WHO-backed policy brief calls for action to address ‘long COVID’

The document summarizes what is known so far about “long COVID” and how countries are addressing the condition, whose troubling symptoms include severe fatigue and increased damage to the heart, lungs and brain. 

The policy brief was published by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. 

Struggling to be taken seriously 

Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO’s Regional Director, said long COVID is an extra cause for concern amid the pandemic, which has already caused immense suffering. 

“It’s important that patients reporting with symptoms of long COVID are included as part of the COVID-19 response to mitigate some of the longer-term health impacts of the pandemic”, he said. 

Long COVID is not fully understood, but available data indicate that roughly a quarter of people suffer from symptoms four to five weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus, and about one in 10 still experiences symptoms after 12 weeks. 

Patients, who include medical professionals, struggle to be taken seriously.  They report feeling stigmatized and unable to get a diagnosis, receiving “disjointed” care, while also facing problems in accessing health and disability benefits. 

Involve patients in research and response 

The policy brief highlights areas for action, including through developing “new care pathways”, creating appropriate services, and tackling wider consequences such as employment rights, sick pay policies and access to disability benefits.  

Patient registers and other surveillance measures should be implemented, and research into post-COVID conditions must be conducted in collaboration with patients and care providers. 

 “Long COVID has demonstrated the importance of involving patients in research”, said Dr. Selina Rajan, lead author of the policy brief.  

“However, much remains to be understood about the long-term, multisystem consequences of COVID-19 infections in children and adults, and the interventions required to treat them.”

West Africa steps up efforts to tackle latest Ebola threat

So far, nine cases have been reported in Guinea, leading to five deaths. While there have been no confirmed cases beyond the West African nation so far, the outbreak’s epicentre, Gouecke, N’Zerekore prefecture, is close to the borders of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire, according to the UN health agency.

Scaling up response

Despite limited border controls, all six neighboring countries – Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone – are urgently updating national response plans using the WHO readiness assessment tool, to detect, isolate and manage potential cross-border cases. 

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a rare but severe and often fatal illness. The average death rate is around 50 per cent, with rates having varied from 25 per cent to 90 per cent in past outbreaks.  

The virus spreads through contact with the body fluids – such as vomit, faeces or blood – of an infected person, or through contaminated surfaces and materials, such as bedding and clothing.

‘Hard lessons of history’

“We’ve learned the hard lessons of history and we know…preparedness works”, said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, stressing that “systematic surveillance, comprehensive preparations and strong, cross-border coordination are crucial to detecting any cases and ensuring that they are quickly isolated, treated and that vaccination of high-risk contacts begin quickly.

In addition to surveillance and screening at border crossing points, and in high-risk communities, rapid response teams are being deployed to border areas.

West African countries are also committed to stepping up testing and treatment facilities. So far 20 suspected cases have been reported across three countries bordering Guinea. All tested negative for Ebola.

Guinea vaccine push

Soon after the first case was reported, Guinea began an Ebola vaccine drive focusing on high-risk communities, especially in the epicentre Gouecke. To date, around 225 people have been vaccinated, including 66 high-risk contacts. according to WHO.

Meanwhile, the UN health agency has disbursed $1.25 million to support Guinea and to reinforce Ebola readiness in all six neighbouring nations.

Around 65 WHO experts are on the ground and the government has provided a charter flight to deliver the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine, ultra-cold chain containers, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies from the capital Conakry to N’Zerekore.

DR Congo update

Moreover, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has also released $15 million to help Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) tackle the resurgence of Ebola, as well as preparedness in countries neighbouring DRC.

So far eight cases and four deaths have been reported in DRC’s North Kivu province, following the fresh Ebola outbreak declared there on 7 February.

The recent tragic death of Italian Ambassador Luca Attanasio in DRC, who was travelling in a UN World Food Programme (WFP) convoy, has highlighted the difficulties of dealing with outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic in areas of Africa where armed groups holds sway, hampering surveillance and treatment efforts.

Syria: Economic decline, rising hunger and surging humanitarian needs

Citing “disturbing new food security data” published by the World Food Programme (WFP), Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock stated that some 60 per cent of the population “do not have regular access to enough safe and nutritious food”.  

“The increase may be shocking, but it cannot be said to be surprising”, he said via video link.  

‘Desperate measures’ 

The UN official told the Council that average household expenses now exceed income by an estimated 20 per cent, leaving millions to resort to “desperate measures” to survive. 

More than 70 per cent of Syrians say they have taken on new debt, and are forced to sell assets and livestock. Meanwhile, parents are eating less so they can feed their children, who are now working instead of studying.  

“Those who have run out of options are simply going hungry”, he spelled out, flagging that more than half a million under-fives are suffering from the effects of stunting. 

Looking north 

While these problems are visible in many parts of the country, Mr. Lowcock drew attention to the northwest and northeast, where nutrition data show that up to one in three children in some areas, suffer from the irreversible development and learning impacts of stunting. 

“A doctor at a pediatrics hospital told me that of his 80 in-patient beds, half are occupied by malnourished children”, five of whom had died due to their condition, he said. 

Meanwhile, malnutrition has become so normal that parents cannot spot the signs in their own children, another doctor told the relief chief. 

Cross-border assistance 

Some physicians shared their concerns that cross-border aid into Syria’s northwest may be disrupted, prompting Mr. Lowcock to stress the importance of humanitarian access. 

