J. Tuyet Nguyen, a journalist with years of experience, has covered major stories in New York City and the United Nations for United Press International, the German Press Agency dpa and various newspapers. His reports focused mostly on topics with international interests for readers worldwide.
He was president of the United Nations Correspondents Association (2007 and 2008), which is composed of more than 250 journalists representing world media with influence over policy decision makers. He has chaired the organization of the annual UNCA Awards, which seeks to reward journalists around the world who have done the best broadcasts and written reports on the UN and its specialized agencies.
He has traveled the world to cover events and write stories, from politics to the environment as well cultures of different regions. But his most important reporting work has been with the United Nations since the early 1980s.
He was bureau chief of United Press International office at the UN headquarters before joining dpa in 1997.
Prior to working at the UN, he was an editor on the International Desk of UPI World Headquarters in New York. He worked in Los Angeles and covered the final months of war in Vietnam for UPI.
Geneva/Oslo/New York, December 18 – The World Health Organization said its global initiative known as COVAX to ensure rapid and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for all countries has obtained access to 2 billion doses from drug makers and is planning to distribute the shots in the first quarter of next year.
A total of 92 low- and middle-income countries will receive 1.3 billion of the total 2 billon doses. The distribution will be contingent upon regulatory approvals and readiness to distribute in the 190 countries. WHO said the 2 billion doses are still under development and the agreement it obtained from the drug makers is the “clearest pathway yet to end the acute phase of the pandemic by protecting the most vulnerable populations around the world.”
“This commitment is evidence that the world learned an important lesson from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Our research and development efforts have begun to pay off. We now have safe and effective vaccines that can protect against Covid-19 and a clear pathway to securing 2 billion doses for the populations at greatest risk all around the world,” said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
“Securing the right of first refusal of successful vaccine production as part of R&D arrangements has helped guarantee equitable access to vaccines, a founding principle of CEPI. The challenge of delivering the vaccines that have demonstrated success, of completing the development of other promising vaccine candidates to further increase supply, and of ending the acute phase of the pandemic, lies ahead of us.”
“The arrival of vaccines is giving all of us a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. “But we will only truly end the pandemic if we end it everywhere at the same time, which means it’s essential to vaccinate some people in all countries, rather than all people in some countries. And we must remember that vaccines will complement, but not replace, the many other tools we have in our toolbox to stop transmission and save lives. We must continue to use all of them.”
WHO said the new deals just announced included the signing of advance purchase agreements with AstraZeneca for 170 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Johnson & Johnson for 500 million doses of the Janssen candidate, which is currently being investigated as a single dose vaccine.
These deals are in addition to existing agreements COVAX has with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for 200 million doses – with options for up to 900 million doses more – of either the AstraZeneca/Oxford or Novavax candidates, as well as a statement of intent for 200 million doses of the Sanofi/GSK vaccine candidate.
In addition to this, COVAX also has – through R&D partnership agreements – first right of refusal in 2021 to access potentially more than one billion doses (based on current estimates from the manufacturing processes under development) that will be produced, subject to technical success and regulatory approval, by candidates in the COVAX R&D Portfolio
WHO said the COVAX Facility currently has 190 participating economies – 98 higher-income economies and 92 low- and middle-income economies eligible to have their participation in the Facility supported via the financing mechanism known as the Gavi COVAX AMC.
Of the 92 economies eligible to be supported by the COVAX AMC, 86 have now submitted detailed vaccine requests, offering the clearest picture yet on actual global demand for COVID-19 vaccines.
The health organization said for COVAX to meet its ambitious goals it needs to raise an additional $6.8 billion in 2021 – $800 million for research and development, at least $4.6 billion for the COVAX AMC and $1.4 billion for delivery support.
Support for the COVAX AMC will be critical to ensuring ability to pay is not a barrier to access. Thanks to the generous support of sovereign, private sector, and philanthropic donors, the AMC has met its urgent 2020 fundraising target of $2 billion, but at least $4.6 billion more is needed in 2021 to procure doses of successful candidates as they come through the portfolio.
Note from WHO about COVAX:
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by CEPI, Gavi and WHO – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, and others. It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.
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Funding for community programmes, engaging youth in solutions to address COVID-19, and convening Global Youth Summit are key features of this new mobilization
Following is a press release from WHO
Geneva, 14 December – A new ground-breaking global youth mobilization was launched today to invest in and scale up youth-led solutions and engagements in response to COVID-19. The initiative was launched by an alliance of the world’s largest youth movements and organizations, together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Foundation.
The “Global Youth Mobilization for Generation Disrupted” is being led by the Big 6 Youth Organizations (Young Men’s Christian Association, YMCA; World Young Women’s Christian Association, YWCA; World Organization of the Scout Movement; World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC; and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award), which together actively involve more than 250 million young people, and aims to support young people to engage in and design efforts to turn around the impact of the pandemic.
The Global Youth Mobilization will feature the convening of a Global Youth Summit in April 2021, and a fund of US $5 million to support local and national youth organizations, including grants for youth-led solutions and an accelerator programme to scale up existing response efforts.
The leadership of the WHO, Big 6 and youth organizations around the world are calling on governments, businesses and policy makers to back the Global Youth Mobilization effort and commit to investing in the future of young people. These measures will directly support young people engaged at the grassroots level to tackle some of the most pressing health and societal challenges resulting from the pandemic.
“WHO is honoured to join this truly exciting andpowerful global movement to mobilize and empower youth worldwide to be the driving force of the recovery to COVID-19,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Joining forces with the Big 6 and the United Nations Foundation provides WHO and the world a unique opportunity to learn from hundreds of millions of young people and be guided by their sustainable solutions to help communities build back better from the pandemic.”
