Health

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the World Health Assembly, in New York today:

Somalia is dealing with COVID-19, floods and the worst desert locust upsurge in 25 years amid protracted conflict and significant displacement. As aid partners and authorities are scaling up efforts, the revised 2020 Somalia humanitarian response plan remains less than 17 per cent funded, at $210.8 million out of $1.25 billion.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) warned today that devastating gaps in social protection coverage in developing countries could compromise COVID-19 recovery plans and expose millions to poverty, as 55 per cent of the world’s population is not covered by social insurance or assistance.

The 2020 World Health Statistics, published today by the World Health Organization (WHO), show that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant loss of life, disrupting livelihoods and threatening recent development gains, underlining the urgent need for all nations to invest in strong health systems.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message marking the launch of the policy brief “COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health” in New York today:

Today on International Nurses Day, the World Health Organization remind us that as the world struggles to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent shortage of nurses worldwide. Almost 6 million more are needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the online launch meeting of the Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security, in New York today:

Without mitigation efforts, COVID-19-related service disruptions could result in more than 500,000 extra deaths from tuberculosis, HIV and other AIDS-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa from 2020 to 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme against HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) marked the fortieth anniversary of the eradication of smallpox — the first and only human disease eliminated globally through international collaboration — which killed 300 million people in the twentieth century.  Many of the tools used against smallpox are now combating COVID-19.

Anti-coronavirus measures are exposing victims of human trafficking to further exploitation and limiting their access to essential services, a new analysis released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said today, noting also the emergence of new opportunities for organized crime to profit from the crisis.