“All humanitarian assistance that enters northwest Syria is delivered cross-border” and supports 2.4 million people monthly, he said. Without it, “the situation would go from terrible to catastrophic”.  

“When it comes to delivering life-saving aid to people in need, all channels should be made, and should be kept, available”, the UN official said, echoing the Secretary-General.  

Should the Security Council fail to extend its authorization for cross-border assistance in the future, he warned that it would “trigger suffering and loss of life potentially on a very large scale”. 

Turning to the northeast, Mr. Lowcock informed ambassadors that recent tensions have caused temporary disruptions in emergency assistance for hundreds of thousands of people. 

While the UN has continued to scale up crossline medical deliveries there, expanding its reach is dependent on approvals, improved security conditions and adequate funding.  

Protecting civilians 

He painted a picture of a series of “horrific bombings” that killed dozens and injured many others, a humanitarian worker killed while helping COVID-19-affected people on 16 February, and a hospital damaged when a missile struck an adjoining building,  

Every day, humanitarian workers in Syria deliver aid under the most difficult circumstances and at great personal risk, Mr. Lowcock said, spelling out: “They must be protected”. 

He informed the Council that the third draft of UN Strategic Framework for 2021-2023, which covers the UN country team’s agreed operational activities, is moving forward and noted those activities are complementary to the Humanitarian Response Plan “to save lives, enhance protection, and increase resilience and access to services”. 

“This is essential at a time when the economy continues to suffer severe decline, poverty and hunger are on the rise, and humanitarian needs are also increasing”, he concluded.

COVID-19 imperils ‘historic advances’ in children’s access to school meals: UN report

According to WFP’s report, State of School Feeding Worldwide, 370 million children in 199 countries and territories were suddenly deprived of school meals, when schools closed due to the pandemic. That meal was for many their only nutritious food of the day. 

David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, highlighted the importance of school meal programmes. 

“That one meal a day is often the reason hungry children go to school in the first place. It’s also a powerful incentive to make sure they’ll come back after lockdown ends”, he said. 

“We need to get these programmes running again – even better than before – to stop COVID destroying the futures of millions of the world’s most vulnerable children.” 

Towards that end, WFP will build a coalition to support governments scale up their school meals programmes, working with development agencies, donors, the private sector and civil society organizations, according to the agency. 

It has also launched a ten-year School Feeding Strategy to strengthen its global strategic role in school health and nutrition. In addition, the agency will promote research on school health and nutrition as a global public good, helping countries to access better evidence for more cost-efficient programmes. 

Benefits of school meals  

Before the coronavirus pandemic, national school feeding programmes delivered school meals to one in two schoolchildren globally – or 388 million children – more than at any time in human history, making them the most extensive social safety net in the world, according to the WFP report. 

Studies have shown that school meals have a major impact on the lives of children, particularly those from poor families, the agency said, explaining that they stave off hunger, support long-term health and help a child learn and thrive. For girls, these meals are even more important, as they help keep them in school longer, reduce child marriages, and decrease teen pregnancies. 

When school meal programmes use locally produced food, they also boost a community’s economy, creating stable demand and market, supporting local agriculture and strengthening local food systems.  

The report highlighted that in the post-COVID-19 world, school feeding programmes will be even more of a priority investment, as they help countries to build a healthy and educated population, while supporting national growth and promoting economic development. 

Up to $9 return for $1 investment 

Efficient school meals programmes yield returns of up to $9 for every $1 invested, and create jobs, WFP said, pointing to its calculations that about 1,668 new jobs are created for every 100,000 children fed. 

“After the turmoil of recent months, we must seize the opportunity to start building the better world we all want to see”, Executive Director Beasley urged, stressing that “WFP is fully committed to working with our partners to ensure that no child, regardless of where they live, goes to school hungry – or worse, doesn’t go to school at all.”  

‘No place’ for coups in today’s world, UN chief tells Myanmar military 

“Coups have no place in our modern world”, Mr. Guterres said in a pre-recorded video address at the Council’s 46th regular session, his comments coming after the forum held a special session on 12 February, in which it adopted a resolution expressing deep concern at the junta’s move. 

“Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately”, the UN chief continued. “Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights and the will of the people expressed in recent elections. I welcome the resolution of the Human Rights Council, pledge to implement your request, and express my full support to the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law.” 

14-year old victim 

Mr. Guterres’s comments followed his censure at the weekend of the use of “deadly force” in Myanmar, in which a protester – reportedly 14 years old – was killed in Mandalay, along with one other. 

Also addressing the Council at the start of its month-long session, which is being held almost entirely remotely to prevent the spread of COVID-19, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, focused on the massive and negative impact of pandemic. 

“I think we all realise that the use of force will not end this pandemic. Sending critics to jail will not end this pandemic. Illegitimate restrictions on public freedoms, the overreach of emergency powers and unnecessary or excessive use of force are not just unhelpful and unprincipled. They deter public participation in decision-making, which is the foundation of sound policy-making.”  

Help for the most vulnerable 

In another video message, President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, underscored the need to focus on people’s basic needs – including new coronavirus vaccines – as the best way to recover from the pandemic. 

