GLOBAL PANDEMIC
2 0 2 0 through 2 0 2 1
WHO UPDATE: January 15, 2021
Must See Video
Courtesy, United Nations - World Health Organization (WHO)
VIEW MEDIA BRIEFINGS UPDATES at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/press-briefings
Following Text Courtesy, WHO - COVID-19 11 January 2021
"Good morning, good afternoon and good evening. One year ago, the first death from COVID-19 was reported and WHO issued its first tranche of technical guidance. The comprehensive package included guidance on surveillance, lab testing, infection prevention and control, a readiness checklist, and risk communication and community engagement.
A year on, there have been almost 2 million deaths from the COVID-19 virus and while we are hopeful about the safe and effective vaccines that are being rolled out, we want to see this sped up and vaccines allocated equitably in the coming weeks.
Next week at the WHO Executive Board, I will be encouraging all countries to fulfill their pledges to COVAX. I call for a collective commitment so that within the next 100 days, vaccination for health workers and those at high-risk in all countries are underway.
Governments, manufacturers, civil society, religious and community leaders must come together to create the greatest mass mobilization in history for equitable vaccination.
WHO continues to ask vaccine manufacturers from around the world to move swiftly to provide the necessary data that will allow us to consider them for emergency use listings. I’m pleased that a WHO team is in China currently working with producers of the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines to assess compliance with international quality manufacturing practices ahead of potential emergency use listing by WHO. To clarify this is separate from the WHO origins mission.
We also look forward to Serum Institute of India submitting full data sets for rapid assessment so WHO can determine whether we can recommend their AstraZeneca vaccine for international use.
These are just a couple examples of work under way by WHO, GAVI, CEPI and other partners aimed at safe, rapid, equitable and wise allocation of vaccines.
As I have said before and will say again, saving lives, livelihoods and economies depends on a global agreement to avoid vaccine nationalism.
Over the weekend, WHO was notified by Japan about a new variant of the virus. The more the virus spreads the higher the chance of new changes to the virus. Most notably, transmissibility of some variants of the virus appears to be increasing. This can drive a surge of cases and hospitalizations, which is highly problematic for health workers and hospitals already close to breaking point. This is especially true where public health and social measures have already broken down. This can have a knock-on effect on other essential health services.
At present, the variants do not seem to show increased severity of disease. With new treatments coming down the pipeline, we are hopeful that more lives of those with serious cases of COVID-19 can be saved. But we need to follow the public health basics now more than ever. Keep as much physical distance as you can from other people. Keep rooms well-ventilated. Wear a mask. Keep your hands clean. And cough away from others into your elbow.
You might get fed up of hearing it but the virus is not fed up with us. Limiting transmission limits the chance of dangerous new variants from developing. . . "
Read Full Text Courtesy, WHO - COVID-19 11 January 2021
Looking back as the world moves
forward with the . . .
Global COVID-19 Pandemic!
January 30, 2020
Courtesy, UN - WHO
Learn more / get latest UPDATES & INFO
on the following web page:
Opening remarks of the Secretary-General's appeal for global ceasefire - 23 March 2020
. . . This is crucial . . .
To help create corridors for life-saving aid. To open precious windows for diplomacy. To bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Let us take inspiration from coalitions and dialogue slowly taking shape among rival parties in some parts to enable joint approaches to COVID-19. But we need much more.
End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world.
It starts by stopping the fighting everywhere. Now.
That is what our human family needs, now more than ever.
Courtesy, United Nations - Read full text at: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2020-03-23/secretary-general-appeal-for-global-ceasefire
Important Reminder on . . .
Human Rights and COVID-19
Response and Recovery
23 April 2020
Video Courtesy, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
Learn more at:
Let's All Support Global Health Workers
During this Global Health Emergency!
Read more at: https://www.un.org/coronavirus
2020: The Voices of Global Leaders
reminded the world that
COVID-19
is . . .
