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Tag: WHO

  • COVID-19: Vaccine alone will not end pandemic – WHO

    COVID-19: Vaccine alone will not end pandemic – WHO

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that vaccines alone will not guarantee an end to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Director-General (DG) of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made this known on Monday.

    “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew that a vaccine would be essential for bringing the pandemic under control. But it’s important to emphasise that a vaccine will complement the other tools we have, not replace them.

    “Initial supply of COVID-19 vaccines will be limited, so health workers, older people and other at-risk populations will be prioritised. That will hopefully reduce the number of deaths and enable health systems to cope, but the virus will still have a lot room to move.

    “A vaccine on its own will not end the COVID619 pandemic. We will still need to continue surveillance; testing, isolating anr caring for cases; tracing and quarantining contacts; engaging communities and encouraging individuals to be careful,” the WHO DG stated.

    TNG reports Tedros is making these statements as another U.S. firm announced a new COVID-19 vaccine with 94.5% effectiveness.

    American biotechnology company, Moderna, announced on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine could be up to 94.5 per cent effective.

    The news came a week after U.S. drug maker, Pfizer, announced the development of a vaccine with 90 per cent effectiveness.

    In a statement, Moderna said that after its Phase 3 trial, the vaccine met statistical criteria with an efficacy rate of 94.5 per cent.

    However, experts are warning that the numbers are not conclusive, as both estimates could increase or decrease as trials continue.

    The company requires the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to roll out the vaccine for mass immunisation.

    Moderna said it would ask the FDA for emergency use authorisation (EUA) on a small group of higher-risk individuals.

    It stated that the application, to be made in the coming weeks, would include at least two months of safety data after the last injection in half the volunteers.

    The company added that the FDA application would include the “final analysis” of 151 cases of COVID-19 in its trial, rather than just the initial 95 cases.

    This puts it on track along with Pfizer for possible limited authorisation by the FDA as soon as December.

    Moderna is expected to have 20 million doses to go along with Pfizer’s 50 million for global distribution before more can be made in 2021, according to ABC News.

  • WHO links one in five COVID-19 deaths in Africa to diabetes

    WHO links one in five COVID-19 deaths in Africa to diabetes

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), says nearly one in five COVID-19 deaths in Africa is linked with diabetes, according to a study.

    WHO disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday from its Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.

    According to the statement, WHO finds out that 18.3 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in the African region are among people with diabetes.

    “They are among people with diabetes, one of the conditions that global studies have found to increase the risk of severe illness and death among patients infected with the virus.

    “The WHO analysis of 14 African countries showed that the risk of complications or death from COVID-19 among people with diabetes increases with age, with people aged 60 years and above facing greater risks.

    “Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation, but with early diagnosis and treatment, many of the harmful effects of the disease can be delayed or even avoided.

    “The disease occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin [type 1diabetes] or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces [type 2 diabetes].

    “ The more common is type 2 diabetes.’’

    Over the past three decades, it stated that the occurrence of type 2 diabetes had risen dramatically in all countries around the world.

    “The African region has experienced a six-fold increase, from four million cases in 1980 to 25 million in 2014.

    “With around 60 per cent of people living with diabetes undiagnosed, the African region has the highest proportion of people unaware of their status.

    “A study in Kenya found that 60 per cent of people diagnosed with the chronic condition were not on medication.’’

    The statement quoted Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, as saying “Far too many people are in the dark as to whether they have diabetes.

    “People with this chronic condition suffer a double blow if they are also infected with COVID-19.

    “We must turn this around by investing in early detection, prevention and treatment of diabetes.”

    According to the statement, at the onset and the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic, health services for diabetes were particularly disrupted.

    “Only about a third of reporting countries in a WHO survey of 41 countries in sub-Saharan Africa indicated that services were fully functional.’’

    The statement further quoted Moeti, as saying, “We must not lose sight of other health challenges as we combat COVID-19.

    “World Diabetes Day is a key moment to call attention to this chronic illness, which is increasingly threatening the lives of Africans.’’

    World Diabetes Day is marked on 14 Nov. every year.

    It further said that in many African countries, access to basic equipment for diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes is a challenge, especially in public and remote health facilities.

    “There are also limited supplies of insulin and oral hypoglycemic medicines for diabetes on the continent, while health workers are not sufficiently trained in diabetes diagnosis and care for patients.

    “The African region is also witnessing a rise in diabetes risk factors such as obesity.