“It is essential that all responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are centred around human rights, and promote the protection of our citizens, including the most vulnerable who need our care and consideration the most”, he said. “This includes ensuring the equal and fair distribution of vaccines for all. It is critical that civil society, the private sector, and all stakeholders are facilitated to participate and provide feedback throughout the planning and assessment of responses.” 

Vaccine unfairness 

Echoing the call for equitable vaccine access in a wide-ranging address that included a broadside against right-wing extremists becoming a “transnational threat” and the manipulation of personal digital data by Governments to control citizens’ behaviour, the Secretary-General described the fact that only 10 countries had administered “more than 75 per cent of all COVID-19 vaccines” as “the latest moral outrage”.  

Vaccine equity “affirms human rights”, he said, but “vaccine nationalism denies it. Vaccines must be a global public good, accessible and affordable for all.” 

Taking up that theme, Ms. Bachelet insisted that the new coronavirus crisis had illustrated the “deadly realities of discrimination”. 

Deep inequalities and chronic under-funding for essential services were to blame, she added, with policymakers largely responsible for ignoring these basic needs. 

Pandemic rolls on 

“Today, the medical impact of the pandemic is far from over – and its effects on economies, freedoms, societies, and people have only just begun”, she said. “The global rise in extreme poverty, accelerating inequalities; setbacks to women’s rights and equality; to education and opportunities for children and young people; and to the Sustainable Development Agenda are shocks that could shake the foundations of societies.” 

Despite the scale of the challenges posed in this second year of the pandemic, the High Commissioner struck a positive note, insisting that “we have the possibility of rebuilding better, more inclusive systems, which address root causes and prepare us to meet the challenges we will certainly face”.  

Among the many major problems facing people everywhere, the UN Secretary-General highlighted the disproportionate gender impact of COVID-19. 

Crisis ‘has a woman’s face’ 

“The crisis has a woman’s face”, he said. “Most essential frontline workers are women — many from racially and ethnically marginalized groups and at the bottom of the economic ladder. Most of the increased burden of care in the home is taken on by women.”  

Persons with disabilities, older persons, refugees, migrants and indigenous peoples had also paid a higher price than others during the first year of the pandemic. Mr. Guterres continued, before calling for “a special focus on safeguarding the rights of minority communities, many of whom are under threat around the world”.  

Cautioning against “policies of assimilation that seek to wipe out the cultural and religious identity of minority communities”, the UN chief maintained that the diversity of communities was “fundamental to humanity”.

Extremists a ‘transnational threat’ 

And without identifying any specific countries, Mr. Guterres also spoke out against the rising and potentially international threat of right-wing extremist movements. 

“White supremacy and neo-Nazi movements are more than domestic terror threats. They are becoming a transnational threat”, he said. “Far too often, these hate groups are cheered on by people in positions of responsibility in ways that were considered unimaginable not long ago. We need global coordinated action to defeat this grave and growing danger.” 

Under the presidency of Jordanian Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, the 46th Human Rights Council session is due to meet until Friday 23 March.

Lifeline for vulnerable Cambodians as poverty doubles during COVID-19 pandemic

The government-issued IDPoor card has been providing Yom Malai, a 42-year-old single mother of four children living in the Battambang province of Cambodia, with a lifeline since May 2020. With the card, she is entitled to 176,000 riels (around $43.45) per month, to support herself and her family, using most of it to buy dry food ingredients and rice, products with a longer shelf life, that can be rationed throughout the month. 

“We collect the money from a money transfer service”, she says. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a great help for my family. In addition, if we ever need to go to the hospital, we get medical treatment, care and medicine free of charge”. 

No cash, cards only

As a result of the pandemic, poverty is forecast to almost double in Cambodia: the UN estimating that it could reach around 17.6 per cent of the population. With these stark predictions in mind, the government, alongside partners which include UNDP and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), decided to strengthen the level of social protection in the country. The UN’s research indicated that an emergency social protection program would significantly improve both economic growth and the well-being of the most vulnerable.

The UN agencies, and other partners, focused on supporting the new “Cash Transfer Programme for Poor and Vulnerable Households”, by providing the digital tools needed to make it work smoothly and efficiently, and ensure that almost 700,000 people listed on the scheme’s database receive funds in a cashless form, either through their phone or, like Ms. Yom, via a card.

With support from the Government of Australia, UNDP supplied Cambodian Ministry of Planning employees around 1,700 tablet computers, and software, which allowed them to quickly register families that had recently fallen into poverty as a result of the economic slowdown.

“The Government of Australia and UNDP have provided these tablet computers to the Ministry of Planning so that all those registered as poor can receive a cash transfer”, says Nick Beresford, UNDP Cambodia’s Resident Representative. “This expands the UN’s work in social protection and helping the Royal Government of Cambodia build a robust and fully digital IDPoor Programme”. 

In Ms. Yom’s village, many households received the IDPoor card. “The officials registered our names in an electronic system so that everyone gets what they are entitled to”, she says, adding that each family first went through an interview process with local officials.

Under the programme, each eligible and registered household receives either $20 or $30 a month, as a basic benefit. In addition, the household receives top-up amounts for members of vulnerable groups including pregnant women, children under 2, the elderly, people with disabilities and people living with HIV.

My family is classified as a level 1 poor household because I am a widow with four children. However, some poor households are struggling but, as their living standards are not as difficult, they are classified as level 2 poor households”, says Ms. Yom.

