WHO
WHO: Omicron detected in 89 countries, cases doubling fast
The omicron variant of the coronavirus has been detected in 89 countries, and COVID-19 cases involving the variant are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in places with community transmission and not just infections acquired abroad, the World Health Organization said Saturday.
Omicron's "substantial growth advantage" over the delta variant means it is likely to soon overtake delta as the dominant form of the virus in countries where the new variant is spreading locally, the U.N. health agency said.
Read: Booster at least 80% effective against severe Omicron
WHO says measures used against delta should work for omicron
Measures used to counter the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, even in the face of the new omicron version of the virus, World Health Organization officials said Friday, while acknowledging that the travel restrictions imposed by some countries may buy time.
While about three dozen countries worldwide have reported omicron infections, including India on Thursday, the numbers so far are small outside of South Africa, which is facing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and where the new variant may be becoming dominant. Still, much remains unclear about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, or whether it can evade vaccine protection.
“Border control can delay the virus coming in and buy time. But every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases,” Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, told reporters Friday during a virtual news conference from the Philippines. “The positive news in all of this is that none of the information we have currently about omicron suggests we need to change the directions of our response.”
That means continuing to push for higher vaccination rates, abiding by social-distancing guidelines, and wearing masks, among other measures, said WHO Regional Emergency Director Dr. Babatunde Olowokure.
Read:India reports first two Covid cases of Omicron variant
He added that health systems must “ensure we are treating the right patients in the right place at the right time, and so therefore ensuring that ICU beds are available, particularly for those who need them.”
Kasai warned: “We cannot be complacent.”
WHO has previously urged against border closures, noting they often have limited effect and can cause major disruptions. Officials in southern Africa, where the omicron variant was first identified, have decried restrictions on travelers from the region, saying they are being punished for alerting the world to the mutant strain.
Scientists are working furiously to learn more about omicron, which has been designated a variant of concern because of the number of mutations and because early information suggests it may be more transmissible than other variants, Kasai said.
Read:US reports 1st case of omicron variant in returning traveler
A few countries in Western Pacific region are facing surges that began before omicron was identified, though COVID-19 cases and deaths in many others have decreased or plateaued, Kasai said. But that could change.
Among the places that have found the variant in the region are Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia — and it is likely to crop up in more places.
The emergence of omicron is of particular concern for organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, now about two months away.
Beijing is adopting a series of measures to reduce the risk the virus will spread during the Games, Zhao Weidong, spokesperson for the organizing committee, told reporters at a briefing on Friday.
China has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward COVID-19 transmission and has some of the world’s strictest border controls. Games participants will have to live and compete inside a bubble, and only spectators who are residents of China and have been vaccinated and tested will be permitted at venues.
Globally, cases have been increasing for seven consecutive weeks and the number of deaths has started to rise again, too, driven largely by the delta variant and decreased use of protective measures in other parts of the world, Kasai said.
“We should not be surprised to see more surges in the future. As long as transmission continues, the virus can continue to mutate, as the emergence of omicron demonstrates, reminding us of the need to stay vigilant,” Kasai said.
He warned especially about the likelihood of surges due to more gatherings and movement of people during the holiday season. The northern winter season will also likely bring other infectious respiratory diseases, such as the flu, alongside COVID-19.
“It is clear that this pandemic is far from over and I know that people are worried about omicron,” Kasai said. “But my message today is that we can adapt the way we manage this virus to better cope with the future surges and reduce their health, social and economic impacts.”
Australian recognition for Covaxin a booster dose for mutual agreements with other countries
Australia’s decision on Monday to accept Bharat Biotech-manufactured Covaxin as a “recognised” vaccine for the purpose of determining a traveller’s vaccination status has come as a big boost for India’s first-indigenous Covid-19 vaccine as it awaits emergency approval from the WHO. Australia had already approved AstraZeneca-manufactured Covishield for travel last month, reports The Hindu Business Line.
While Covaxin is pending WHO approval and is not recognised by a majority of countries, including the US and the UK, India has worked the diplomatic channels for mutual agreements with about a dozen nations to facilitate entry of Indians vaccinated by Covaxin. Covaxin has thus far been approved for travel in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Mauritius, Greece, Zimbabwe, Mexico and the Philippines.
