-19 and HIV to discuss the pandemic and its impact on people living with HIV. Through these webinar sessions, the IAS would like to provide an opportunity for discussion around the latest science, in addition to sharing learning and best practices in relation to COVID-19 and HIV between countries at different stages of the pandemic, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. The webinars are recommended to HIV professionals, government representatives working in the field of HIV, public health specialists, programme managers, service providers, civil society representatives and members of organizations supporting key and vulnerable populations." (Photo: IAS)
Health Policy Watch A new survey by WHO has found that the COVID-19 pandemic has ‘severely’ disrupted the delivery of services to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in almost 80% of countries surveyed – or 122 out of 150 countries. This is of “significant concern” WHO said on Monday in a statement, because people with NCDs also are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and death. And even prior to the pandemic, some three quarters of all deaths worldwide were due to NCDs. (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Health Policy Watch A new survey by WHO has found that the COVID-19 pandemic has ‘severely’ disrupted the delivery of services to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in almost 80% of countries surveyed – or 122 out of 150 countries. This is of “significant concern” WHO said on Monday in a statement, because people with NCDs also are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and death. And even prior to the pandemic, some three quarters of all deaths worldwide were due to NCDs. (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Geneva Health Files "Member states of World Health Organization are letting go of an opportunity to enforce binding mechanisms on sharing and pooling technology related to fighting COVID19 that would ensure equitable, affordable access to medicines, diagnostics and technologies. At the best of times, treaty-making is an uphill task, if not impossible, amongst more than 190 countries, but the pandemic could have been the imperative for countries to come together to challenge the status quo on the contentious and high-stakes game of access of medicines." By Priti Patnaik. (Photo: Jernej Furman/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
UHC2030 "The COVID-19 pandemic has substantial health, social and economic impacts, in all countries, rich and poor. We will be living with COVID-19 and its consequences for a long time to come. It is a global crisis requiring sustained international solidarity and action. (...) COVID-19 is raising questions: where to start thinking differently, and what to start doing differently, to be better prepared for emergencies as well as make progress on UHC? Do new opportunities exist to make such changes?" (Photo: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Health Policy Watch "New technical guidance for national governments was released to support the enhanced measurement of two key indicators for the COVID-19 response; the number of cases and the number of deaths, as reported on national and global dashboards. The package was launched by global health NGO Vital Strategies." (Photo: DFID - UK Department for International Development
/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
The Lancet "About 1·8 billion people live in fragile contexts worldwide, including 168 million individuals in need of humanitarian assistance. Approximately a quarter of those in fragile contexts are women and girls of reproductive age. Experience from past epidemics in these settings has showed that discontinuing health-care services deemed unrelated to the epidemic response resulted in more deaths than did the epidemic itself. Issues related to sexual and reproductive health are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among women of childbearing age, with countries affected by fragility and crisis accounting for 61% of maternal deaths worldwide." (Photo: United Nations Photo/ flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
United Nations "Although the COVID-19 crisis is, in the first instance, a physical health crisis, it has the seeds of a major mental health crisis as well, if action is not taken. Good mental health is critical to the functioning of society at the best of times. It must be front and centre of every country’s response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health and wellbeing of whole societies have been severely impacted by this crisis and are a priority to be addressed urgently." (Photo: Liberal Democrats/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
The Guardian "Ministers and officials from every nation will meet via video link on Monday for the annual world health assembly, which is expected to be dominated by efforts to stop rich countries monopolising drugs and future vaccines against Covid-19. As some countries buy up drugs thought to be useful against the coronavirus, causing global shortages, and the Trump administration does deals with vaccine companies to supply America first, there is dismay among public health experts and campaigners who believe it is vital to pull together to end the pandemic." (Photo: EpicTop10.com/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Devex "A few short months ago, we were talking about the 2020s as the “decade of delivery” for the Sustainable Development Goals. Now, we are facing a “lost decade” as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to roll back the hard-won gains of the last 30 years. Can we prevent a great reversal in development? That is the question hanging over millions of the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. The health, the hopes, and, in some cases, the lives of these children are on the line — not that you would know it from the international response." (Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Guardian “In the war against any infectious virus,” says Dr Alan McOwan, “You’re trying to win various battles. You have to keep clobbering it from every direction you can.” That’s true for coronavirus, he says, as well as for other viral conditions. An HIV specialist at London’s 56 Dean Street sexual health clinic, McOwan sees similarities between Covid-19 and HIV. Both are viruses without a working vaccine, you can be infectious without knowing it, and both rely mostly on close human contact to spread." (Photo: NIAID/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
European Commission "Today, the Commission registered €7.4 billion, equivalent to $8 billion, in pledges from donors worldwide during the Coronavirus Global Response pledging event. This includes a pledge of €1.4 billion by the Commission. This almost reaches the initial target of €7.5 billion and is a solid starting point for the worldwide pledging marathon, which begins today. The aim is to gather significant funding to ensure the collaborative development and universal deployment of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines against coronavirus." (Photo: LIBER Europe/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) "UNFPA aims to achieve three world-changing results by 2030, the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. These are: Ending unmet need for family planning, ending gender-based violence including harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage, and ending all preventable maternal deaths. COVID-19 pandemic could critically undermine progress made towards achieving these goals." (Photo: Bread for the World/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
International Health Policy Blog "According to Remco van de Pas, SDG3 on health and wellbeing has been irrelevant to address global challenges in this area. The futility of this SDG and limits of the World Health Organization are today painfully clear in the approach of the covid-19 pandemic. Although the crisis was not unexpected, WHO member states have insufficiently invested and left much scope for charities and private investors. The author scrutinizes global public health policies and advocates the creation of a new Jubilee Campaign for indebted countries."