As well as supporting this emergency cash transfer programme, the UN is supporting the Cambodian Government in other ways. These include procuring critical medical equipment, ranging from bio-hazardous waste bags to ventilators and ambulances, and providing technical support to the Planning Ministry, by producing COVID-19 related communications and awareness raising materials.
 

UN chief to security meeting: ‘2021 must be the year to get back on track’

“Our global tests and challenges are getting bigger and more complex. Yet our responses remain fragmented and insufficient”, Secretary-General António Guterres said via videoconference. 

“2021 must be the year to get back on track. Pandemic recovery is our chance”. 

Global Vaccination Plan 

The UN chief stressed the need for available and affordable inoculations for everyone, everywhere. 

“Vaccine equity is crucial for saving lives and for saving economies”, he said. “Countries need to share excess doses and provide the billions needed for the COVAX initiative to be in full swing”. 

The UN-led vaccine initiative, COVAX, is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to equitably provide coronavirus diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to all people globally, regardless of their wealth.  

“We also need at least a doubling of global manufacturing capacity, through sharing of licenses and technology transfer”, he continued, pointing to the G20 richest nations as being “well placed” to establish an Emergency Task Force that brings together countries, companies, international organizations and financial institutions with the required power, scientific expertise and production capacities to prepare a Global Vaccination Plan. 

“I am ready to galvanize the full United Nations System in support of this effort, starting by the World Health Organization (WHO)”, affirmed Mr. Gutteres. 

Tackling the climate crisis 

Drawing attention to the environment, the UN chief spelled out: “Climate catastrophe is looming”. 

He spotlighted the urgency to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, while flagging, “there is reason for hope”. 

The Secretary-General detailed that countries representing more than 65 per cent of emissions and over 70 per cent of the world economy have “committed to net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050”. 

However, he urged an expansion of that coalition to 90 per cent by the November climate conference in Glasgow, saying that “all countries, cities, corporations and financial institutions should set benchmarks to implement the net-zero transition in the next 30 years”. 

To this end, immediate and concrete steps should be taken, specifically to put a price on carbon, end subsidies and financing for coal and other fossil fuels, and reinvest those funds in renewable energy and just transition. 

Peace on earth 

Because the world’s most complex problems cannot be solved when its biggest powers are at odds, the UN chief underscored the need to “ease geopolitical tensions and enhance diplomacy for peace”. 

“Our world cannot afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe into two opposing areas in a Great Fracture – each with its own dominant currency and trade and financial rules, its own Internet and its artificial intelligence capacity and strategy”, he maintained. 

Moreover, a technological and economic divide that threatens a geo-strategic and military divide must be avoided “at all costs”. 

“I also want to repeat my call for a global ceasefire”, Mr. Guterres said. 

While recognizing some encouraging signs “in a few stubborn peace processes”, the top UN official lamented that “elsewhere, fighting continues” and “everyone is losing”. 

He advocated for a ceasefire “beyond traditional battlefields”, namely in homes, workplaces, schools and public transportation, “where women and girls face an epidemic of violence”. 

Citing “Wild West behaviour in cyberspace” that is creating “new vectors of instability”, the UN chief upheld that digital technologies must be a force for good that requires “a total ban on lethal autonomous weapons, the most dangerous dimension that artificial intelligence can bring to the future of war”. 

Calling for “solidarity and international cooperation” to tackle these challenges, Mr. Guterres concluded by saying, “I am convinced that if we are determined, we can achieve our shared goals”. 

US erases ‘any lingering doubt’ 

Meanwhile, United States President Joe Biden said that his country would “work closely with our European Union partners”. 

“Let me erase any lingering doubt”, he stated. “America is back … We are not looking backward. We are looking forward together”. 

WHO seeks $1.96 billion for 2021 Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Response

The strategy follows the initial plan last year that outlined the path countries should take to suppress transmission of the new coronavirus. 

“Fully funding the SPRP is not just an investment in responding to COVID-19, it’s an investment in the global recovery and in building the architecture to prepare for, prevent and mitigate future health emergencies”, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during his routine press conference. 

Six main objectives 

The 2021 plan will have six objectives: suppressing transmission, reducing exposure, countering misinformation and disinformation, protecting vulnerable people, reducing death and illness, and accelerating equitable access to new tools against COVID-19 such as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. 

WHO is looking to raise $1.96 billion to fund the SPRP. 

Tedros said $1.2 billion will go to the agency’s component of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a landmark global collaboration to make these medicines accessible to people everywhere. 

Another $643 million will go towards supporting people who require humanitarian assistance due to conflict, insecurity or other crises. 

Report on 2020 plan 

The WHO chief also provided details about the first SPRP, which raised $1.58 million.  Some 90 per cent of the funding was allocated to countries and regions, supporting those on the frontlines of the pandemic. 

“It also enabled WHO and our partners to ship millions of tests and items of personal protective equipment, and to support thousands of ICU beds around the world”, Tedros said. 

The funding was also used to deploy some 191 Emergency Medical Teams, support sero-epidemiological studies in 58 countries, and provide online training that reached nearly five million people. 

Declaration on vaccine equity 

Tedros also announced that WHO will launch a new declaration on Friday focused on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, which calls for action from several groups, such as political leaders, manufacturers and governments. 