Read: COP26: India will reach net zero emissions by 2070, says PM Modi
The Ministry of External Affairs is in negotiations with several others, including many European nations, for mutual recognition of vaccine certifications, so that WHO recognition ceases to be a mandatory condition. One such agreement has already been struck between India and Hungary last month and the government is hopeful of more success soon.
Modi lauds decision
Australia’s move to recognise Covaxin will have significant impact for the return of international students, and travel of skilled and unskilled workers to Australia, according to a statement released by Department of Health, Australia on Monday. Australian health regulatory body, Theraupatic Goods’ Administration (TGA), has also approved BBIBP-CorV, manufactured by Sinopharm, China, for travellers aged between 18 and 60.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his appreciation for Australia’s decision. “It is an important step forward in post-Covid partnership between Indian and Australia,” Modi tweeted.
Read:Indonesia first to greenlight Novavax COVID-19 vaccine
The Australian health regulator said recognition of Covaxin, and BBIBP-CorV, along with the previously announced recognition of Coronavac (manufactured by Sinovac, China) and Covishield (manufactured by AstraZeneca, India), means many citizens of China and India will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia.
“In recent weeks, the TGA has obtained additional information demonstrating these vaccines provide protection and potentially reduce the likelihood that an incoming traveller would transmit Covid-19 infection to others while in Australia or become acutely unwell due to Covid-19. The supporting information has been provided to the TGA from the vaccine sponsor and/or the WHO,” the TGA statement said.
Covid may have killed up to 180k health workers: WHO
Out of the world's 135 million healthcare staff, up to 180,000 may have died from Covid-19 between January 2020 and May 2021, according to the UN health agency.
This grim estimate featured in a new World Health Organisation (WHO) paper based on the 3.45 million Covid-related deaths reported globally to the UN health agency up to May – a figure that the WHO said may well be at least 60 per cent lower than the actual number of victims.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "The backbone of every health system is its workforce. Covid-19 is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on these men and women, and how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected."
READ: Covid: WHO warns pandemic will drag on into 2022
More than 10 months since the first vaccines were approved, "the fact that millions of health workers still have not been vaccinated is an indictment on the countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines," Tedros added.
"Data from 119 countries suggest that on average, two in five healthcare workers globally are fully vaccinated. But of course, that average masks huge differences across regions and economic groupings."
"In Africa, less than one in ten health workers have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, in most high-income countries, more than 80 per cent of health workers are fully vaccinated," the WHO chief said.
READ: Mosquirix: WHO Recommends World's First Malaria Vaccine RTS,S
Workers in clinics and hospitals have been on the pandemic's front lines since the first Covid-19 cases were detected in China's Wuhan in late 2019, and many are suffering from burnout, anxiety and fatigue as the virus continues to spread around the world.
Mosquirix: WHO Recommends World's First Malaria Vaccine RTS,S
Mosquito-borne disease malaria is responsible for around 435,000 deaths per year, and 80-90% of those deaths occur in rural sub-Saharan Africa. However, there was no vaccine until a few years back to prevent this disease. Finally, after 100 years of effort, a vaccine has become a beacon of hope. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed a vaccine to fight malaria on October 6, 2021. After conducting pilot vaccination programs in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the WHO said it could now be used in children's bodies to prevent moderate to high levels of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions.
Six years ago, Mosquirix based 'RTS, S' proved to be effective and getting endorsed from WHO is considered a historic event.
What is Mosquirix Vaccine?
Mosquirix is a malaria vaccine for children aged 6 weeks to 17 months. Additionally, it can also protect against liver infection due to the hepatitis B virus. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) suggests not using the vaccine solely for liver infection purposes.
Read Covid-19 threatens global progress against malaria: WHO
GlaxoSmithKline or GSK invented the vaccine back in 1987. But, they went through many development processes, and today's outcome took more than three decades. However, since the invention Mosquirix has faced some challenges as the protection faded after a few months and required up to four doses.
The European Medicine Agency approved this in 2015. In one experiment, Mosquirix was found 30% effective when applied 4 times to children.
The World Health Organization has set a target of vaccinating 360,000 children each year in three countries. GSK and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have funded about $750 million for the vaccine. Currently, the company is providing 1 crore vaccines free of cost in the ongoing project. Later, they are planning to recoup the money invested through large-scale projects.