www.aidspan.org "Early March, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria recognized the threat that the novel coronavirus that causes the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) poses to the health systems of its beneficiary countries. The Global Fund issued a first guidance note allowing countries to redeploy underutilized assets, repurpose grant savings and, in exceptional cases, reprogram up to 5% funding from existing grants to fight COVID-19. The Secretariat estimates the costs of these flexibilities at $500 million. A month later, the Global Fund announced an additional $500 million to a newly created COVID-19 Response Mechanism."
International AIDS Society "The International AIDS Society (IAS) is organizing a series of webinars on the topic of COVID-19 and HIV to discuss the pandemic and its impact on people living with HIV. Through these webinar sessions, the IAS would like to provide an opportunity for discussion around the latest science, in addition to sharing learning and best practices in relation to COVID-19 and HIV between countries at different stages of the pandemic, especially in lower- and middle-income countries. The webinars are recommended to HIV professionals, government representatives working in the field of HIV, public health specialists, programme managers, service providers, civil society representatives and members of organizations supporting key and vulnerable populations."
The Guardian "The government’s plan to exit lockdown through a tracking app will need detailed justification to satisfy human rights and data protection laws, a report has warned. A centralised system for contact tracing, which it is thought the government may well choose, would result in “significantly greater interference with users’ privacy and require greater justification”, the report – given as a legal opinion – concludes." (Photo: Aaron Yoo/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
COVID-19 Diaries "Director-General Tedros and other senior officials at WHO have today been retweeting an interview from the Financial Times in which Bill Gates announces that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is refocusing all of its efforts on the COVID-19 response: “We’ve taken an organisation that was focused on HIV and malaria and polio eradication, and almost entirely shifted it to work on this [COVID-19] … This has the foundation’s total attention.” (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Sonke Gender Justice "The current Covid-19 pandemic is a major gender and inequity challenge at various levels of society, including in the home. Many governments have ordered lockdowns – citizens are urged to stay in their homes to limit the spread of the virus. With this arrangement, however, the threat of gender-based violence lurks around and the burden of care work in households will be a heavy burden carried by women and girls, creating stress and anxiety that could make them susceptible to disease." (Photo: DFID - UK Department for International Development/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
United Nations "The year 2020, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, was intended to be ground-breaking for gender equality. Instead, with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, even the limited gains made in the past decades are at risk of being rolled back. The pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems which are in turn amplifying the impacts of the pandemic." (Photo: UN Women Asia and the Pacific/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Guardian
Imperial College London "The world faces a severe and acute public health emergency due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. How individual countries respond in the coming weekswill be critical in influencing the trajectory of national epidemics. Here we combine data on age-specific contact patterns and COVID-19 severity to project the health impact of the pandemic in 202 countries. We compare predicted mortality impacts in the absence of interventions or spontaneous social distancing with what might be achieved with policies aimed at mitigating or suppressing transmission. Our estimates of mortality and healthcare demand are based on data from China and high-income countries; differences in underlying health conditions and healthcare system capacity will likely result in different patterns in low income settings." (Photo: Prachatai/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Devex "The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruption for the global health and development community. Organizations fighting infectious disease, supporting health workers, delivering social services, and protecting livelihoods have moved to the very center of the world’s attention. But they find their work complicated by challenges of access, safety, supply chain logistics, and financial stress like never before." (Photo: Public Services International/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Social Health Protection Network P4H "By now, every country in the world is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to act is urgent, but the response must be coherent. It will be of little help if the urgency of the moment leads to chaos in how countries and the global community respond. This requires distinguishing what needs to be done – actions in service delivery, financing, and governance – from the objectives to be achieved in terms of health security and universal health coverage (UHC). The choice is not between health security and UHC. Investing in core health systems-functions is key to both, complemented by public policy actions beyond the health system." (Photo: United States Mission Geneva/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
World Health Organisation (WHO) "In March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, to be a pandemic, due to the speed and scale of transmission. WHO and public health authorities around the world are taking action to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Certain populations, such as those with disability, may be impacted more significantly by COVID-19. This impact can be mitigated if simple actions and protective measures are taken by key stakeholders." (Photo: Camp ASCCA/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
UNAIDS "Right now, we are facing an unpredictable and highly dynamic situation as a global community. However, as we have seen from the solidarity, support and power of communities in the HIV epidemic and already in communities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the response must not be fear and stigma. We need to build a culture of solidarity, trust and kindness. Our response to COVID-19 must be grounded in the realities of people’s lives and focused on eliminating the barriers people face in being able to protect themselves and their communities. Empowerment and guidance, rather than restrictions, can ensure that people can act without fear of losing their livelihood, sufficient food being on the table and the respect of their community." (Photo: GovernmentZA/flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