“Vaccine equity is especially important for fragile and vulnerable groups, and for small island states like those in the Pacific and Caribbean with small populations who can miss out on vaccines because they have less bargaining power than big countries”, he said, stressing that no country should be left behind. 

First Person: ‘The world is in your hands and begins at your door’.

Mr. Don, the UK’s leading garden writer and broadcaster, is an advocate for the Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations (FAO) for the International Year of Plant Health (extended into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), an initiative aimed at demonstrating the ways in which protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development.

“I would define the term ‘plant health’ in two ways. Firstly, the way in which plants’ health is related to the environment in which they are growing. The biggest mistake that gardeners make is to try and force a plant to grow where it doesn’t want to grow, and not understanding what a plant needs in order to be healthy. Rosemary, for example, is adapted to the rocky sun-baked hillsides of the Mediterranean, whilst a Hosta likes shade, rich food, and lots of water.

The second definition involves the ways that plants boost human health, whether it’s physical health, or mental health. The last year and the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly highlighted the importance of mental health, and the positive role that gardens can play: tens of thousands of people around the world have reported that horticulture has provided them with a close connection with nature, with the seasons, with the weather and with their own internal mindset. We might be living in the midst of an unpredictable, scary, chaotic world at the moment, but gardening and plants remain constant.

The environmental cost of food

For humans to be healthy, we need to eat and to have access to fresh, seasonal, locally produced fruit and vegetables. In wealthy western and northern Europe, we have twenty-four-hour, year-round access to fruit and vegetables from all over the world.
For me this is not healthy, because it means huge transportation costs, and large-scale interventionist and artificial out-of-season growth. So, for example, you can eat strawberries in February, but they will have to be grown in a polytunnel in a warmer country and produced in such a way that they won’t actually taste good.

There are many ways that we can eat local fruits and vegetables. We can grow our own, whether in allotments, back gardens, window boxes or rooftop gardens, and we can try to buy locally whenever possible. If we all do this, it will lead to improved health benefits for us, and environmental benefits for the planet.

Healthy soil means healthy plants

Soil is amazing. There are more living organisms in the first six inches of the soil than there are stars in the known universe. And we know less about what’s happening just a foot below the ground than we do the deepest part of the sea.

If you have healthy soil, you will have healthy plants. The relationship between the bacteria in the soil and the nutrients that the plants take up is completely intertwined. Not just the main nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, but the micro-nutrients and minerals which people increasingly realise are so important to our health.

However, our agricultural practices since the Second World War have practically ignored soil health. Over the last seventy or eighty years, we have treated soil as an inert medium that we can use rather like a factory floor, raising plants short of any obvious nutritional quality.

A new generation of activists

But now there is a new generation of farmers all over the world who realise that, by looking after the soil, you no longer have to spend a fortune on artificial fertilisers, you get much healthier plants, and your crops are just as good.

My message to this generation, to all of the young people who are concerned about sustainability and the future of the planet, is that the world is in your hands and the world begins at your door. 

By far the best way that we can tackle the bigger issues of plant health, sustainability and climate action, is to learn how to connect to our own immediate world, how to love, treasure and care for it. So, I would say, it’s the old, old story: think global, act local.”

Monty Don was interviewed by the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe.

Strengthen ‘One Health approach’ to prevent future pandemics – WHO chief

While the concept of One Health – where multiple sectors communicate and work together to achieve better public health outcomes – may have once seemed simple, “it is no longer”, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, opening the 27th Tripartite Annual Executive Committee Meeting World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). 

“We can only prevent future pandemics with an integrated One Health approach to public health, animal health and the environment we share. Now is the time to take our partnership to a new level”, he underscored.  

Zoonoses on the rise 

The WHO chief maintained that to keep people safe, One Health must be translated into local-level systems.  

He pointed out that approximately 70 per cent of all emerging and re-emerging pathogens are zoonotic, jumping from animals to humans, warning that “we don’t know when the next threat – the next disease X – will emerge”.  

“It is clear, however, that One Health must be about more than zoonoses”, Tedros spelled out. “We cannot protect human health without considering the impact of human activities that disrupt ecosystems, encroach on habitats, and further drive climate change”. 

These activities include pollution, large-scale deforestation, intensified livestock production and the misuse of antibiotics, along with how the world produces, consumes and trades food. 

Effective collaboration needed 

As set out in the WHO Manifesto for a healthy and green recovery from COVID-19, the UN health agency supports a greater One Health emphasis on connections to the environment. 

“Paradoxically, the COVID-19 pandemic is giving us a unique opportunity to drive real change”, said the top WHO official, noting that One Health will be the focus of upcoming G7 and G20 meetings. 

He flagged the need for more science, better data and bolder policies across multiple sectors, “with a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach”.  

“Expectations for the Tripartite, and the need for effective collaboration, have never been higher”, he said. 

Citing closer collaborative efforts at regional and country levels, and progress in joint areas of work, including the launch of the United Against Rabies forum, Tedros said that advances are also being made in establishing governance structures to curb antimicrobial resistance, and noted that the Global Leaders Group held its first meeting earlier this year. 

Expert Council in the works 

The UN health agency chief said that WHO will support and host the secretariat of a One Health High Level Expert Council, which will advise the expanded Tripartite members on action priorities, building consensus and collaboration.  

“We also need to ensure that all partner organizations have the resources to play this role jointly”, he stated. 

