The World Health Organization (WHO) held a media briefing to update the public on the COVID-19 outbreak on Monday.
Here are the key takeaways from the briefing:
- “The COVID19 pandemic is straining health systems in many countries. The rapidly increasing demand on health facilities and health workers threatens to leave some health systems overstretched and unable to operate effectively”- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO said.
- WHO is working intensively with several partners to massively increase access to life-saving products, including diagnostics, personal protective equipment, medical oxygen, ventilators and more.
- In the eye of a storm like COVID-19, scientific and public health tools are essential, but so are humility and kindness. With solidarity, humility and assuming the best of each other, we can – and will – overcome this together: WHO
- Two months ago, WHO published the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, with an initial ask of USD 675 million to support countries to prepare for and respond to COVID19.
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- Countries should work hand-in-hand with communities to build trust and support resilience and mental health.
- We call on countries to work with companies to:
-increase production
-ensure the free movement of essential health products
-ensure equitable distribution of those products, based on need.
- Ensuring free movement of essential health products is vital for saving lives and curbing the social & economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To help countries manage the surge in COVID-19 cases while maintaining essential services, WHO has also published a detailed, practical manual on how to set up and manage treatment centres for COVID-19.