UNHCR "In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we are all vulnerable. The virus has shown that it does not discriminate – but many refugees, those forcibly displaced, the stateless and migrants are at heightened risk. Three-quarters of the world’s refugees and many migrants are hosted in developing regions where health systems are already overwhelmed and under-capacitated. Many live in overcrowded camps, settlements, makeshift shelters or reception centres, where they lack adequate access to health services, clean water and sanitation." (Photo: United Nations Photo/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) "Disease outbreaks affect women and men differently, and pandemics make existing inequalities for women and girls and discrimination of other marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities and those in extreme poverty, worse. This needs to be considered, given the different impacts surrounding detection and access to treatment for women and men. Women represent 70 percent of the health and social sector workforce globally and special attention should be given to how their work environment may expose them to discrimination, as well as thinking about their sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial needs as frontline health workers." (Photo: Nik Andr/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Lancet "Policies and public health efforts have not addressed the gendered impacts of disease outbreaks. The response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appears no different. We are not aware of any gender analysis of the outbreak by global health institutions or governments in affected countries or in preparedness phases. Recognising the extent to which disease outbreaks affect women and men differently is a fundamental step to understanding the primary and secondary effects of a health emergency on different individuals and communities, and for creating effective, equitable policies and interventions." (Photo: UN Women/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Lancet "As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak began spreading in Europe and the USA, a chart started circulating online showing ratings from the 2019 Global Health Security Index, an assessment of 195 countries' capacity to face infectious disease outbreaks, compiled by the US-based Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health's Center for Health Security. The USA was ranked first, and the UK second; South Korea was ranked ninth, and China 51st; most African countries were at the bottom of the ranking.
Things look different now." (Photo: GPA Photo Archive/flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Le Temps L’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) est régulièrement l’objet d’éloges ou de critiques au vitriol. Si elle a surréagi face à l’épidémie de H1N1 en 2009 et insuffisamment réagi face à celle d’Ebola en 2014, elle joue sa crédibilité avec le Covid-19. Le directeur de l’Institut de santé globale de l’Université de Genève, Antoine Flahault, estime dans le quotidien Le Temps que l’OMS «ne sortira pas de la crise sans un questionnement profond sur son fonctionnement, sa gouvernance, son indépendance, ses moyens» (Photo: COVID-19 - Coronavirus/Tim Dennell/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Health Policy Watch L’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) classifie désormais la propagation du nouveau coronavirus de pandémie. C’est ce qu’a déclaré le Dr Tedros, Directeur général de l’OMS, le 11 mars 2020 à Genève. Il critiquait, dans sa déclaration, l’absence d’action et le niveau alarmant d’inaction, à l’échelle mondiale, dans la lutte des États contre le virus. Il part du principe que, dans les semaines à venir, les chiffres vont continuer d’augmenter. Tedros indiquait que tous les pays étaient encore en mesure de modifier le cours de la pandémie et il recommande une approche «mixte». Renforcer, d’une part, les capacités des hôpitaux et des établissements de santé et poursuivre simultanément les mesures nécessaires pour endiguer le virus. C’est en 2009, en raison de la grippe H1N1, que l’OMS avait déclaré la dernière pandémie. Une pandémie caractérise une maladie qui se propage vite et déferle sur des pays et des continents entiers. (Photo: Corona-Pandemie/ Michael Gubi/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Thomas Reuters Foundation "As we fight COVID-19, we must seize the opportunity to rethink our approach to health security and break out of the cycle of panic and neglect. As governments around the world struggle to contain spiraling infections and an ever-increasing death toll from COVID-19, it’s worth reflecting on what lessons we can draw from the long and still unfinished fight against tuberculosis (TB) – the world’s most deadly infectious disease that kills nearly 1.5 million per year." (Photo: SBT4NOW/flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Imperial College London "The world faces a severe and acute public health emergency due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. How individual countries respond in the coming weekswill be critical in influencing the trajectory of national epidemics. Here we combine data on age-specific contact patterns and COVID-19 severity to project the health impact of the pandemic in 202 countries. We compare predicted mortality impacts in the absence of interventions or spontaneous social distancing with what might be achieved with policies aimed at mitigating or suppressing transmission. Our estimates of mortality and healthcare demand are based on data from China and high-income countries; differences in underlying health conditions and healthcare system capacity will likely result in different patterns in low income settings." (Photo: Prachatai/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
British Medical Journal (bmj) Principles and methods drawn from decades of work showing that lower socioeconomic status is associated with poorer health should guide efforts to monitor and mitigate the impact of the covid-19 pandemic argue Geoffrey Anderson and colleagues." (Photo: USAID U.S. Agency for International Development/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
International AIDS Society "The International AIDS Society (IAS) is organizing a series of webinars on the topic of COVID-19 and HIV to discuss the pandemic and its impact on people living with HIV. Through these webinar sessions, the IAS would like to provide an opportunity for discussion around the latest science, in addition to sharing learning and best practices in relation to COVID-19 and HIV between countries at different stages of the pandemic, especially in lower- and middle-income countries.