    “Increasingly sedentary lifestyle and consuming foods rich in sugar, fats and salt is heightening obesity, ranging from 2.5 per cent of adults in Burundi to 26.9 per cent in Seychelles.’’

    WHO is working with countries to train more nurses and other health workers to expand access to diabetes prevention and care services.

    This is done through the WHO Package of Essential Non-communicable Disease Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource Settings.

    Twenty-five countries have adopted the package and are working to decentralise and improve early diabetes detection and patient care.

  • 1m global coronavirus deaths a very sad milestone – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday described the one million deaths from the coronavirus as “a very sad milestone”, considering that many victims suffered “a terribly difficult and lonely death” and their families were unable to say goodbye.

    WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva that the global coronavirus death toll has risen past a million.

    Harris added that a grim statistic in a pandemic that has devastated the global economy, overloaded health systems and changed the way people live.

    “People have lost so many people and haven’t had the chance to say goodbye.

    “Many people who died alone, it’s a terribly difficult and lonely death.

    “The one positive thing about this virus is it is suppressible, it is not the flu,’’ Harris told a UN briefing.

  • WHO expresses concern on current COVID-19 surge in Europe

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, on Thursday, expressed concern on the current COVID-19 surge in Europe.

    Kluge said that weekly cases now exceeded those reported during the March peak of the pandemic that should serve as a “wake-up call”.

    “We do have a very serious situation unfolding before us as weekly cases have now exceeded those reported when the pandemic first peaked in Europe in March,’’ Kluge said at a briefing.

    Kluge expressed concern about all the 53 European member states, adding that everybody should learn the lesson from the first wave of COVID-19, which is “no one is safe until everyone is safe’’.

    “Last week, the region’s weekly tally exceeded 300,000 patients.

    “More than half of European countries have reported a greater than 10 per cent increase in cases in the past two weeks.

    “Of those, seven countries have seen newly reported case increase more than two-fold in the same period’’.

    He noted that some countries that coped well with the first wave of the pandemic were now being hit much worse.

    The WHO official noted that Europe’s stringent public health measures paid off with June COVID-19 cases hitting all-time low.

    “The September case numbers, however, should serve as a wake-up call for all of us.

    “Although, these numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, it also shows alarming rates of transmission across the region,’’ Kluge warned.

    The WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11.

    To date, more than 29.8 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with more than 940,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.

  • COVID-19 pandemic has just begun – WHO official

    COVID-19 pandemic has just begun – WHO official

    The world is still “at the beginning” of the COVID-19 pandemic and is “not even at the middle,” a WHO envoy, Dr. David Nabarro has told the U.K. Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

    Nabbaro not only defended WHO’s conduct at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, he also stressed the pandemic’s potential to undo development gains made in recent years.

    According to a report by Devex, Nabbaro urged the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to help low-income countries deal with the pandemic.

    “Foreign ministries … must take a global perspective because there is a real likelihood that this is going to massively increase poverty.”

    “We’re beginning to see what damage it’s going to cause to the world, and it’s getting nastier. … It’s a terrible situation,” Nabarro told the members of Parliament.

    “A health issue has got so out of control it’s [causing] … huge economic contractions which will probably double the number of poor people, double the number of malnourished, lead to hundreds of small businesses going bankrupt, and generally wreck the destination for a lot of young people who are not going to get education or opportunity,” he said.

    The pandemic has caused a severe schooling crisis, with millions of children expected to never return to the classroom, as well as massive unemployment.

    “Poor countries are facing particularly serious problems right now. Not only are they having to cope with the disease and trying to work out what impact the disease is having … but they’ve also got to cope with the impact of containment measures on their people: vast increases in poverty, hunger, unemployment, and so on.”

    Helping low-income countries deal with the fallout of the pandemic should therefore be a priority for the new FCDO, Nabarro said.

    Nabarro was giving evidence as part of a Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry on the country’s role in strengthening multilateral organizations, including the issue of whether WHO needs reform and whether its powers should be strengthened to include sanctions and compulsory inspections.

  • JUST IN: WHO declares Nigeria, Africa polio-free

    JUST IN: WHO declares Nigeria, Africa polio-free

    The independent Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) for Polio Eradication officially declared the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region is free of wild poliovirus.

    This marks eradication of the second virus from the face of the continent since smallpox 40 years ago.

    The last case of wild poliovirus in the region was detected in 2016 in Nigeria.

    In a statement, the ARCC Chairperson, Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke, said: “Today is a historic day for Africa. The African Regional Certification Commission for Polio eradication (ARCC) is pleased to announce that the Region has successfully met the certification criteria for wild polio eradication, with no cases of the wild poliovirus reported in the Region for four years.

