April 10 will mark 100 days since the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of the first COVID-19 cases.
In a media briefing, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke about the health organization’s progress in the past 100 days and their plans for the future in order to help alleviate suffering by saving lives.
When the first cases of human-to-human transmission were reported outside of China, the WHO’s counter-COVID-19 measures included a comprehensive package of guidance to countries on how to detect, test and manage potential cases.
They also published information on how to protect healthcare workers and declare a public health emergency of international concern – the organization’s highest classified level of alarm.
The health organization has worked closely with governments around the world, through their 6 regional and 150 country offices, to help them prepare their health systems for the coronavirus.
So far, more than two million personal protective equipment (PPE) items have been shipped to 133 countries, while another batch of the same amount is being prepared for shipping in the coming few weeks.
Today, 130 scientists, funders and manufacturers from around the world have signed statements to commit to working with the WHO to help develop a COVID-19 vaccine quicker.
India is inspecting facilities of spice makers MDH and Everest for compliance with quality standards after sales of some of their products were halted in Hong Kong and Singapore for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.
Israel is poised to send troops into Rafah, the Gazan city it sees as the last bastion of Hamas, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, saying preparations were under way to evacuate war-displaced Palestinian civilians who have been sheltering there.
A Russian court on Wednesday ordered one of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's deputies be kept in custody on suspicion of taking bribes, the highest-profile corruption case since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, a senior figure in the country's ruling party, met with Donald Trump on Tuesday, becoming the latest US ally seeking to establish ties with the Republican presidential candidate.
Russian missiles damaged residential buildings and injured six people in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, early on Wednesday, Governor Oleh Synehubov said on Telegram.