The webinars are recommended to HIV professionals, government representatives working in the field of HIV, public health specialists, programme managers, service providers, civil society representatives and members of organizations supporting key and vulnerable populations." (Photo: IAS)
Graduate Institute Geneva - Global Health Centre "Like previous pandemics, Covid-19 has led to a broad range of human rights violations around the world, from censorship and the silencing of criticism to the excessive use of police force. Minority groups and migrants have found themselves particularly vulnerable to abuse, as well as to Covid-19-related stigma and violence. By Sara (Meg) Davis Special Advisor on Strategy and Partnerships at the Global Health Centre. The Graduate Institute, Geneva." (Photo: Logo GIG)
Medicus Mundi International (MMI) "In these difficult times, we welcome the fact that a World Health Assembly takes place. We also welcome the intense negotiation process on the COVID-19 resolution as a strong sign that Member States still want WHO to direct and coordinate the global response to COVID-19 and other international health problems, with the World Health Assembly as its decision-making body."
Enfants du Monde Le 9 mars 2020, le Burkina Faso enregistrait ses premiers cas de COVID-19. Le pays est aujourd’hui l’un des plus touchés d’Afrique avec 766 cas confirmés et 52 dccès à la date du 13 mai 2020. 9 des 13 régions sanitaires que compte le pays sont touchées par l’épidémie. Pour soutenir le Ministère de la Santé du Burkina Faso dans la lutte contre le COVID-19, Enfants du Monde fournit du matériel de protection pour les prestataires de soins et informe la population, en collaboration avec notre partenaire local IPC/BF (Initiative Privée et Communautaire pour la santé et la riposte au VIH/Sida au Burkina Faso) et avec l’appui financier de nos donateurs et de la Direction du développement et de la coopération (DDC) suisse. (Photo: Enfants du Monde)
La Centrale Sanitaire Suisse Romande (CSSR) Il n’y a pas encore de catastrophe due au COVID-19 en Amérique latine, mis à part en Equateur. Dans tous les pays avec lesquels nous travaillons, il y a confinement, constatation de la fragilité des systèmes de santé, manque de matériel pour contenir l’épidémie. Les projets de la CSSR vont continuer, mais aussi ralentir. C’est le cas au Nicaragua, au Guatemala, au Mexique. (Photo: CSSR)
Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) "National Societies' and volunteers' roles will change through the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in their respective countries and communities, based on which activities to support public health, clinical and health systems activities are likely to be most impactful in their context and with their outbreak dynamics. This Health Help Desk Website provided by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) offers three functions: 1) Huge resource library of all available health documents, guidelines and research. Scroll down the page and click on the bold themes, and further information will open. 2) Pose any question you have to the helpdesk. They try to answer asap 3) Any questions and related answers are available on the Q&A site. Please check the Q&A section, before you pose a new question to the help desk." (Photo: © GDPC)
La Centrale Sanitaire Suisse Romande (CSSR) Il n’y a pas encore de catastrophe due au COVID-19 en Amérique latine, mis à part en Equateur. Dans tous les pays avec lesquels nous travaillons, il y a confinement, constatation de la fragilité des systèmes de santé, manque de matériel pour contenir l’épidémie. Les projets de la CSSR vont continuer, mais aussi ralentir. C’est le cas au Nicaragua, au Guatemala, au Mexique. (Photo: CSSR)
Comundo Überforderung, fehlende Betreuung und steigende Gewalt dominieren Städte wie Cochabamba in Bolivien in Zeiten der Coronakrise. Dabei geht vergessen: Kinder sind nicht nur Opfer, sondern besitzen auch Potential zur Krisenbewältigung in Familie und Gesellschaft. (Foto: Ein Mädchen, das an einem Markt in der Nähe von Quillacolo (ausserhalb Cochabamba) trotz Quarantäne versucht ihren Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen. | Lizeth Salazar Bustos/AVE)
Comundo Comment s'en sortir dans une grande ville comme El Alto / La Paz durant la crise du Coronavirus ? Économie informelle au point mort, violence domestique, système de santé défaillant : Jérôme Gyger relate la situation sur place et explique son projet d'agriculture urbaine, qui donne une partie de la solution. (Photo: Avec Doña Bartolina Ticona dans sa petite serre de production biologique à El Alto/ © Comundo)
rts.ch "Tous les vendredis, "CQFD" reçoit un homme ou une femme de science pour parler de son travail et de ses recherches. Aujourd'hui, Sarah Dirren a invité Vinh-Kim Nguyen, médecin urgentiste, professeur dʹanthropologie et de sociologie de la santé et co-directeur du Centre de santé globale au Graduate Institute de Genève (IHEID), professeur au Département de médecine sociale et préventive de lʹUniversité de Montréal et Research Fellow au Max-Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, à Halle, en Allemagne. - Une heure pour faire connaissance avec ce spécialiste dont les activités se partagent entre action sur le terrain et analyse plus globale des crises sanitaires, du VIH au Covid-19, en passant par Ebola." (Photo: IHEID)
Comundo Viele leiden aktuell unter den weltweiten Quarantäne-Massnahmen. Doch es gibt Menschen, die zu ihrem Eigenschutz zuhause bleiben möchten, dies aber nicht dürfen. Die Psychotherapeutin und Comundo-Fachperson Bitia Vargas unterstützt staatliches Sicherheits- und Gesundheitspersonal in der Krise und gewährt uns einen Blick hinter die Kulissen der bolivianischen Polizei. (Im Bild die bolivianische Polizei mit einer Einheit für Bio-Sicherheit. ©ABI )
Graduate Institute Geneva - Global Health Centre "Gian Luca Burci and Jennifer Hasselgard-Rowe examine the rights-related measures that have been adopted by the Swiss Confederation and the Cantons to respond to the current Covid-19 crisis. The main regulatory avenue that Switzerland’s Federal Council has used in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been to issue federal orders effective across the entire Swiss territory." (Photo: GIG_GHC)
Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE) "Depuis le début de la pandémie de Covid-19, on assiste, dans certains pays, à une augmentation du risque de violence domestique, dû aux mesures de confinement, et à un accès limité aux services de protection. C'est pourquoi le conseiller fédéral, Ignazio Cassis, a signé aujourd'hui, avec 58 autres pays une déclaration conjointe visant à renforcer la protection des femmes et des filles en cette période de COVID-19.