While the direct health impacts of the pandemic on young people have been generally less severe, they are disproportionately affected by the long-lasting consequences of the pandemic. Such effects include disruptions to education, economic uncertainty, loss or lack of employment opportunities, impacts on physical and mental health, and trauma from domestic violence. For example, mental anxiety brought on by COVID-19 has been identified in nearly 90 per cent of young people; more than 1 billion students in almost every country have been impacted by school closures; and 1 in 6 young people worldwide have lost their jobs during the pandemic.
At the same time, young people are also driving change and implementing solutions in response to COVID-19 by taking action through community-based interventions and voluntary service, such as acting as first responders and delivering food and supplies to those in need. The Global Youth Mobilization will draw attention to the urgent need for solutions to support young people, and to highlight the critical leadership role young people are playing in their communities to counter the effects of the pandemic.
“We are proud to team up with the WHO to provide opportunities and funding to help millions of young people across the globe to respond to local challenges related to COVID-19 in their communities,” said the leadership of the Big 6 in a joint statement. “The mobilization will provide direct financial and programmatic support to youth organizations at the national and international level. We believe that young people have the solutions to solve their own problems, and by providing a global youth platform, combined with national activation for youth projects, we can unleash the skills, enthusiasm and desire for young people to be a force for good in their communities.”
Supported by the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and powered by the United Nations Foundation, the Global Youth Mobilization features a strategic partnership with the WHO and its newly launched Youth Council. It will involve other United Nations agencies, as well as a number of high-profile global partners, brands, and advocates, from FIFA to YOUNGA by BridgingTheGap Ventures, and the creation of a youth council of social media influencers, including the Influential platform. The initiative, developed in consultation with young people from across the globe, will be youth-led, community-driven, evidence-based, and inclusive of diverse communities rooted in meaningful youth participation and engagement.
In response to the unique challenges facing young people today, and to coincide with the launch of the Global Youth Mobilization, the Big 6 have also published a new policy paper: ‘Young People Championing Post-Pandemic Futures’. The paper is a joint call to action on behalf of 250 million children and young people that make up the Big 6 Youth Organizations and includes recommendations concerning education, employment, mental health and digital inclusion. Read the full report and calls to action at bigsix.org.
About the World Health Organization The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 149 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing. For updates on COVID-19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus, visit www.who.int and follow WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitch.
About the United Nations Foundation The United Nations Foundation brings together ideas, people, and resources to help the United Nations drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. Our hallmark is to collaborate for lasting change and innovate to address humanity’s greatest challenges. Learn more at www.unfoundation.org
About the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund To support the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners in their global response to COVID-19, the United Nations Foundation helped launch the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which has raised more than $238 million for lifesaving work around the world to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19. Learn more about the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, powered by the United Nations Foundation at www.covid19responsefund.org.
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New York, December 12 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm as carbon dioxide, the harmful gas heating up the planet, has reached its highest levels in a decade and he urged world leaders to declare a climate emergency until carbon neutrality is reached.
Guterres said 38 countries have already declared a climate emergency and it will be time for the rest of the world to follow the example as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising, provoking storms, fires, floods and drought of uncommon force.
“I appealed to leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached,” Guterres told a virtual Climate Ambition Summit organized by the United Kingdom. Guterres said climate change will be the main focus of the United Nations in 2021 as it seeks to build a truly Global Coalition for Carbon Neutrality and for global net zero emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050.
“There is solid momentum behind the net zero goal,” Guterres said. “By early next year, countries representing two thirds of global carbon dioxide emissions and 70 per cent of the world economy will have made strong commitments to carbon neutrality.”
“As we prepare for next year’s United Nations climate conference – COP26 — we need concrete action right away to get on the right path. The scientific community tells us that to reach net zero by 2050, we need to cut emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2010 levels.”
The UN chief said developed countries must meet their commitment to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 so they can install measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The 2020 target, however, has lagged behind even before the pandemic hit in early 2020.
A report by independent experts issued prior to the virtual meeting on climate change backed Guterres’s renewed call for rich countries to mobilize urgently the $100 billion a year. The report pointed out that the climate crisis is only worsening and the funds needed by poor countries in 2021 and beyond have exceeded the original target of $100 billion.
The new report, “Delivering on the $100 billion climate finance commitment and transforming climate finance,” recommended that grants, which is a lifeline for vulnerable and poorer countries, should be doubled because such grants have declined to around $12 billion in the 2016-2018 period. Another recommendation is to increase the adaptation finance, which the report said is a small share of overall climate finance but it allows poor countries to adapt and build resilience to the ever challenging climate.
“The UN Secretary-General recently called on all donors and multilateral development banks to increase the share of adaptation and resilience finance to at least 50 per cent of climate finance support,” the report said. The report was drawn from data and analyses generated by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as from civil society organizations such as Oxfam, among other sources.
It found that the pandemic, which remains an enormous threat, also offers a “one-off, last chance opportunity to restructure economies at the pace and scale that the climate crisis requires by integrating climate action into the economic recovery from Covid-19.”
The virtual Climate Ambition Summit heard dozens of government leaders, including the two co-hosts, the UK prime minister and the president of France, and the two partners, the president of Chile and the prime minister of Italy.
Countries that are most vulnerable to climate change are leading the way in the debate. The UN said Barbados and Maldives want to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030; Fiji, Malawi, Nauru and Nepal remain firm to achieve the goal by 2050.
The UN said the United Kingdom has pledged to cut emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 and to end external financing of fossil fuel projects.
The European Union has decided to cut its emissions by at least 55 per cent by the end of this decade.