Read: UN endorses world's 1st malaria vaccine as 'historic moment'
Since 2019, around 2.3 million doses have been applied to infants in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi on a large scale, which was coordinated by the WHO.
Usage of Mosquirix
A 0.5 ml Mosquirix injection is given into the muscle around the shoulder or in the muscle of the thigh. The child will need to take three injections in three months with one month gap between each dose. Further, a fourth dose is also necessary after 18 months of the third dose. However, a prescription is required to get the vaccine.
How does Mosquirix RTS, S work?
According to the European Medicines Agency's researchers, the active substance in Mosquirix is basically made up of proteins found on the Plasmodium falciparum parasites' surface. When it enters into the body, the immune system takes it as a foreign protein and eventually builds antibodies against them.
What does RTS,S stand for?
RTS,S is mainly the scientific name of the malaria vaccine candidate. The 'R' means the "central repeat region of Plasmodium (P.) falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP)." The 'T' stands for the T-cell epitopes of the CSP, and the 'S' stands for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
Read Trump's use of malaria drug likely to be welcomed in India
WHO okays vaccination of those below 18 in Bangladesh: Health Minister
The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the vaccination of those who are under 18 years of age in Bangladesh, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday.
"I’ve met WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and he has given a nod to it [vaccination of those under 18] when we sought his advice on vaccination of students," he said.
The minister revealed the information at a press briefing on Covid-19 vaccine at BCPS auditorium in the capital.
Also read: 70-80% people to be vaccinated by March next: Minister
The health minister said students between 12-17 years will be inoculated with US-produced Pfizer vaccine doses as it is suitable for them.
“We’re preparing for that. We’ve 6 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in stocks; we’ll get another four million doses soon. We’ve no crisis now.”
He also expressed the hope that the government will be able to vaccinate 8 crore people with double doses between December and January, and another 4 crore with double doses between March and April.
A total of 12 crore people will be fully vaccinated by April next, said the minister.
“Bangladesh will receive 3 crore more doses of Covid-19 vaccine in October, 3.75 crore in November, 5 crore in December and 3.75 crore in January. About 16 crore doses will be procured or collected from various sources by January.
Also read: High school students to be vaccinated soon: DSHE chief
On September 12, the students of schools and colleges in Bangladesh returned to their classrooms after an 18-month closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bangladesh started administering the first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at three centres in Dhaka to fight off Covid-19 on June 21.
The United States said it is committed to leading the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic and they will begin this summer the allocation of 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine it is providing to Gavi for distribution by COVAX to countries around the world.
US President Joe Biden reaffirmed this commitment by announcing that his country will donate 80 million doses of vaccines to support global needs.
Vaccination drive in Bangladesh
So far, 1,79,40,300 people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 3,61,78,946 received the first dose as of Saturday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS).
On January 27, Prime Minister Hasina launched the Covid-19 vaccination programme at Kurmitola General Hospital through a videoconference.
The government rolled out a countrywide mass Covid-19 vaccination drive on February 7 vaccinating people aged 55 and above in the first phase.
On July 29, the government lowered the minimum age limit for taking Covid-19 jabs to 25 from 30 years in a bid to give a boost to the lagging vaccination rates in the country.
World misses most 2020 mental health targets: WHO
The UN health agency's new Mental Health Atlas paints a disappointing picture of a worldwide failure to provide people with the mental health services they need, at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is highlighting a growing need for mental health support.
The latest edition of the Atlas, which includes data from 171 countries, provides a clear indication that the increased attention given to mental health in recent years has yet to result in a scale-up of quality mental services that are aligned with needs, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Friday.
Issued every three years, the Atlas is a compilation of data provided by countries around the world on mental health policies, legislation, financing, human resources, availability and use of services and data collection systems.
It is also the mechanism for monitoring progress towards meeting the targets in WHO's Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan.
"It is extremely concerning that, despite the evident and increasing need for mental health services, which has become even more acute during the Covid-19 pandemic, good intentions are not being met with investment," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO.
"We must heed and act on this wake-up call and dramatically accelerate the scale-up of investment in mental health because there is no health without mental health."