La déclaration commune appelle à trouver des réponses internationales pour protéger la santé des femmes et de leur intégrité physique, mais aussi à assurer une pleine participation de ces dernières à tous les processus de décision dans le cadre de la pandémie. Elle appelle enfin tous les acteurs (y compris le secteur privé) à unir leurs efforts pour fournir une aide d'urgence aux pays les plus vulnérables et à rendre pleinement effectif l'engagement mondial en faveur de l'accès universel aux soins."
Suisse-Santé-Haïti La pandémie de Coronavirus prend une dimension particulière dans un pays comme Haïti. Suisse-Santé-Haïti fait le maximum pour prévenir la propagation du virus notamment par la diffusion d'une vidéo de prévention dans ses centres de santé. Nous avons sollicité notre personnel soignant ainsi que certain membres de notre organisation pour réaliser ce message d’information en créole. Nous espérons aussi que beaucoup d’Haïtien.e.s s’enverront cette vidéo par whatsapp.
ESTHER Switzerland This series of webinars will focus on healthcare professionals and overseas staff working in Global Health in the era of COVID-19. These webinars will be held each Friday and we will host experts to discuss several COVID-19 topics that concern health professionals working in global health. There will be a questions and answers session with attendees to conclude the webinar, please send us your questions in advance to: info@esther.ie Zeit: 1. Mai. 2020 01:00 PM; 8. Mai. 2020 01:00 PM; 15. Mai. 2020 01:00 PM; 22. Mai.2020 01:00 PM; 29. Mai. 2020 01:00 PM. Zeit angezeigt in Dublin.
La Croix-Rouge suisse (CRS) Le soutien apporté par la Croix-Rouge suisse (CRS) à la Confédération dans le cadre de la lutte contre la pandémie de coronavirus se concrétise notamment par l’importation depuis la Chine de volumes importants de masques, de combinaisons de protection et de gants. Les transports ont été confiés à la compagnie aérienne Swiss, qui a à ce jour opéré sept vols de Shanghai à Zurich. (Photo: Déchargement des équipements médicaux commandés par la CRS à l’aéroport de Zurich © SWISS)
La Croix-Rouge suisse (CRS) La Croix-Rouge suisse (CRS) appuie les efforts de ses Sociétés sœurs dans la trentaine de pays où elle intervient. Au Ghana, des émissions de radio sensibilisent la population aux mesures d’hygiène. (Photo: La Croix-Rouge suisse (CRS) appuie les efforts de ses Sociétés sœurs dans la trentaine de pays où elle intervient. Au Ghana, des émissions de radio sensibilisent la population aux mesures d’hygiène. (Photo: La Croix-Rouge informe à la radio sur la pandémie de coronavirus et apaise les inquiétudes de la population. © Ghana Red Cross)
Comundo Les régions où sont engagés les coopérant·e·s de Comundo sont également touchées par la crise du coronavirus. Que cela signifie-t-il pour ces coopérant·e·s et pour nos projets ? Et qu'en est-il pour les personnes intéressées à s'engager ? Quelles mesures Comundo prend-elle dans cette situation exceptionnelle. Page d'info sur le sujet. (Photo: Cochabamba, Bolivie : Lisa Macconi, coopérante de Comundo, et un membre de la "Fundación Estrellas e la calle", transmettent des informations sur le Coronavirus à un groupe de sans-abri.16.3. 20, Comundo)
Pharmaciens Sans Frontières Suisse (PSF) RETOUR DE TERRAIN – Dans ces quelques lignes, Caroline Brugger, volontaire en Tanzanie, de retour en Suisse en raison de la crise sanitaire du Covid-19, revient avec ses mots sur les semaines qui ont précédées son retour en contrées helvétiques et les urgences qui l’ont activées. Actuellement en quarantaine, nous tenons à la remercier de son travail, son engagement et son témoignage ! (Photo: PSF)
Pharmaciens Sans Frontières Suisse (PSF) Depuis le début de la pandémie du Covid-19, l’association Pharmaciens sans Frontières Suisse s’est montrée présente auprès des populations les plus vulnérables dans les régions dans lesquelles elle intervient. À Madagascar, la formation du personnel soignant a pris une place centrale afin d’adopter les bons gestes barrières ainsi que pour la production de solution hydroalcoolique, notamment à destination des soignants. Depuis le 29 mars, Claire Bertin, pharmacienne volontaire à Madagascar pour PSF Suisse, a commencé la fabrication de solutions hydroalcooliques dans le but de les distribuer à tous les collaborateurs de la santé. (Photo: PSF)