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Funding secured to recover health and social services lost to COVID-19
Pledges (please see detailed information below):
* Afghanistan – $176.6 million
* India – $2 billion
* Kenya – $2.2 billion
* Liberia – $10.65 million
* Nigeria – $2.3 billion
* Canada: $2.89 billion
* Germany – $5.3 billion
* Sida (Sweden) – $ 165.67 million
* United Kingdom – Up to $1.7 billion
* United States of America – $1.3 billion
* The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – $1.75 billion
The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening three decades of improvement in health and social services for women, newborns, children and adolescents.
The well-being of this vulnerable group is being more affected than others due to disruptions to essential health, nutrition and social services since the pandemic, according to senior health experts at The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), a global alliance of more than 1,000 organizations, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a huge effort to restore crumbling services for women, newborns, children and adolescents, a group of high income, low- and middle-income countries and foundations are making pledges of $20.6 billion to protect this group. $6.6 billion (32%) of the total pledge is committed by low and middle-income countries themselves, including Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Liberia, and Nigeria. An additional $14 billion (68%) is from official development assistance and grants given by Germany, Canada, Sweden, UK, USA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Recent WHO data from 105 countries show that 90 percent of countries have experienced disruptions to health services, with low- and middle-income countries reporting the greatest difficulties.
Some of the most frequently disrupted services include those related to: immunization services (facility-based services: 61 percent, and outreach facilities: 70 percent), and family planning and contraception services: 68 percent.
The maternal mortality ratio has dropped by 38 percent worldwide between 2000 and 2017. Still about 25,000 women were dying every month during and following pregnancy and childbirth, in 2017. Similarly, while the mortality rate for children under 5 years of age has been cut by 60 percent since 1990, about 5.2 million children under five were still dying every year from preventable causes before the pandemic.
According to early estimates of the indirect impact of COVID-19 on child and maternal mortality, more than 2 million additional child and maternal deaths are estimated over 12 months (2020-2021) above the pre-pandemic level because of disruptions to essential health and nutrition services.
Adding to the pain of the pandemic itself is a forecast of at least a 5 percent contraction of the global economy. Recent forecasts also indicate that global poverty is on the rise for the first time since 1998, with an estimated 47 million women and girls being pushed into extreme poverty. This will increase the total number of women and girls living in extreme poverty to 435 million, with projections showing that this number will not revert to pre-pandemic levels until 2030.
As of November 2020, 2.8 million children and adolescents have contracted COVID-19 in 87 countries. That is more than 10 percent of the 25.7 million infections in these countries.
Recent UNESCO data show that in April, 1.5 billion students were affected by educational institutions closures in 195 countries this year, leading to loss of school meals and critical impacts on child nutrition.
“The health and well-being of women, children and adolescents are now at great risk, with inequities compounded by narrowing access to essential health services such as antenatal care, skilled assistance at childbirth, postnatal care, immunizations, and family planning. Our concern is that resources — insufficient to begin with– are being diverted away to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” explains Helen Clark, Chair of PMNCH and former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
“These findings show how weak our health systems are at protecting women, newborns, children and adolescents, and how much basic primary health care matters in saving lives and protecting rights,” she adds.
PMNCH has issued a 7-point Call to Action in response to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. It calls on leaders to protect and prioritize their rights and health during the COVID-19 response and recovery by strengthening political commitment, policies and financing for vital health services and social protections, particularly for the most vulnerable.
Countries have responded to this call with these financial and policy commitments to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis.
The commitments will be launched on December 11 at “Lives in the Balance”, a global online summit to take stock of how COVID-19 is impacting the progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The event, co-hosted with PMNCH with UHC 2030 and the CORE Group, is held on the eve of UHC Day on December 12 (www.livesinthebalancesummit2.org).
$20.6 billion in funding to help women, newborns, children and adolescents
Country pledges increase investment in:
* Maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health care and well-being;
* Health systems strengthening;
* Nutrition, food security and social protection programs;
* Sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Taking into account the indirect effects of the pandemic on women and adolescent girls, some prioritize policies, programs or services to address gender equality and gender-based violence. These country commitments spanning multiple sectors will contribute to the realization of the Call to Action, helping to ensure women, adolescents and children can access health services and priority social protections throughout the COVID-19 crisis and recovery periods.
$16.1 billion (78%) are new commitments to address COVID-19, $2.2 billion (10.8%) are new commitments not linked to COVID-19, and $2.3 billion (11.2%) are commitments to protect existing RMNCAH commitments/budgets.
“This funding will ensure women, children and adolescents can access health services and priority social protections throughout the COVID-19 crisis and recovery periods,” says Helen Clark of PMNCH.
Here are the individual pledges (full text: www.pmnch.org):
* Afghanistan – $176.6 million during 2020-2023 to combat the challenges of COVID-19 and to improve the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents.
* India – $2 billion during 2020-2021 to strengthen all levels of care in response to the pandemic and to ensure essential public health functions with an enhanced focus on women, children and adolescents and the most vulnerable.
* Kenya – $2.2 billion during 2021-2022 for the provision of universal health coverage to guarantee quality and affordable healthcare, with additional funding committed under the post COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy for inequality, social cohesion and social protection.
* Liberia – $10.65 million in 2021 to improve the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents, by supporting and building the capacity of health services providers, providing safe and accessible drinking water, sanitation and hygiene as part of the COVID-19 incidence management system, and guaranteeing availability of critical life-saving equipment and medicines to ensure access to quality health care to women, children and adolescents.
* Nigeria – $2.3 billion during 2020-2028 for strategic interventions that protect the reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and elderly health and nutrition through access to family planning services; immunization; and nutrition programmes.