The Tripartite consists of WHO, OIE and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with the UN Environment Programming (UNEP) joining this year. 

For its part, WHO will scale up investment and work through its disease programmes and technical networks to strengthen the One Health workforce for outbreak alert and response. 

“We are at a critical juncture. We must build on this momentum to strengthen the One Health approach, with public health and disease prevention as its central pillar”, Tedros underscored. 

The WHO chief concluded by saying: “If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’re stronger together”. 

‘Triple threat’ adds to long-standing crises menacing food security in Somalia – FAO

In a joint report, the UN The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that in the absence of large-scale and sustained humanitarian assistance “the situation could worsen through mid-2021”. 

“Somalia’s long-standing crises are compounded now by the ‘triple threat’ of the COVID-19 pandemic, desert locust infestations and climatic shocks”, said UN Deputy Special Representative Adam Abdelmoula, who also serves as the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the country.

A cry for help 

The report, compiled by FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit, and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), highlights that desert locusts will continue to pose a serious risk of damage to both pasture and crops countrywide. 

It also and cites forecasts that indicate an increased likelihood of below-average rainfall during the April-June season across most of the country that will further exacerbate food and nutrition insecurity for millions. 

FAO and the Somali Government emphasized the urgency to increase support for ongoing desert locust control and surveillance efforts, and to provide rapid emergency assistance over the coming months. 

“With the Government’s support, our teams and partners have maintained operations in control and surveillance, while delivering crucial humanitarian assistance and livelihood support during extremely challenging circumstances,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO Representative in Somalia. 

From July to December, an average of 1.8 million people per month received assistance in parts of Somalia.  

While the large-scale humanitarian and Government support helped to minimize the magnitude of the crisis last year, funding is needed urgently to boost efforts to reduce new food insecurity currently threatening the country. 

“Expanding the emergency response is crucial and underway, with a focus on interventions aimed at reducing food consumption gaps, saving lives, and protecting and preserving livelihoods,” said Mr. Peterschmitt. 

Grim numbers 

According to the humanitarian assistance plan for the first quarter of 2021, some 1.6 million people are facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) – or worse.  

Moreover, an additional 2.5 million people are Stressed (IPC Phase 2), bringing the total number of acute food insecure to 4.1 million, which includes approximately 840,000 under-age-five children who are likely to be acutely malnourished, nearly 143,000 of them severely so. 

Pointing to a multitude of threats and crises in poor rural, urban and displaced populations, the joint assessment said that food insecurity is expected to deteriorate from April to June.  

And FAO underscored that humanitarian assistance must be sustained through mid-2021 to prevent Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes for nearly 2.7 million people. 

“We must continue to work with all humanitarian partners to ensure the most vulnerable Somalis are able to withstand the challenges and build resilience against future shocks,” said Mr. Abdelmoula, urging all partners to “work together across the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding paths” to address root causes and build lasting solutions that leave no one behind.  

COVID infections drop 16% worldwide in one week: WHO

The number of coronavirus deaths also declined in all regions by 10 per cent over the same period, with 81,000 fatalities reported in the last week, the UN health agency said in its weekly epidemiological update on Tuesday.  

2.3 million victims 

This brings the overall number of people who died from COVID-19 to more than 2.3 million, according to WHO.  

Moreover, there were 2.7 million cases of new coronavirus infections last week, bringing that total number to just over 108 million.  

Five-out-of-six regions reported a double-digit percentage drop in the number of new cases, with Russia recording an 11 per cent decrease, the United States a 23 per cent drop and the United Kingdom a 27 per cent fall. 

Only infections in the Eastern Mediterranean Region increased, by seven per cent. 

The UN health agency data, which is gathered from its global membership, also said that the European and Americas regions continue to see the greatest drops in absolute numbers of COVID-19 cases. 

In some European countries, this is “likely (owing) to a strong combination of public health and social measures”, the UN agency said, before cautioning that the majority of European nations continue to experience “high or increasing” infection rates among older age groups “and/or high death rates”. 

It cited France, UK, Russia, US and Brazil as having the highest case tally in the past week. 

Variant spread 

Detailing the spread of the three main COVID-19 mutations, which have raised concerns over faster virus transmission and whether they are less susceptible to available vaccines, WHO said that the so-called “UK variant” (VOC 202012/01)  is now present in 94 countries across all regions – eight more than the previous week. 

The “South African variant” (VOC202012/02) has been traced in 46 countries, an increase of two, while the “Brazilian/Japanese variant” (P.1) is present in 21 countries, up by six.  

Citing genetic sampling of the UK variant, the WHO report noted that the proportion of people infected with VOC 202012/01 “has increased in the past weeks, indicating community transmission in a number of countries”. 

Downward COVID-19 trend shows ‘simple public health measures work’ – UN health chief 

“Last week saw the lowest number of reported weekly cases since October”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) told journalists at a regular press briefing in Geneva.  

Noting a nearly 50 per cent drop this year, he stressed that “how we respond to this trend” is what matters now. 

While acknowledging that there is more reason for hope of bringing the pandemic under control, the WHO chief warned, “the fire is not out, but we have reduced its size”.  

“If we stop fighting it on any front, it will come roaring back”. 

‘All the pieces in place’ 

WHO gave the green light for two versions of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to be rolled out globally under an emergency listing, which assesses and assures the quality, safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and is also a distribution prerequisite under the UN-led vaccine initiative COVAX. 