Plattform Agenda 2030 "Welche Auswirkungen hat COVID-19 auf nachhaltige Entwicklung? Wie trifft die Corona-Pandemie die Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländer? Die Plattform Agenda 2030 führt eine Reihe von Interviews mit Expertinnen und Experten aus unseren Mitgliederorganisationen." (Foto: Kampala, Uganda/MMS)
Public Eye "Im Kampf gegen die aktuelle Pandemie müssen die Staaten bei künftigen Medikamenten und Impfstoffen gegen das Corona-Virus schnell und entschlossen eine faire Aufteilung und erschwingliche Preise garantieren, und zwar auf globalem Niveau. Deshalb unterstützt eine breite NGO-Koalition, darunter Public Eye, den Vorschlag von Costa Rica zur Etablierung eines auf Gegenseitigkeit beruhenden Mechanismus durch die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO). Dieser soll die Beseitigung aller Hindernisse beim Patentrecht und Datenaustausch ermöglichen, welche die technologische Entwicklung von Mitteln gegen Covid-19 behindern oder verzögern können." (Foto: © Public Eye)
Secours aux Enfants Bethléem Linda Bergauer est suissesse et travaille depuis près d’un an pour le Caritas Baby Hospital à Bethléem. Le coronavirus a bouleversé son quotidien. Le récit d’une expérience très personnelle durant la crise du coronavirus à Jérusalem et Bethléem. (Photo: Joan Mas Autonell)
SolidarMed Die Covid–19-Pandemie macht vor Afrika nicht halt. Sie trifft mit voller Härte ins Herz einer bereits schwachen Gesundheitsversorgung. Es droht ein Versorgungskollaps mit gesundheitlichen und sozialen Auswirkungen weit über die Corona-Krise hinweg. (...) «Wir müssen sicherstellen, dass Menschen, die für die medizinische Versorgung der Bevölkerung verantwortlich sind, genügend vor Covid–19 geschützt sind», sagt Jochen Ehmer, Geschäftsleiter von SolidarMed. (Foto: Die Tuk-Tuk-Ambulanz wurde während der Covid-19-Pandemie mit Kanistern zum Händewaschen ausgestattet/ SolidarMed)
Swisso-Kalmo Die Ausbreitung des Coronavirus ist die grösste globale Gesundheitsbedrohung in diesem Jahrzehnt und ist hier für uns eine besondere Herausforderung, denn die somalischen Gemeinden sind aufgrund ihres schlechten Gesundheitssystems sehr verwundbar. Die somalische Regierung hat zwei Fälle von Coronavirus bestätigt, was dazu führte, dass sie Aufklärungsveranstaltungen für die Regierung und verschiedene Gruppen organisierten. (Foto: Swisso-Kalmo)
Kwa Wazee Was würde geschehen, sollte das Virus auch in die Dörfer des Muleba Distrikts gelangen? Wie könnten alte Menschen, die häufig in prekären hygienischen Verhältnissen leben und von chronischen Erkrankungen betroffen sind, da noch geschützt werden? Was würde eine grosse Zahl von Erkrankungen bedeuten für ein Gesundheitssystem, welches bereits im Normalfall am Anschlag ist? Was hiesse es für das Team? Wir sind in regelmässigem Kontakt mit der Leitung und dem Team und sind sehr beeindruckt, wie sie bisher mit dieser ausserordentlichen Situation umgehen. Der beiliegende Kwa Wazee Newsletter gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Entwicklungen der letzten Wochen. (Foto: Kwa Wazee)
medico international schweiz Angesichts der weltweiten Corona-Krise versucht medico international schweiz einen differenzierteren Blick zum Problem der COVID-19-Pandemie in den Ländern des globalen Südens zu entwickeln. Gewisse Massnahmen können kritisiert werden, aber die Hauptsorge ist, wie können die ärmeren Länder diese Krise meistern. Die Gesundheitssysteme sind nicht ausgebaut, in El Salvador z. B. gab es bis vor einigen Jahren keine Beatmungsgeräte. Die Hygienebedingungen in vielen Ländern sind katastrophal, es fehlt Wasser zum Händewaschen, die Menschen leben auf engstem Raum in Armenvierteln und die Ökonomie ist am Boden.