* Canada: $2.89 billion during 2019-2024 as global COVID-19 response, placing gender equality and empowerment of women and girls at the centre of this response through investing in equitable and affordable access to testing and vaccine; including strengthening and ring-fencing of $ 937 million as funds for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; new and dedicated funding for prevention of violence against women; and ensuring access to reproductive health commodities and meaningful youth engagement.
* Germany – $5.3 billion bi- and multilateral contributions to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-2022; including $120 million to ensure globally fair, equitable and transparent access to COVID-19 vaccines; and $210 million to protect the health and rights of women, children and adolescents, by sustaining health systems with a focus on the needs of women and girls in the context of sexual and reproductive health through multi-lateral agencies and Global Financing Facility (GFF).
* Sida (Sweden) – $ 165.67 million additional funds to the COVID-19 crises and allowing for flexibility in existing funding in 2020-21, $ 53 million dedicated for protecting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights services and promoting gender-responsiveness in the COVID-19 crisis through integrated efforts in health, health system strengthening, and ensuring access to maternity care, contraception and safe abortion care during and after the pandemic.
* United Kingdom – Up to £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) of new funding to tackle the health, humanitarian, and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19; and committed up to £500 million ($665 million) for COVAX, in support of equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines during 2020-2021.
* United States of America – $1.3 billion for the global fight against COVID-19 to improve public health education; protect healthcare facilities; and increase lab, surveillance, and rapid-response capacities in more than 100 countries in 2020. This includes delivery of diagnostics and treatment tailored to countries’ needs, and measures to ensure safe delivery of essential maternal and child health and nutrition through improved WASH and infection prevention control in healthcare facilities.
* The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – $1.75 billion during 2020-2021 to support the global COVID-19 response efforts to accelerate the search for effective coronavirus vaccines and treatments to ensure that once available, they can be delivered quickly and affordably. In addition to new response efforts, the foundation will continue its support to protect the health and well-being of women and children, including by strengthening primary healthcare systems and improving the quality of care provided through essential health service.,
“As important as this $20.6 billion is, it only will partially solve the problem of providing basic essential services for women, newborns, young children and adolescents,” says Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. “Comprehensive efforts and collective advocacy are needed to ensure availability of substantially enhanced financial resources for this noble cause”, he adds.
Consider these facts:
* Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the child mortality rate under age five was three times higher in 36 countries classified as fragile by the World Bank, compared to non-fragile countries.
* In the least developed countries, the maternal mortality ratio, defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, was more than 40 times higher than in Europe.
New and Better Financing Ideas
“While we have achieved dramatic reductions in child and maternal mortality over the last 30 years, large inequities still persist across and within countries and are only worsening as a socio-economic consequence of COVID-19,” says Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and Chair of the PMNCH Strategy Committee.
“Women and girls, in particular, are being disproportionally affected simply by virtue of their gender. The global community needs to come together to deliver financing strategies that are equity enhancing, targeting the most vulnerable who have been hardest hit.”
Besides the added funding, all health experts agree, that health funds must be spent better. Pre-COVID-19 evidence over the past 10 years finds that an estimated 20-40 percent of health expenditure is wasted globally due to inefficiencies and corruption.
To improve the efficiency of health financing, the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a joint UN and World Bank initiative, prioritize spending through the development of investment cases, encourages results-based financing, and help coordinate and track spending through instruments such as the Resource Mapping and Expenditure Tracking tool.
These efforts generate greater precision in delivering the interventions that will help the most women, newborns, children and adolescents, including through the current COVID-19 crisis.
* * * * *
PMNCH Call to Action
PMNCH issued a 7-point agenda for action in July 2020 to urge governments to protect and promote the health and rights of women, children and adolescents through strengthened political commitment, policies and domestic resource mobilization and financing, supported by ODA, for:
1. Sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) services, supplies, and information and demand generation including for contraception, safe abortion, immunization, safe delivery, stillbirth prevention, and mental health;
2. Advancing sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality;
3. Quality care, including respectful and dignified care, and effective community engagement and redress mechanisms;
4. Recruitment, training, equal and fair pay, and safe working conditions, including protective personal equipment, for frontline health workers, notably midwives and nurses;
5. Social protections, including food and nutrition security, for marginalized and vulnerable groups and enhanced data to better understand and address disparities experienced by adolescents, refugees, the internally displaced, migrants, indigenous communities, persons living with disabilities, among others;
6. Functional, safe, and clean toilet and hand washing facilities and quality potable drinking water, with a particular focus on healthcare centers, schools, and centers for refugees and internally displaced persons; and
7. Prevention of violence against women, children and adolescents through education and protection programs.
Geneve/New York, December 8 – The World Health Organization has launched a global campaign to support over 100 million tobacco users who have tried to quit because they are at higher risk of catching Covid-19.
The year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021 – “Commit to Quit” was launched with a new WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp and the publication “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco” were being released to mark the start of the campaign.
“Smoking kills 8 million people a year, but if users need more motivation to kick the habit, the pandemic provides the right incentive,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
An estimated 780 million tobacco users around the world said they wanted to quit but only 30 per cent of them have had access to health services and resources that can help them to do so.
When the pandemic struck in early 2020, WHO released a scientific brief warning that tobacco users were at higher risk of developing severe disease and death from Covid-19. The brief also warned that tobacco represented a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes, and people living with those conditions are more vulnerable to Covid-19.
“Millions of people worldwide want to quit tobacco – we must seize this opportunity and invest in services to help them be successful, while we urge everyone to divest from the tobacco industry and their interests,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO.