One of the vaccines was produced by SKBio in Korea, the other by the Serum Institute of India. 

Following the Pfizer-BioNTech inoculations, these are the second and third vaccines to receive emergency use listing. 

“We now have all the pieces in place for the rapid distribution of vaccines”, said Tedros.  

However, he reiterated the need to scale-up production along with his call for vaccine developers to send their dossiers to WHO for review when they submit them to regulators in high-income countries. 

Upcoming G7 meeting 

Ensuring the rapid and equitable rollout of vaccines globally is essential for saving lives, stabilizing health systems, protecting livelihoods and steadying economies, according to the WHO chief. 

“Fully funding COVAX represents the greatest possible stimulus and is a rounding error compared with the trillions of dollars that have been mobilized in G7 countries to support their economies’, he said. 

The WHO chief looked forward to an upcoming meeting of the G7 industrialized countries on Friday to discuss vaccine equity. 

And he underscored the need to continue building the demand for vaccines by ensuring people have the right information, recalling that a year ago, “we were not only fighting a pandemic, we were fighting an infodemic”. 

The solution is to fight misinformation, delete false or misleading statements, listen to concerns and questions and provide answers with good information, Tedros upheld. 

Combatting Ebola  

Drawing attention to last week’s spate of Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the WHO chief emphasized that having the right information is “essential in every outbreak situation”. 

“Four cases have now been reported, and two people have died”, he updated, adding that yesterday, authorities in Guinea declared a separate Ebola outbreak in the town of Gouéké, in the country’s southeast.

“So far, three cases have been confirmed, among six people who reported Ebola like-symptoms after attending a funeral in late January”, he said. “Two have since died, while the other four are being treated in hospital”. 

He informed the journalists that although both outbreaks are in hard-to-reach, insecure areas with mistrust of outsiders, WHO is working closely with health authorities to engage affected communities to enhance trust and acceptance in both countries. 

While Ebola and COVID-19 are “two very different diseases”, Tedros said that “both thrive on misinformation and mistrust” and can both be stopped with proven public health measures, engaged communities, accurate information and vaccines. 

Three die as new Ebola outbreak declared in southern Guinea

This is the first time the disease has been reported in the country since the deadly 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa which claimed over 11,000 lives. 

“It’s a huge concern to see the resurgence of Ebola in Guinea, a country which has already suffered so much from the disease”, Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said. 

“However, banking on the expertise and experience built during the previous outbreak, health teams in Guinea are on the move to quickly trace the path of the virus and curb further infections”, she added. 

According to the UN health agency, the cases, which were confirmed by the national laboratory, occurred in Gouéké in N’Zerekore prefecture, in southern Guinea. Initial investigations found that a nurse from a local health facility died on the 28 January. Following her burial, six people who attended the funeral reported Ebola-like symptoms and two of them later died. The other four are in hospital. 

Samples of the confirmed cases have been sent to the InstitutPasteur centre in Senegal for full genome sequencing to identify the strain of the Ebola virus. 

Guinea was one of the three most-affected countries in the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak which was the largest since the virus was first discovered in 1976. The outbreak, which saw some 28,000 cases, including 11,000 deaths, started in Guinea and then moved across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia.  

WHO supporting response 

Staff from WHO are already on the ground, assisting surveillance, and infection prevention and control efforts.   

“WHO is supporting the authorities to set up testing, contact-tracing and treatment structures and to bring the overall response to full speed”, Dr. Moeti said. 

WHO personnel are also reaching out to communities to ensure they take a key role in the response. In addition, the agency is also helping Guinea procure the Ebola vaccine which has proven instrumental in controlling outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  

As the epicentre of the current outbreak in a border area, WHO is also working with health authorities in Liberia and Sierra Leone to step up community surveillance of cases in their border districts as well as strengthening their capacity to test for cases and conduct surveillance in health facilities.  

WHO is also reaching out to Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal and other countries at risk in the region, the agency said.  

Ebola virus disease 

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50 per cent, with rates having varied from 25 per cent to 90 per cent in past outbreaks.  

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with the body fluids – such as vomit, faeces or blood – of an infected person, or through surfaces and materials (such as bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. 

The incubation period, that is, the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is from two to 21 days. The symptoms of EVD can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, and sore throat.  

This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding. 

According to WHO, though there are no known treatments for Ebola, an Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV can offer protection against the deadly virus. In addition,  simple interventions early on can significantly improve chances of survival, including rehydration with fluids and body salts (given orally or intravenously), and treatment of specific symptoms. Hand hygiene is also a very effective way to prevent the spread of the virus. 

‘Constellation’ of post-COVID symptoms will impact global healthcare, says WHO 

“We know that this post-COVID-19 condition – or as some patients also call it ‘long COVID’ and some clinicians call it ‘long COVID’ – is a heterogenous group of symptoms that occur after the acute illness”, said Dr. Janet Diaz, Team Lead, Health Care Readiness at WHO. 

“So, these are symptoms or complications that can happen potentially a month after, three months after, or even six months after, and as we are learning more, we are trying to understand the real duration of this condition.” 

Mental and physical ills are ‘real’ 

Citing reported symptoms such as neurological and physical illness, Dr. Diaz noted that an unspecified number of sufferers had been unable to return to work, once they had recovered from the acute sickness caused by the new coronavirus. 

