The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Federal Republic of Germany will establish a new global hub for pandemic and epidemic intelligence, data, surveillance and analytics innovation.  The Hub, based in Berlin and working with partners around the world, will lead innovations in data analytics across the largest network of global data to predict, prevent, detect prepare for and respond to  pandemic and epidemic risks worldwide. German Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel said the current Covid-19 pandemic has taught them that they can only fight pandemics and epidemics together.  "The new WHO Hub will be a global platform for pandemic prevention, bringing together various governmental, academic and private sector institutions. I am delighted that WHO chose Berlin as its location and invite partners from all around the world to contribute to the WHO hub." Also read: Bangladeshi doctor made WHO Representative to Maldives The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is part of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme and will be a new collaboration of countries and partners worldwide, driving innovations to increase availability and linkage of diverse data; develop tools and predictive models for risk analysis; and to monitor disease control measures, community acceptance and  infodemics.     Critically, the WHO Hub will support the work of public health experts and policy-makers in all countries with insights so they can take rapid decisions to prevent and respond to future public health emergencies. “We need to identify pandemic and epidemic risks as quickly as possible, wherever they occur in the world. For that aim, we need to strengthen the global early warning surveillance system with improved collection of health-related data and inter-disciplinary risk analysis,” said Jens Spahn, German Minister of Health.  Also read: COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90pc of countries: WHO “Germany has consistently been committed to support WHO’s work in preparing for and responding to health emergencies, and the WHO Hub is a concrete initiative that will make the world safer.” Working with partners globally, the WHO Hub will drive a scale-up in innovation for existing forecasting and early warning capacities in WHO and Member States.  At the same time, the WHO Hub will accelerate global collaborations across public and private sector organizations, academia, and international partner networks.  It will help them to collaborate and co-create the necessary tools for managing and analyzing data for early warning surveillance. It will also promote greater access to data and information. “One of the lessons of COVID-19 is that world needs a significant leap forward in data analysis to help leaders make informed public health decisions,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.  “This requires harnessing the potential of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, combining diverse data sources, and collaborating across multiple disciplines. Better data and better analytics will lead to better decisions.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee on COVID-19, said that the pandemic still constituted a public health emergency of international concern and urged a focus on response efforts based on lessons learned and strong science.

The World Health Organization has invited independent film-makers, production companies, public health institutions, NGOs, communities, students, and film schools from around the world to submit their original short films to the 2nd Health for All Film Festival.

The global death toll from coronavirus has reached 102,734 as of Saturday morning.   There have been 1,699,630 confirmed cases around the world after the highly contagious disease was first reported in China in December last, according to worldometer.   Of those infected, 1,220,571 are currently being treated with 49,830 being in serious or critical condition.   So far, 376,325 people have recovered.   The coronavirus is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances.   The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic on March 11. Bangladesh on Friday reported 94 new cases and six more deaths from coronavirus. The total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 424 and 27 deaths were reported from coronavirus.

First, it was the media that was at fault. Then, Democratic governors came under fire. China, President Barack Obama and federal watchdogs have all had a turn in the crosshairs. And now it's the World Health Organization that's to blame.

Myanmar confirmed the first death on Tuesday among the 14 positive COVID-19 cases, according to a release of the Ministry of Health and Sports on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump on Sunday extended the country's voluntary national shutdown for a month, significantly changing his tone on the coronavirus pandemic only days after musing about the country reopening in a few weeks. He heeded public-health experts who told him the virus could claim over 100,000 lives in the U.S., perhaps more, if not enough is done to fight it.

"We are already ruined. What more harm can coronavirus do?" Irene Kampira asked as she sorted secondhand clothes at a bustling market in a poor suburb of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

Spain started storing bodies in an ice rink converted to a makeshift morgue Tuesday, as coronavirus deaths mounted there and around the world, with the World Health Organization warning the pandemic was still in a nascent stage with infections expected to increase "considerably."

Another person has died from the coronavirus in Bangladesh, taking the total death toll from Covid-19 disease in the country to four, said the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).