The international health organization said it is working to create digital communities where people can find social support they need to quit using tobacco and the focus will be on countries with huge population that are tobacco users. WHO said it has received support for its initiative from private sector companies such as Allen Carr’s Easyway, Amazon Web Services, Cipla, Facebook and WhatsApp, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Praekelt, and Soul Machines.
WHO has called on all governments to ensure their citizens have access to brief advice, toll-free quit lines, mobile and digital cessation services, nicotine replacement therapies and other tools that are proven to help people quit. Strong cessation services improve health, save lives and save money.
The “Commit To Quit” 2021 campaign is focused on the following countries: Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, Germany, Nigeria, Brazil, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Suriname, Turkey, Russia, Vietnam, Mexico, the United States and Ukraine. (united nations correspondent journalists – united nations journalism articles)
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New tool will help census oceans from surface to seafloor, monitor fish, track shifting marine life due to climate change, around coral reefs, aquaculture or wind farms, oil rigs, and more
Contact: Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc
In brief:
A new study proves DNA in seawater reveals not just species diversity but the relative biomass of ocean fish roughly as well as a “gold standard” US state government trawl with nets.
The Rockefeller University, Monmouth University, New Jersey Bureau of Marine Fisheries study certifies “fishing for DNA” as an important new inexpensive and harmless complement to nets, acoustics and other tools to monitor fish stocks and/or the shifting diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life.
The paper, “Trawl and eDNA Assessment of Marine Fish Diversity, Seasonality, and Relative Abundance in Coastal New Jersey, U.S.A.” to appear in the Oxford University Press ICES Journal of Marine Science, is available for preview on request.
“eDNA makes the ocean a sea of biological information”
DNA bits in seawater samples drawn during New Jersey government fish trawls reveals relative abundance of fish with a 70% match between the two sampling methods
In addition to great concordance, study finds that each method yields information missed by the other
Message in a bottle: DNA in 1 litre of seawater = a trawl sweep of 66 million litres, enough to fill a sports stadium to top of goalposts
Proposed “Great American Fish Count,” involving citizen scientists collecting waters samples, could set stage for 2nd global Census of Marine Life during upcoming UN Oceans Decade
Humanity is a step closer to answering one of the most ancient of questions — “how many fish in the sea?” — thanks to newly published proof that the amount of fish DNA collected in a water sample closely corresponds to kilos of fish captured in a trawl with nets.
In a breakthrough study, scientists report that floating bits of DNA found in small water samples reveal the relative biomass of fish in the sea roughly as well as a “gold standard” US state government trawl with nets.
The researchers drew seawater samples during New Jersey government fish trawls and tested the water for fish DNA. Analysis of the water was able to reveal the relative abundance of fish with a 70% match in results between the two sampling methods. In addition to the great concordance between methods, the study found that each sampling method yielded information missed by the other.
While environmental DNA (“eDNA”) has been proven before as a reliable way to determine the variety of fish in an area of water, the new study is the first to show that bits of eDNA floating in seawater also disclose the relative abundance of the species swimming through it.
Published by the prestigious ICES Journal of Marine Science, the paper certifies “fishing for DNA” as an inexpensive, harmless complement to nets, acoustics and other established ways to monitor the health of fish stocks and/or the shifting diversity, distribution and abundance of aquatic life.
The paper, a collaboration between The Rockefeller University, Monmouth University, and the New Jersey Bureau of Marine Fisheries, says the information about the diversity and relative abundance of fish available in a one-litre sample is comparable to a 66 million litre trawl sweep, enough seawater to fill a football stadium to the top of the goalposts.
During four voyages by the New Jersey Ocean Trawl Survey in 2019 aboard the research vessel “Sea Wolf,” scientists led by Dr. Mark Stoeckle, Senior Research Associate at The Rockefeller University Program for the Human Environment, drew one-litre pop-bottle sized water samples from various depths just before the trawler’s nets were lowered.
Profound implications
The finding has profound implications for improving global fisheries management and has led to early proposals for a “Great American Fish Count” in rivers and coastal waters, aided by millions of citizen scientists, comparable to Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Counts.
Fish and other organisms shed DNA like dandruff, Dr. Stoeckle explains, leaving an invisible trail wherever they swim. This environmental DNA can be skin cells, droppings, urine, eggs, and other biological residues that last in the ocean for a few days.
One year of eDNA sampling, out-of-pocket costs: $12,000
The eDNA process is straightforward and extremely inexpensive compared with traditional marine life monitoring methods, which involve ships with large crews and hand counts.
Co-author Zachary Charlop-Powers at The Rockefeller University, lead developer of the software used in the DNA analyses, explains that eDNA testing involves collecting and filtering a water sample, extracting and sequencing the DNA in a laboratory, then matching the results found in an online DNA reference library.
“The bioinformatic tools used by the team are the same ‘barcode’ analysis pipelines commonly used by microbiologists but were adapted for the study of marine vertebrates.”
He notes too that the year of sampling and DNA extraction required an investment of just $12,000, exclusive of salaries.
“The applications of environmental DNA in the marine realm are vast,” says Dr. Stoeckle, a Harvard-educated MD who helped pioneer DNA “barcoding,” the identification of species from a small region of the animal’s DNA sequence.
“eDNA offers a low-cost way to monitor the effectiveness of a marine protected area, for example, or whether efforts to restore a coral reef are succeeding. It could reveal the ecological effects of marine industrial activities, including offshore wind farms, oil and gas rigs, and commercial and recreational fishing.”
Adds Dr. Stoeckle: To put this in perspective, if we thought of a trawl as a full medical CAT or MRI scan, then eDNA can be thought of as a pocket ultrasound–it can be carried and used anywhere in the hospital, without the time and expense of scheduling a full-scale exam. And eDNA surveys will become better and more informative every year as the technique improves and the DNA reference library grows.