Read: UNICEF: Battered by pandemic, kids need mental health help
Lack of progress in leadership, governance and financing
None of the targets for effective leadership and governance for mental health, provision of mental health services in community-based settings, mental health promotion and prevention, and strengthening of information systems, was close to being achieved.
In 2020, just 51 per cent of the WHO's 194 member states reported that their mental health policy or plan was in line with international and regional human rights instruments, way short of the 80 per cent target.
And only 52 per cent of countries met the target relating to mental health promotion and prevention programmes, also well below the 80 per cent target.
The only 2020 target met was a reduction in the rate of suicide by 10 per cent, but even then, only 35 countries said they had a stand-alone prevention strategy, policy or plan.
Steady progress was evident, however, in the adoption of mental health policies, plans and laws, as well as in improvements in the capacity to report on a set of core mental health indicators.
Read: COVID-19 disrupts mental health services in most countries
However, the percentage of government health budgets spent on mental health has scarcely changed during the last years, still hovering around 2 per cent.
Moreover, even when policies and plans included estimates of required human and financial resources, just 39 per cent of responding countries indicated that the necessary human resources had been allocated and 34 per cent that the required financial resources had been provided.
Transfer of care to community slow
While the systematic decentralisation of mental health care to community settings has long been recommended by the WHO, only 25 per cent of responding countries met all the criteria for integration of mental health into primary care.
While progress has been made in training and supervision in most countries, the supply of medicines for mental health conditions and psychosocial care in primary healthcare services remains limited.
This is also reflected in the way that government funds for mental health are allocated, highlighting the urgent need for deinstitutionalisation.
More than 70 per cent of total government expenditure on mental health was allocated to mental hospitals in middle-income countries, compared with 35 per cent in high-income countries.
This indicates that centralised mental hospitals and institutional inpatient care still receive more funds than services provided in general hospitals and primary healthcare centres in many countries.
There was, however, an increase in the percentage of countries reporting that treatment of people with specific mental health conditions (psychosis, bipolar disorder and depression) is included in national health insurance or reimbursement schemes – from 73 per cent in 2017 to 80 per cent (or 55 per cent of member states) in 2020.
Global estimates of people receiving care for specific mental health conditions (used as a proxy for mental health care as a whole) remained less than 50 per cent, with a global median of 40 per cent of people with depression and just 29 per cent of people with psychosis receiving care.
More encouraging was the increase in countries reporting mental health promotion and prevention programmes, from 41 per cent of member states in 2014 to 52p er cent in 2020.
However, 31 per cent of total reported programmes did not have dedicated human and financial resources, 27 per cent did not have a defined plan, and 39 per cent had no documented evidence of progress and or impact.
The global median number of mental health workers per 100,000 people has increased slightly from nine workers in 2014 to 13 workers per 100,000 people in 2020.
However, there was a very high variation between countries of different income levels, with the number of mental health workers in high-income countries more than 40 times higher than in low-income ones.
New targets for 2030
The global targets reported on in the Mental Health Atlas are from the WHO's Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, which contained targets for 2020 endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2013.
This Plan has now been extended to 2030 and includes new targets for the inclusion of mental health and psychosocial support in emergency preparedness plans, the integration of mental health into primary health care, and research on mental health.
"The new data from the Mental Health Atlas shows us that we still have a very long way to go in making sure that everyone, everywhere, has access to quality mental health care," said Dévora Kestel, director of the department of mental health and substance use at the WHO.
"But I am encouraged by the renewed vigour that we saw from governments as the new targets for 2030 were discussed and agreed and am confident that together we can do what is necessary to move from baby steps to giant leaps forward in the next 10 years."
Health Ministry officials to attend WHO meeting in Geneva
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque will attend a World Health Organization (WHO) bureau meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.
He will leave Dhaka in the early hours of Tuesday from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on an Emirates flight.
Additional Secretary of the Health Services Department Kazi Jebunnesa Begum, Private Secretary to the Minister of Health Kamrul Hasan, Deputy Secretary Md. Sadequl Islam and Health and Family Planning Officer of Tejgaon Health Complex in Dhaka Dr. Md. Mofizul Islam Bulbul will accompany the Minister.
READ: Covid testing at Dhaka airport to begin on Saturday, says health minister
After the WHO bureau meeting, the Minister will hold separate meetings with WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) and member of the Global Fund Management Team and Coordinator of Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Ms. Gerda Verburg on issues related to coronavirus treatment, medicines, population and nutrition.