Le Courrier "Chamboulée par le covid-19, la solidarité internationale se réorganise afin de soutenir les plus vulnérables. Alors que l’épicentre de la pandémie de covid-19 au Nord met à genoux des pans entiers de la société, des organisations engagées dans la solidarité internationale au Sud craignent que son impact soit particulièrement sévère en Afrique, Amérique latine ou encore Asie du Sud-Est. Des régions aux économies et systèmes de santé fragiles, où le confinement généralisé et les gestes barrières sont difficilement applicables." (Photo: Nurse checks the temperature of a patient/World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
mediCuba Suisse Cuba connaît des difficultés croissantes, car le blocus américain n'a jamais été aussi oppressant et étouffant qu'à l'heure actuelle. Bien que les Cubains n'aiment pas l'entendre, la situation ressemble de plus en plus à ce que l'île a vécu pendant le tristement célèbre "periodo especial" au début des années 1990. Et cela vaut également pour la situation dans les hôpitaux et les polycliniques, où l'on constate un manque croissant de médicaments, d'instruments et de matériels de toutes sortes. (Photo: medicCuba Suisse)
Enfants du Monde En raison de la crise du Covid-19, toutes les équipes d’Enfants du Monde sont mobilisées pour adapter nos programmes afin de protéger nos bénéficiaires et notre personnel, soutenir le système de santé et réorienter nos activités en fonction de l’évolution de la situation. En Haïti, au Salvador, au Burkina Faso, au Bangladesh, nos activités en faveur de la santé des femmes enceintes et des nouveau-nés se poursuivent dans les centres de santé, même si ralenties compte tenu de toutes les mesures de précautions nécessaires. Les actions d’éducation à la santé dans les communautés sont par contre suspendues. Nous envisageons là aussi des émissions radio. (Photo: EdM)
Der Spiegel «Das Coronavirus hängt wie ein Damoklesschwert über uns.» DER SPIEGEL hat unsere Ärztin Margie Pascoe begleitet und berichtet unter anderem, wie die Newlands Clinic mit der drohenden Corona-Krise umgeht. Viel Spass bei der Lektüre. (Foto: RLF)
Christoffel Blindenmission Schweiz (CBM) Die CBM ergreift weitreichende Massnahmen im Kampf gegen das Coronavirus: in der Schweiz sowie in ihren Projektländern. "Wir alle befinden uns angesichts der Corona-Krise in einer schwierigen Lage, in der vor allem eines gefragt ist: Solidarität mit unseren Mitmenschen, besonders mit denjenigen, die zu einer Risikogruppe gehören." (Foto: CBM)
SolidarMed Das Coronavirus wird sich auch im südlichen Afrika rasant ausbreiten. Die WHO warnt die Menschen, sich auf das Schlimmste vorzubereiten. SolidarMed unterstützt jetzt Partnerspitäler, Gesundheitszentren und Dorfgemeinschaften mit Soforthilfe. Noch ist die Zahl der diagnostizierten Coronapatienten im südlichen Afrika klein. Aber es droht eine humanitäre Katastrophe. (Foto: SolidarMed)
terre des hommes schweiz (tdhs) Die Corona-Krise greift immer mehr um sich. Noch konzentriert sich die Aufmerksamkeit auf Infektionen und Todesraten im Zusammenhang mit Covid-19 auf den europäischen Raum. Doch die internationalen Dimensionen des gefährlichen Virus treten langsam zutage. terre des hommes schweiz-Programmleiterin Gabriela Wichser gibt Auskunft zur Situation in den südlichen Partnerländern und erklärt, weshalb die Krise auch eine Chance birgt. (Foto: tdhs)
Ruedi Lüthy Foundation Während sich das Coronavirus weltweit rasant ausbreitet, ergreift auch die Newlands Clinic Massnahmen. Auf diese Weise wollen wir das Infektionsrisiko so gering wie möglich halten. Informieren Sie sich hier über die aktuellen Entwicklungen. (Foto: RLF)
Ruedi Lüthy Foundation Simbabwe sei bisher nicht vom Coronavirus betroffen. Das simbabwische Gesundheitsministerium meldet weiterhin, dass die Befunde bei den getesteten Verdachtsfälle alle negativ ausgefallen seien. In der Newlands Clinic verfolgen wir die Lage aufmerksam und haben entsprechende Vorsichtsmassnahmen getroffen. (Foto. RLF)
Women´s Hope International (WHI) Die Zustände sind aussergewöhnlich. Das Coronavirus hat nun das öffentliche Leben in der Schweiz lahmgelegt. Auch wir bei Women’s Hope International nehmen die Situation sehr ernst und arbeiten daher momentan hauptsächlich im Home Office. Es ist wichtig, dass wir uns jetzt alle solidarisch zeigen. Solidarität bedeutet aber für uns auch, dass wir weiterhin daran arbeiten, unseren Auftrag zu erfüllen, Menschen in unseren Projektländern Zugang zu einer guten Gesundheitsversorgung zu ermöglichen. Das Coronavirus ist nämlich schon in unseren Projektländern angekommen. (Foto: Women´s Hope International)
FAIRMED Zum Schutz ihrer Mitarbeitenden hat FAIRMED auf die Empfehlungen des Bundesamtes für Gesundheit (BAG) reagiert und das Büro an der Aarbergergasse für Besucherinnen und Besucher geschlossen. Unsere Mitarbeitenden in Bern arbeiten aber grösstenteils im Home Office weiter und sind per E-Mail uneingeschränkt erreichbar. Unsere Telefonzentrale ist nur noch unregelmässig besetzt, da wir nicht länger zu Stosszeiten pendeln. (Foto: FAIRMED)
Secours aux Enfants Bethléem Le ministère de la santé palestinien a confié les examens diagnostiques du coronavirus pour la région au laboratoire du Caritas Baby Hospital. Les tests de dépistage sont réalisés dans des locaux spéciaux, à l’écart de l’hôpital et dans des conditions strictes. Le fonctionnement de l’hôpital n’est pas mis en péril. (Photo: Secours aux Enfants Bethléem)
Médecins du Monde Suisse (MdM) Depuis plusieurs semaines, le monde est frappé par une pandémie de Covid-19. Face à la propagation de ce virus, Médecins du Monde s’organise et prend toutes les mesures nécessaires pour protéger ses bénéficiaires et ses équipes. Leur santé est notre priorité absolue et nous sommes à leurs côtés pour leur apporter toute l’aide nécessaire. Pour cela, nous avons mis en place une réponse opérationnelle tout en nous assurant de la continuité de nos activités et veillerons à participer à l’effort collectif de lutte contre l’épidémie. (Photo: France centre de soin- Marseille / © Olivier Papegnies)