Says co-author Dr. Jason Adolf, Endowed Associate Professor of Marine Science, Monmouth University: “eDNA could also be used to identify life in ocean regions hard to access with trawls, such as very rocky areas, or places too deep or too shallow.”
Monmouth co-author Dr. Keith J. Dunton, an expert on endangered fish species, notes that the results are promising for rare as well as common fish species.
“eDNA along with other technologies like acoustic telemetry offers a sensitive, non-extractive way to monitor declines and revivals of rare, threatened, and endangered species,” he says. “We do not have to put them through stressful capturing to know that they are there.”
Trawl surveys, the main tool used to monitor fish populations, have carefully established protocols and yield rich information but are costly, time-consuming, and require special equipment and fish identification experts. Due to the crew size needed, such trawls have been limited recently by COVID-19.
The New Jersey surveys every season involve deploying a bottom trawl, similar to that used in commercial fishing, behind a vessel over a predetermined pattern. The catches in the nets are hauled up and sorted on tables where the weight of each identified species is recorded. Between 30 and 40 trawls are done about every three months.
To compare the trawl survey to the eDNA survey, one-litre water samples were collected at the surface and at depth before the trawls were done. However, samples were only taken before every fourth trawl. When the data from the two surveys were analyzed, the eDNA survey found most of the same fish species, and also found species not captured in the trawl. And it did so with only one-quarter of the samples taken and a fraction of the effort involved.
The paper says most (70% to 87%) species detected by trawl in a given month were also detected by eDNA, and vice versa, including nearly all (92% to 100%) abundant species. Conversely, most dropouts were relatively rare taxa.
Trawl and eDNA peak seasonal abundance agreed for about 70% of fish species.
In other comparisons, monthly eDNA species “reads” correlated with the monthly weight, or biomass, of that species recovered in the trawl.
The eDNA reporting “largely concorded with monthly trawl estimates of marine fish species richness, composition, seasonality, and relative abundance,” the paper says.
“It’s important to understand that the results of both methods are true, and complementary,” noted Stoeckle. “They catch a lot of overlapping, concordant information as well as some information unique to each method.”
Gregory Hinks of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, who co-authored the paper with Bureau of Marine Fisheries colleague Stacy M. VanMorter, adds: “During times like COVID when it is unsafe to conduct surveys with large crews, the eDNA method might allow us still to maintain some continuity in our surveys. In any case, piggybacking eDNA onto an existing survey may eventually provide an affordable way to improve marine fish stock assessment.”
The new paper lays out further research required, such as better calibration of eDNA “reads” to fish body mass — how much DNA is shed by 1,000 anchovies weighing 1 kilo, for example, compared with a one kilo sized sea bass? — and how to account for eDNA reads that may be the result of injury due to a predator attack.
Since collecting water for eDNA is so quick and easy to do, research or oceanographic vessels and commercial and recreational vessels can collect samples as they travel from place to place. Even drones could be deployed to collect water samples.
And with the benefit of additional studies in marine and freshwaters, estimates of animal numbers using eDNA will continue to improve as well as the DNA reference data banks that allow reliable identification of aquatic species.
eDNA opens the way to surveys of unprecedented value, quality, and affordability, says Jesse Ausubel, Director of The Rockefeller University’s Program for the Human Environment, who developed and helped oversee the first international Census of Marine Life, a decadal (2000-2010) collaboration of about 2,700 scientists in 80 countries.
“eDNA makes the ocean a sea of biological information,” he says. “In the USA we could organize a Great American Fish Count in which millions of citizen scientists might collect water for eDNA testing spanning all our waters. Globally, the incipient UN Decade of the Oceans could include a Great Global Fish Count sampling from sea floor to sea surface and near shore to mid-ocean all during a single day or week.”
Tony MacDonald, Director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute, says “Our institute and scientists were excited to support this innovative work, one of several partnerships in recent years between UCI and The Rockefeller University Program for the Human Environment.”
“We hope to have the opportunity to continue and expand our collaboration with New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Marine Fisheries and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on future fish trawls to further advance eDNA research.”
Comments Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator: “NOAA is rapidly advancing ‘omics technologies, including eDNA, to improve our ability to monitor and understand biological communities in our oceans and the Great Lakes.”
“Important applications include monitoring endangered and invasive species, assessing biodiversity for ecosystem health, tracking aquaculture pathogens, and augmenting fisheries surveys.”
“Through the NOAA ‘Omics Strategy (https://bit.ly/3dkHGg8) and our forthcoming Implementation Plan, we have defined goals and actionable steps to integrate modern ‘omics technologies to help meet our mission. Collaboration with Rockefeller University and other partners will allow us to expand and advance ‘omics research and eDNA in direct support of the American Blue Economy.”
(‘Omics refers to a suite of advanced methods used to analyze material such as DNA, RNA, proteins, or metabolites.)
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Marine eDNA’s potential applications include
* Exploration: discovering species previously unknown in certain ranges
* Discovering rare species and others unknown to science (or absent from genome databases)
* Sampling remote, difficult-to-reach, and intriguing places
* Assessment of the size of fish stocks
* Identifying the range of marine animals
* Determining the effect of protected area designation on fish and other marine animal populations and other forms of ecological restoration
* Monitoring the effect on native species of fish farming operations, offshore oil and gas operations, or wind farms
* Determining the effects of artificial reefs, of severe storms and other disturbances to marine ecosystems including harmful algal blooms
* Monitoring vulnerable, threatened or endangered species, invasive species, or the presence of species dangerous to swimmers
* Gauging the impacts of climate variability
* Mapping marine animal diversity, distribution, migration and abundance, including invasive species, and species popular with sport fishers. (united nations correspondent journalists – united nations journalism articles}
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Programme for Human Environment, The Rockefeller University: Click here
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Geneva/New York, November 23 – The World Economic Forum made public its upcoming Davos Agenda under the theme “2021 is a crucial year to rebuild trust” as the ongoing pandemic continued to sap gains made in reversing unemployment, climate change and poverty worldwide.
