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.
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.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the Economic and Social Council informal briefing “Joining Forces: Effective Policy Solutions for COVID-19 Response”, in New York today:
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ global appeal to address and counter COVID-19-related hate speech, in New York 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.
Ahead of Mother’s Day — observed in May in nearly 130 countries — the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is spotlighting ways that COVID-19 has recast motherhood and overwhelmed health facilities. It is calling on Governments to help pregnant women receive check-ups and delivery care.
Corruption and political stalemate still hamper post-war progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 25 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, but the international community must not lose sight of what is at stake in the Western Balkan country, High Representative Valentin Inzko said during a 6 May videoconference meeting of the Security Council.
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.
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to launch the Policy Brief on Persons with Disabilities and COVID-19, in New York today:
In the Americas, chronic overcrowding, unhygienic conditions and lack of health‑care access have led to COVID-19 infections among thousands of inmates and prison officials. The Human Rights High Commissioner urged States to ensure widespread access to testing and care for detainees, and both testing and protective gear for staff.