“We are concerned obviously with the numbers of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus that the numbers…just by the magnitude of the pandemic, will impact health systems.” 

Although comprehensive data on the condition is not yet available, the WHO official insisted that “these (symptoms) were real”.  

“Some of the “more common” ailments were “fatigue, exhaustion and post-exertional malaise, cognitive disfunction”, along with what some patients called “brain fog”, Dr Diaz said, describing a “constellation of symptoms”.  

Complications 

Further research is also needed to drill down into how many COVID-19 sufferers who did not require intensive care unit (ICU) treatment still went on to develop the condition. 

“What we know this far is that patients experiencing (a) post-COVID-19 condition could have been hospitalized patients, those in the ICU. So, we do know that has happened in patients who are very sick, but also in patients who were not managed inside the hospital…they have had complications and they have had persistent symptoms or new symptoms…or symptoms that waxed and waned, that came and went after their acute illness.” 

To promote a better understanding of post-COVID sickness and support patient care and public health interventions, the WHO has called on clinicians and patients to report data on symptoms to the Organization’s Clinical Platform.  

The case report form – which is available in multiple languages – has been designed to report standardized clinical data from individuals after they have left hospital or after recovering from acute illness. 

“What we don’t know is why it’s happening, so what is the pathophysiology … of this condition…the researchers are really working hard to get to the answers of these questions,” Dr. Diaz said. 

Vaccine deal inked 

In a related development, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF announced on Friday a deal to distribute the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, potentially before the end of March.  

The agreement is on behalf of the COVAX platform, primarily for developing nations, set up by the WHO,  The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. 

“This supply agreement allows UNICEF to procure up to 40 million doses that have been secured under the COVAX Facility’s Advance Purchase Agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech to be available throughout 2021”, the UN agency said in a statement.  

Emergency use approved 

The Pfizer-BioNTech jab was the first to receive WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) on 31 December 2020.  

It requires ultra-cold chain storage facilities which UNICEF has secured with partners to support governments in their roll-out of a variety of COVID-19 vaccines, it said. 

As of Friday 12 February 2021, WHO’s coronavirus tracker reported 107,252,265 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,355,339 deaths. 

Regionally, the Americas have seen most cases to date, with 47,814,602 infections, followed by Europe (36,132,951), South-East Asia (13,141,859), Eastern Mediterranean (5,951,021), Africa (2,694,171) and Western Pacific (1,516,916).

‘Three major threats’ to inoculating the world – UN health agency

Briefing UN Member States on Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus drew attention to a $27 billion financing gap in the ACT Accelerator, which supports the development and equitable distribution of coronavirus tests, treatments and vaccines globally. 

“The longer this gap goes unmet, the harder it becomes to understand why, given this is a tiny fraction of the trillions of dollars that have been mobilized for stimulus packages in G20 countries”, he said. 

Secondly, noting some bilateral deals, he called on all States “to respect COVAX contracts and not compete with them”. 

And third, Tedros underscored the need for “an urgent scale-up in manufacturing to increase the volume of vaccines” with “innovative partnerships” to include tech transfer, licensing and “other mechanisms to address production bottlenecks”. 

COVID swells in Africa  

Meanwhile, as Africa marks one year since its first COVID-19 case, on 14 February, WHO revealed that last month, the continent had witnessed a 40 per cent surge in COVID fatalities – pushing the death toll there towards 100,000. 

“The increasing deaths from COVID-19 we are seeing are tragic, but are also disturbing warning signs that health workers and health systems in Africa are dangerously overstretched”, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said at a virtual press conference. 

‘Grim milestone’ 

At the same time, in the last 28 days, over 22,300 deaths were reported on the continent – a 3.7 per cent fatality rise – compared with nearly 16,000 deaths in the previous 28 days, which reflected a 2.4 per cent increase, according to WHO.  

This mortality spike comes as Africa’s second wave which began in October, seems to have peaked on 6 January, having spread significantly faster and proven far more lethal. 

WHO maintained that second wave cases surged far beyond the peak experienced in the first wave and health facilities have become overwhelmed. 

“This grim milestone must refocus everyone on stamping out the virus”, said Dr. Moeti. 

New strain, new challenges 

At the same time, new contagious COVID-19 strains are spreading rapidly as Africa gears up for its largest-ever vaccination drive. 

The variant known as B1.351, which was first identified in South Africa, has now been detected in eight African States, while the mutation initially identified in the United Kingdom, called B1.1.7, has been found in six countries on the continent. 

“This is obviously very disappointing news, but the situation is very dynamic”, said Dr. Moeti. “While a vaccine that protects against all forms of COVID-19 is our biggest hope, preventing severe cases which overwhelm hospitals is crucial”. 

This week South Africa said it would pause the roll-out of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine citing a study indicating that it is less effective in battling the country’s dominant B1.351 strain. 

Coordinated approach needed 

WHO says there is an “urgent need” for a coordinated approach to variant surveillance and more evaluation to help decipher the potential impact they may have on vaccine effectiveness.  

“The pandemic is far from over, and vaccines are just one crucial tool in our fight against the virus. We must boost investments and support for our health workers and health systems by sticking to mask wearing, regular hand cleaning and safe social distancing”, said Dr Moeti.