    “The ARCC’s decision comes after an exhaustive, decades-long process of documentation and analysis of polio surveillance, immunization and laboratory capacity of the region’s 47 member states, which included conducting field verification visits to each country.”

    In 1996, African Heads of State committed to eradicate polio during the Thirty-Second Ordinary Session of the Organisation of African Unity in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

    At the time, polio was paralysing an estimated 75,000 children, annually, on the African continent.

    The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, described Africa’s attainment of the wild poliovirus free status as a momentous milestone.

    She said that future generations of African children can now live free of wild polio.

    “This historic achievement was only possible thanks to the leadership and commitment of governments, communities, global polio eradication partners and philanthropists.

    “I pay special tribute to the frontline health workers and vaccinators, some of whom lost their lives, for this noble cause.

    “However, we must stay vigilant and keep up vaccination rates to avert a resurgence of the wild poliovirus and address the continued threat of the vaccine-derived polio.

    “The expertise gained from polio eradication will continue to assist the African region in tackling COVID-19 and other health problems that have plagued the continent for so many years and ultimately move the continent toward universal health coverage. This will be the true legacy of polio eradication in Africa,” she said.

    According to the Coordinator of WHO Polio Eradication Programme in the African Region Dr. Pascal Mkanda, “Africa has demonstrated that despite weak health systems, significant logistical and operational challenges across the continent, African countries have collaborated very effectively in eradicating wild polio virus.

    “With the innovations and expertise that the polio programme has established, I am confident that we can sustain the gains, post-certification, and eliminate cVDPV2.”

  • COVID-19 vaccines now in phase three clinical trials – WHO

    COVID-19 vaccines now in phase three clinical trials – WHO

    Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO), says a number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials to prevent COVID-19 pandemic.

    Ghebreyesus made this known at a virtual news conference on Monday at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva.

    The director-general said: “ We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection.

    “However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be; for now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control.

    “Testing, isolating and treating patients, tracing and quarantining their contacts. Do it all.

    “Inform, empower and listen to communities. Do it all.

    “For individuals, it’s about keeping physical distance, wearing a mask, cleaning hands regularly and coughing safely away from others. Do it all.’’

    Ghebreyesus said the message to people and governments was clear: “Do it all, and when it’s under control, keep going! Keep strengthening the health system.

    “Keep improving surveillance, contact tracing and ensure disrupted healthcare services are restarted as quickly as possible.

    “Keep safeguards and monitoring in place, because lifting restrictions too quickly can lead to resurgence.

    “Keep investing in the workforce and communicating and engaging communities.

    “We have seen around the world, that it’s never too late to turn this pandemic around,’’ he said.

    According to him, if we act together today, we can save lives, we can save livelihoods, if we do it all together.

    He told journalists that the Emergency Committee on COVID-19 met on Friday and reviewed the current pandemic.

    “It was a sobering moment coming six months on from when the committee advised.

    “And, I agreed that the outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

    “At the time, Jan. 30, there were fewer than 100 cases and no deaths outside of China.

    “When the Committee met three months ago, three million cases of COVID-19 had been reported to WHO, and more than 200,000 deaths.

    “Since then, the number of cases has increased more than five-fold to 17.5 million, and the number of deaths has more than tripled to 680,000,’’ the director-general said.

    In addition to the direct toll COVID-19 is having, Ghebreyesus said the committee noted the health impact that disrupted services were having on a range of other diseases.

    “That compounds what we already know about reduced immunisation coverage, cancer screening and care, and mental health services.

    “A survey of responses from 103 countries between mid-May and early July, found that 67 per cent of countries report disruption in family planning and contraception services.

    “More than half of countries reported disruption in antenatal care services and more than a third of countries reported disruption in child birth services.

    “On top of the health impact, we have seen the damage COVID-19 has caused socially, economically and politically.

    “The committee put forward a number of recommendations for countries to continue to implement to bring the virus under control.

    “These range from sharing best practice, to enhancing political commitment and leadership for national strategies and localised response activities driven by science, data and experience.’’

    He said from serology studies that most people remained susceptible to this virus, even in areas that have experienced severe outbreaks.

    “Over the past week we’ve seen several countries that appeared as though they were past the worst now, contending with fresh spikes in cases.

    “However, we’ve also seen how some countries, regions or localities that had a high number of cases are now bringing the outbreak under control.