READ: Vaccination of students aged 12-17 to begin within 20 days: Health Minister
UNGA: WHO urges world leaders to focus on vaccine equity
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the global leaders, attending the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), to guarantee equitable access to Covid vaccines and other life-saving tools.
It also called for ensuring that the world is better prepared to respond to future pandemics; renewing efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Covid-19 pandemic has already claimed nearly 5 million lives, and the virus continues to circulate actively across the globe.
Vaccines are the most critical tool to end the pandemic and save lives and livelihoods. More than 5.7 billion vaccine doses have been administered globally, but 73% of all doses have been administered in just 10 countries.
High-income countries have administered 61 times more doses per inhabitant than low-income ones.
The longer vaccine inequity persists, the more the virus will keep circulating and evolving, and the longer the social and economic disruption will continue.
So, the UN health agency targets to vaccinate at least 40% of the population of every country by the end of this year, and 70% by the middle of next year.
Read: Vaccine inequity undermining global economic recovery
These targets are achievable if countries and manufacturers make a genuine commitment to vaccine equity.
The WHO is calling on countries to fulfil their dose-sharing pledges immediately and to swap their near-term vaccine deliveries with COVAX and AVAT (African Covid-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team).
The UN agency is also calling on manufacturers to prioritise supplies to COVAX and partners, and for countries and manufacturers to facilitate the sharing of technology, know-how and intellectual property to support regional vaccine manufacturing.
COVAX, the global initiative for equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, is led by the WHO; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Unicef and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
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.
So far, COVAX has shipped more than 260 million doses to 141 countries.
However, the WHO urged all countries to break the cycle of "panic and neglect" seen after previous health emergencies, and commit adequate financial resources, as well as political will, to strengthening health emergency preparedness across the globe.
Read:'Only Together' campaign to support global vaccine equity call
Universal health coverage (UHC) is a keystone of global health security. Despite progress in UHC in recent years, 90% of countries have reported disruptions in essential health services due to the pandemic, with the consequences reverberating beyond the health sector.
Serious investment in UHC and pandemic preparedness is critical not only to bolster global health security but also to getting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda back on track.
The pandemic has reversed progress towards the SDGs, including gains that had been made on eradicating poverty, eliminating gender inequality, vaccinating children against communicable diseases and girls' and boys' education.
However, it is also providing the world with new opportunities to do things differently and to truly collaborate on building back better – towards a healthier, fairer, more inclusive and sustainable world.
Qatar supports shipment of WHO life-saving medical supplies to Afghanistan
An aircraft carrying around 23 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines and supplies from the UN health agency landed in Afghanistan's capital Kabul Monday.
The shipment, which is among the first humanitarian aid to arrive at Kabul airport since operations were disrupted on August 15, was flown by a Qatar Airways flight, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
"As health needs increase in Afghanistan, we must move quickly to address the shortages in medical supplies to keep life-saving health services running. I thank Qatar for its generous and timely support, which has allowed the WHO to replenish depleted stocks and meet the needs of the most vulnerable Afghans," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO.
Read: Blinken pushes back on GOP criticism of Afghan withdrawal
A second flight donated by Qatar is expected to arrive later this week, carrying more WHO medical supplies.
Together, the two shipments, which contain essential medicines such as insulin, medical consumables, trauma and surgery kits, and Covid-19 testing kits, will address the urgent health needs of 1.45 million people and provide for 5,400 major and minor surgeries. They will be distributed to 280 health facilities and 31 public Covid laboratories across Afghanistan.
The supplies have been shipped from the WHO suppliers' facilities in Europe to Qatar and onward to Kabul in collaboration with the operations and logistic teams of Qatar Airways and the Government of the State of Qatar.
The WHO is exploring options to expedite further shipments of health supplies to Afghanistan.
Read: UN seeks $606 million for Afghanistan after Taliban takeover
The establishment of a reliable humanitarian air bridge continues to be a pressing need to ensure timely movement of humanitarian aid and personnel to respond to the evolving situation.
The two flights from Qatar will mean that the WHO will have airlifted 131 metric tonnes of supplies since August 30, which are enough to cover the urgent health needs of 2.43 million people and provide for around 19,000 major and minor surgeries.