“2021 is a crucial year to rebuild trust,” said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. “The world is at a crossroads. The pandemic has reversed important gains in the global fight against unemployment, climate change and poverty. Leaders must come together for decisive and inclusive action.”
WEF said the Davos Agenda is a “pioneering mobilization of global leaders to rebuild trust to shape the principles, policies and partnerships needed in 2021.”
The virtual annual meeting will convene January 25-29, 2021 with the active participation of heads of state, CEOs, civil society leaders, global media and youth leaders from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America and Latin America.
Following are the five program themes announced by WEF:
Designing cohesive, sustainable, resilient economic systems (January 25)
Driving responsible industry transformation and growth (January 26)
Enhancing stewardship of our global commons (January 27)
Harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (January 28)
Advancing global and regional cooperation (January 29)
“Heads of state and of government and international organizations will give special addresses on the state of the world, as well as engaging in dialogue with business leaders. Industry leaders and public figures will discuss how to advance and accelerate public-private collaboration on critical issues such as COVID-19 vaccination, job creation and climate change, among others. The Forum’s core communities, including its International Business Council, will share their insight and recommendations from global, regional and industry initiatives in impact sessions. (united nations correspondent journalists – united nations journalism articles}
The high-level agenda-setting dialogues that characterize the Forum’s January meeting will take place throughout the week and will be live streamed – providing more opportunities for the public to engage. Sessions will take place across Beijing, Geneva, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo time zones to ensure global participation.”
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Governments, UN, civil society, companies collaborate on robust new tracking and disclosure system
Nairobi/Brussels/New York, 23 November – In a move that will help tackle one of the biggest and most solvable contributors to the climate crisis, major players in the oil and gas industry agreed today to report methane emissions with a new, much higher level of transparency. Methane released directly into the atmosphere is a highly potent greenhouse gas, with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Actions to cut methane emissions can yield a near-term reduction in the rate of warming, complementing efforts to decarbonize the world’s energy and transport systems while also delivering air quality benefits.
The Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) is a Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) initiative led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Commission (EC), and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
Already 62 companies with assets on five continents representing 30 per cent of the world’s oil and gas production have joined the partnership. The new OGMP2.0 framework is the new gold standard reporting framework that will improve the reporting accuracy and transparency of anthropogenic methane emissions in the oil and gas sector.
Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 At the core of the effort is a comprehensive measurement-based methane-reporting framework that will make it easier for officials, investors and the public to accurately track and compare performance across companies in ways that have not been possible to this point.
As stipulated in the EU methane strategy, the European Commission is planning to elaborate a legislative proposal on compulsory measurement, reporting, and verification for all energy-related methane emissions, building on the OGMP 2.0 framework Crucially, the OGMP 2.0 includes not only a company’s own operations, but also the many joint ventures responsible for a substantial share of their production. The OGMP 2.0 framework applies to the full oil and gas value chain, not only upstream production, but also midstream transportation and downstream processing and refining – areas with substantial emissions potential that are often left out of reporting today. The goal is to enable the oil and gas industry to realize deep reductions in methane emissions over the next decade in a way that is transparent to civil society and governments. In order to support the realization of global climate targets, OGMP 2.0 aims to deliver a 45 per cent reduction in the industry’s methane emissions by 2025, and a 60-75 per cent reduction by 2030. Cost-effective solutions – According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), roughly three-quarters of methane emissions could be reduced with the technology that exists today, and close to half at zero net cost. Reducing methane emissions from the energy sector by 90% would shave two tenths of a degree Celsius from the forecasted rise in the planet’s average temperature by 2050. Reducing fossil methane emissions by 75 per cent can prevent up to 6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually – almost ten per cent of the planet’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions, including land-use change. New observatory in the works – UNEP and the European Commission are also finalizing plans to set up an independent International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). IMEO will aggregate and analyse multiple methane emissions data streams, including data reported by OGMP member companies, to accelerate reductions in methane emissions globally. By assisting industry and governments globally in addressing uncertainty related to reported emissions, the Observatory will improve the consistency and credibility of methane emissions data and accelerate mitigation actions. Comments: “To win the race to net zero emissions, we need everyone on board. We need ambitious action from the oil and gas industry. UNEP is committed to supporting efforts that reduce methane emissions, and we recognize the leadership of companies that have joined such an ambitious methane reporting framework. We look forward to seeing actions that turn commitments into actual emissions reduction.” Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme
“I am very happy to see the energy industry taking immediate action on methane emissions. A clear commitment to measure and monitor emissions is an important first step for significantly reducing them and I am proud of what we have achieved together. Today’s signature is the first deliverable under the Commission’s recent methane strategy.There are many more steps to take to cut emissions along the entire value chain and I hope to work closely with all – European and international – partners to reach this goal.” Kadri Simson, EU Energy Commissioner
“Thanks to the 62 companies for committing to measure, report and reduce pollution from their core operations and joint ventures. This will be the basis for robust standards in Europe, and beyond, that ensure the oil industry takes the practical actions urgently needed for our climate.” Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund.