    “It’s not easy, of course. Strict measures may cause their own problems for delivery of essential health services, the economy and societies overall.

    “The committee acknowledged that Member States have tough choices to make to turn the epidemic around.

    “But, they were also clear that when leaders step up and work intensely with their populations, this disease can be brought under control.’’

    He further said we learnt everyday about this virus.

    “ I’m pleased that the world has made progress in identifying treatments that can help people with the most serious forms of COVID-19 recover.

    “The committee recommended that countries engage in the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, participate in relevant clinical trials, and prepare for safe and effective therapeutics and vaccine introduction,’’ Ghebreyesus said.

  • ‘Why your decisions must be a matter of life and death’

    ‘Why your decisions must be a matter of life and death’

    Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus has said as long as Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is circulating, everyone is at risk, and that decision on where to go and what to do should be made as a matter of life and death.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Tedros, who stated this while raising key questions everyone must ask themselves as the pandemic continues to rage, said in recent weeks, outbreaks have been associated with night clubs and other social gatherings, where transmission had been suppressed.

    “Know your situation. Do you know how many cases were reported where you live yesterday? Do you know where to find that information? Do you know how to minimize your exposure? Are you being careful to keep at least 1 meter from others? Are you still cleaning your hands regularly? Are you following the advice of your local authorities?” Tedros queried.

    He went on to say, “We are asking everyone to treat the decisions about where they go, what they do, and who they meet with as life and death decisions, because they are. I may not be your life, but your choices could be the difference between life and death for someone you love or for a complete stranger.

    “In recent weeks, we have seen outbreaks associated with night clubs and other social gatherings, even in places where transmission had been suppressed. We must remember that most people are still susceptible to this virus. As long as it is circulating, everyone is at risk. It is all about making good choices. Don’t expect some else to keep you safe. We all have a part to play in protecting ourselves and one another”.

  • WHO sounds alarm as Coronavirus hits new high

    WHO sounds alarm as Coronavirus hits new high

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded an alarm as the global burden of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to increase across the globe.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO sounded the alarm on Monday during a virtual briefing on Monday.

    He said with too many countries headed in the wrong direction, there would be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future.

    “The virus remains public enemy number one. If basics are not followed, the only way this pandemic is going to go, it is going to get worse and worse and worse. But it does not have to be this way,” he said.

    The WHO boss said that while numerous countries, especially in Europe and Asia, have brought outbreaks under control, too many others are seeing virus trends move in the wrong direction.

    Tedros also chastised political leaders for mixed messages about outbreaks that damage trust, without referring to any politicians by name.

    He called for countries to adopt a comprehensive strategy to curb the soaring caseloads in many countries, noting that about half of all the new cases are now coming from the Americas.

    Still, Tedros said there was a roadmap out of the pandemic and that it’s never too late to control its spread even in places with explosive transmission.

    TNG reports Coronavirus infections rose above 13 million across the world, according to tallies as of Monday.

    The infection, which has killed more than half a million people globally, climbed by one million in just five days.

  • UN states conditions to grant Trump’s exit from WHO

    UN states conditions to grant Trump’s exit from WHO

    UN spokesman, Mr Stéphane Dujarric, confirmed to newsmen in New York on Tuesday that the secretariat had received the U.S.’ withdrawal letter from the World Health Organisation.

    But he clarified that withdrawal conditions included a one-year notice and fulfilment of full financial obligations.

    The U.S. is the largest single financial contributor to the WHO, providing not less than 400 million dollars (N150 billion) in 2019.

    Trump has only complied with the one-year notice of withdrawal by notifying the United Nations and Congress of his country’s withdrawal from the WHO, effective July 6, 2021.

    In April, Trump announced suspension of funding to the global health body, accusing it of being biased in favour of China.

    He accused China of covering up the COVID-19 outbreak on its soil before it was too late to contain it, and WHO of keeping quiet under pressure from China.

    “China has total control over the health organisation,” the president had said, without offering any proof.

    Trump also gave WHO an ultimatum to reform.

    But before the ultimatum expired, he announced he was pulling the U.S. out of the organisation and redirecting his country’s financial contributions elsewhere.

    A leading Democratic senator, Mr Robert Menendez, confirmed in a tweet that the U.S. Congress received the president’s letter.

    “Congress received notification that POTUS (President of the United States) officially withdrew the US from the WHO in the midst of a pandemic.

    “To call Trump’s response to COVID chaotic and incoherent doesn’t do it justice.

    “This won’t protect American lives or interests — it leaves Americans sick and America alone,” he wrote.