World Health Organisation (WHO) "When health systems are overwhelmed, both direct mortality from an outbreak and indirect mortality from vaccine-preventable and treatable conditions increase dramatically. Countries will need to make difficult decisions to balance the demands of responding directly to COVID-19, while simultaneously engaging in strategic planning and coordinated action to maintain essential health service delivery, mitigating the risk of system collapse. This document expands on the content of the Operational planning guidelines to support country preparedness and response, and provides guidance on a set of targeted immediate actions that countries should consider at national, regional, and local level to reorganize and maintain access to high-quality essential health services for all." (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
World Health Organisation (WHO) "All countries should increase their level of preparedness, alert and response to identify, manage and care for new cases of COVID-19. Countries should prepare to respond to different public health scenarios, recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing cases and outbreaks of COVID-19. Each country should assess its risk and rapidly implement the necessary measures at the appropriate scale to reduce both COVID-19 transmission and economic, public and social impacts." (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
World Health Organisation (WHO) "This rapid advice has been updated with the latest information and is intended to guide public health and infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals, health care managers and health care workers (HCWs) when addressing issues related to home care for patients with suspected COVID-19 who present with mild symptoms and when managing their contacts." (Photo: UN Geneva/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Help Age International "This document provides guidance and advice for care homes about coronavirus, or COVID-19. While older people in care homes are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, there are steps that can be taken to reduce their risk, and to ensure they are well cared for and supported. Care home staff must also be looked after and must be equipped with information to protect themselves as well as those in their care. The document includes information on personal behaviour, action to take inside the care home, interaction with the outside environment, management responsibilities, governance, and what to do if someone has COVID-19." (Photo: Katja Busch / Kwa Wazee)
People´s Health Movement This page is a collection of statements and articles that have been prepared by PHM, its regional and country circles and also like minded civil society organisations on the issues around the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Medicus Mundi International (MMI) Basel/Geneva, March 2020. The outbreak of the “coronavirus” (covid19) all around the world is not only feeding headlines and news. It influences very concretely the lives of many of us. But it also raises questions on health systems, health policies, access to health, health governance or international cooperation. (Photo: MMI)
The Lancet "To assist health workers and researchers working under challenging conditions to bring this outbreak to a close, The Lancet has created a Coronavirus Resource Centre. This resource brings together new 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) content from across The Lancet journals as it is published." (Photo: Coronavirus/duncan c/flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
International Civil Society Centre "This page is part of a series of COVID-19 resource pages that we are creating to help civil society actors. On this page, you will find links to readings, podcasts and videos related to the latest COVID-19 news and analysis. If you have a recommendation or a suggestion, let us know."
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- Actualités
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05/11/2020 /
Online Event, 3pm CET
Backsliding or building beyond Covid-19? An introduction to the Resumed 73rd WHA
Graduate Institute Geneva Join us on 5 November 2020 for an introduction to the resumed 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) hosted by the Global Health Centre and the UN Foundation. This ...
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28/10/2020
A peek into COVAX machine; The curious case of the prequalification of Remdesivir
By Priti Patnaik
Geneva Health Files "(...) Our story this week, takes a close look inside Gavi’s COVAX Facility - its governance structures and contracts with countries. Thorny issues of ...
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22/10/2020
When the price of water is sexual assault
Sex for Water Project
Devex "In a village in Kenya, women wait to fill their jerrycans. While 2 Kenyan shillings ($0.01) should be payment enough, oftentimes the men operating the ...
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22/10/2020
Health: A Political Choice – Act Now, Together
World Leaders Unite in Their Response to COVID-19
PR Newswire "The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented global disruption and challenges. It has highlighted and widened existing gaps in universal health coverage ...
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16/10/2020
Le processus de commandes de médicaments à l’Hôpital de Lugala
Pharmaciens Sans Frontières Suisse (PSF) CARNET DE TERRAIN – En zones rurales, l’organisation est le maître mot de la bonne tenue d’une pharmacie. En effet, c’est par une organisation rigoureuse que ...