For Sister Juliet Lithemba, the past year has been “nothing short of grace and mercy from above,” as she explains it. The 77-year-old resident of Mt Royal Convent of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa, located in Lesotho’s Leribe district, didn’t know much about COVID-19 until her convent home and fellow sisters were infected by the deadly virus.
The aim of the UN-backed COVAX scheme is to get two billion vaccine doses into the arms of around a quarter of the population of poorer countries by the end of 2021. What are the main challenges that need to be overcome, if this historic global effort is to be achieved?
We are living in unprecedented times. COVID-19 continues to devastate health systems, cripple economies, and exacerbate inequalities across the globe. As I write these words, the Caribbean region remains a hotspot of a disease, which is highlighting a simple reality: global crises require global solutions. This pandemic is our opportunity to strengthen regional collaboration and global solidarity to address our shared challenges and move forward. This can only happen if we are courageous and dedicated enough to seize the opportunities presented to us.
Despite a sore arm, Jemimah Katama, a nurse, is delighted to have received a COVID-19 vaccine. As lead coordinator at Kenyatta National Hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control department, she knows better than most how important the immunization can be.
"I am vaccinated. I am protected. I protect others. " That's the message you can read on the vaccination record card Machad, a health worker in Benin, received. Machad is proud to be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Europe and Central Asia have the opportunity to place women and youth at the centre for a greener, more equitable and more sustainable recovery from COVID-19 – in other words, a recovery process that is anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This was a key message from the United Nations Deputy-Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed as she chaired the first Regional Collaborative Platform in Eastern Europe, a new mechanism bringing together UN entities working at the regional level for sustainable development.
COVAX has been trending in stories about the COVID-19 pandemic in recent days, particularly in relation to the shipment of vaccines to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, the first to arrive in Africa. Here’s a UN News recap of what COVAX is, and why it is so important.
The Global COVAX Facility is the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation ever. UNICEF is leading the effort on behalf of the Global COVAX Facility. Together the Facility will provide 190 countries worldwide with equal access to 2 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 1 billion syringes all, delivered by the end of 2021.
In response, UN teams around the world have marshalled forces not only to stop the spread of the disease, but to deal with its many secondary effects—from massive job losses to increases in gender-based violence. Here are five ways the UN is combating the pandemic.
As the National Emergency Medical Services Referral Coordinator in the capital city of Freetown, Lt. Moiwo has to juggle national ambulance services, clinicians at hospitals, treatment centres and isolation units, and psychosocial assistance for patients and their families. She also disseminates test results and updates a national database on COVID-19.