“Reducing methane emissions is a crucial effort in the industry’s decarbonization pathway. As a factor on which we can have an immediate and concrete positive impact, OGMP 2.0 offers an internationally recognized blueprint to companies across our industry willing to make improvements in their emission reductions in all phases of the value chain. We look forward to continue working with all partners involved, as only through collaboration with international organizations, civil society and governments we can deliver on our common goals.” Claudio Descalzi, Chief Executive Officer, ENI.
NOTE TO EDITORS About the OGMP The OGMP, launched at the UN Climate Summit in 2014, was created by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) as a voluntary initiative to help companies reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector. Managed by UNEP, OGMP is the only multi-stakeholder partnership working on methane emissions reporting and provides a protocol to help companies systematically manage their methane emissions from oil and gas operations and offers a credible platform to help member companies demonstrate actual reductions to industry stakeholders. About the UN Environment Programme UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. For more information: www.unep.org About the European Commission The European Commission is the EU’s politically independent executive arm, responsible for drawing up proposals for European legislation, and its further implementation. Additionally, to managing EU policies and allocating EU funding, the Commission defends the European Union’s interests by representing it internationally. The European Green Deal is the cornerstone of the European Commission’s ambition for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent. Therefore, climate and energy objectives play an important role in shaping the Commission policy-making. For more information: https://europa.eu/
About the Environmental Defense Fund One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 2.5 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund
About the Climate and Clean Air Coalition CCAC is the only global partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate by reducing short-lived climate pollutants – methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons and tropospheric ozone. It runs 11 initiatives across key emitting sectors and acts as a catalyst to create, share and implement solutions that rapidly reduce the rate of warming, improve people’s lives, and ensures sustainable development for future generations. For more information: https://ccacoalition.org/en * * * * * Member companies, OGMP 2.0 Adnoc; Bahia de Bizkaia Gas S.L.; BALANCE Erneuerbare Energien GmbH; BP; Ecopetrol; EnagasEnergienetze; Bayern GmbH & Co.KG; Eni; Equino; EUROPE MAGHREB PIPELINE LIMITED; Eustream; EWE GASSPEICHER GmbH; EWE Netz GmbH; Fluvius; GASCADE Gastransport GmbH; Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH; GEI SPA; GRDF; GRTGaz; GRTGAaz Deutschland GmbH; Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator (DESFA) S.A.; Italgas; LD Reti; Medgaz; Moldovagaz; NEDGIA; NEL GasTransport GmbH; Neptune Energy; Netbeheer; NederlandNV; Nederlandse Gasunie; OGE; Ontras; Opal Gas Transport; PLANTA DE REGASIFICACIÓN DE SAGUNTO, S.A. (Saggas); REN; Repsol; Retragas; Schwaben Netz GmbH; Shell; SNAM S.p.A.;Storengy Deutschland; STORENGY FRANCE; Storengy UK; TeReGa; Thüga AG; Thyssengas; Total; Trans Austria Gasleitung GmbH; Unareti; Uniper Energy Storage GmbH; VNG Gasspeicher GmbH; Wintershall * Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712, tc@tca.tc
Geneva/New York, November 18 – The existing food systems, battered by coronavirus that caused widespread famine in poor countries, need fundamental change in order to feed the planet’s growing population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, the World Economic Forum said. The current world population is 7.8 billion.
WEF said food industry, government and business leaders will hold a virtual conference in Geneva at which civil society and the public will also participate to discuss issues and share solutions at the Bold Actions for Food as a Force for Good event November 23-24.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is planning to convene a Food System Summit during the UN General Assembly session in September 2021 in an effort to steer the world to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, which include food security and ending poverty. The WEF conference is independently organized in support of UN food summit in 2021.
“The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated vulnerabilities in food systems – highlighting the insecurity of rural livelihoods, the tragedy of food waste, and stark inequities in access to healthy food,” WEF said. “As the global population races to 10 billion, more needs to be done to feed the planet while tackling the environmental impact of agriculture and addressing lack of biodiversity.”
WEF said the conference will look for a vision of the food systems of the future in order to tackle the urgent food crisis from the perspectives of government levels to farmers, young entrepreneurs and influencers. The conference will build a stronger food system that will be more sustainable and equitable. WEF said the Wageningen University and One Young World will host sessions featuring new innovations from young students and entrepreneurs.
Key sessions will be livestreamed on the Forum’s website. To participate in the meeting, ask questions and share ideas, please register for the Forum’s TopLink platform. Members of the media can request accreditation here. )
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New York/Geneva/Atlanta, November 12 – Measles claimed 207,500 lives in 2019, prompting the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn that more people would die of the disease as attention shifted to Covid-19 causing a pause in measles vaccination campaigns.
The health authorities said over 94 million people, as of November 2020, were at risk of missing vaccines because measles campaigns have been interrupted in 26 countries, with many of them experiencing cases of measles outbreaks. They said the campaigns, after an initial delay, have resumed in these countries: Brazil, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines and Somalia.
WHO and the Atlanta-based CDC said measles cases worldwide increased to 869,770 in 2019, the highest number reported since 1996. They said global measles deaths climbed nearly 50 percent since 2016, claiming an estimated 207,500 lives in 2019 alone.
“We know how to prevent measles outbreaks and deaths,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “These data send a clear message that we are failing to protect children from measles in every region of the world. We must collectively work to support countries and engage communities to reach everyone, everywhere with measles vaccine and stop this deadly virus.”
“Before there was a coronavirus crisis, the world was grappling with a measles crisis, and it has not gone away,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “While health systems are strained by the Covid-19 pandemic, we must not allow our fight against one deadly disease to come at the expense of our fight against another. This means ensuring we have the resources to continue immunization campaigns for all vaccine-preventable diseases, even as we address the growing Covid-19 pandemic.”