"A Global Crisis"
Courtesy, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Flag_map_of_the_world#/media/File:Flag-map_of_the_world.svg
HIS MAJESTY KING ABDULLAH II: NO TIME FOR GEOPOLITICAL TURF BATTLES
Courtesy, The Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - Washington, D.C.
31 March 2020
The following text excerpt is an Op-ed by His Majesty King Abdullah II, and presidents Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, Halimah Yacob of Singapore, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia and Lenín Moreno Garcés of Ecuador
"No time for geopolitical turf battles. We need a global alliance to fight the pandemic . . . Our nations, societies and economies are slowing down, almost grinding to a halt in the face of a global, external threat that transcends borders, ethnicities, and creeds. Public life has come to a virtual standstill. But these unprecedented measures of social distancing will be hard to sustain over a long period of time.
Nations are turning inward as they try to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, closing borders and imposing drastic executive measures in a retreat that risks leaving every country fending for itself. However, we can contain and counter COVID-19 more effectively by knocking down the barriers that hinder knowledge exchange and co-operation.
Crises like these tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people. It is our responsibility as leaders to encourage the former and contain the latter. Our countries are at varying stages of the crisis but we all see and admire the strong spirit of solidarity and the many people who are passionately trying to save lives or keep indispensable services up and running. They give us hope and offer inspiration that our societies may not only weather this crisis but also grow stronger and more connected."
Read entire Op-ed on the following web page:
Queen Elizabeth II Addresses the U.K. in
the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 5, 2020
Must See Video
Courtesy, https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-52171176 - CDC
" . . . While we have faced challenges before, this
one is different. This time we join with all Nations across the globe in a common endeavour using the great advances of science and our distinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed, and
that success will belong to every one
of us. . . For now, I send my thanks
and warmest good wishes to all."
President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa addresses Nation on COVID-19 measures
March 30, 2020
Must See Video
Courtesy, eNCA - CDC
" . . . There is each of all of us, South Africans . . . and the residents of our country who are standing together as one in confronting this National health emergency. Amongst us are the men and women who rise at dawn every day and labour through the night to keep this country going.
I speak of the farm worker who is helping to keep us supplied with food. I speak of the technician in the power station working shift after shift to keep the lights on. I speak of the caregiver in the old-age home; the childcare home and the hospice who comes in every day to tend to the most vulnerable of our citizens.
I speak about the taxi driver, the refuse collector, the bus driver, the supermarket cashier, the hospital cleaner, the petrol attendant and all those essential workers."
"You are our unsung Heroes, and . . .
WE SALUTE YOU!"
President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Wuhan for first time since start of Coronavirus outbreak
March 10, 2020
Must See Video
Courtesy, https://www.scmp.com/ - CDC
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Wuhan – epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – on March 10, 2020, as the number of new infections in mainland China continued its downward trend, with just 19 cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, confirmed the day before. It’s the first time Xi has visited the stricken capital of Hubei province since the epidemic began.
Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe
says 2020 Tokyo Olympics
will be postponed to 2021
March 24, 2020
Must See Video
Courtesy, Global News - CDC
" . . . I asked if it would be possible to consider postponing the Games for approximately a year. I received an answer from
President Bach [9th President of the IOC] that he
agreed 100 percent. We agreed that we would
hold the Tokyo Olympics and
Paralympics by the Summer of 2021. We agreed
that we would stay in close contact so that we would
be able to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics
in its complete form so that it will be a sign that
(humanity) has overcome the new corona virus."
Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe
JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE AND THE TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE
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The World's Poorest . . . Must not be forgotten!
Detained children at ‘grave risk’ of contracting COVID-19 – UNICEF chief
Courtesy, United Nations / UNICEF/Giacomo Pirozzi
Two young [child] prisoners stand behind bars in a jail in Abomey, Benin
Children . . . Must not be forgotten!
Learn more on the following web pages:
As Corona Virus [COVID-19]
brings this world
to a halt . . .
UNICEF Won't STOP!
Tune in: Saturday, May 23, 2020 10PM ET
Let's ALL NOT STOP!
CLICK: LEARN MORE
DONATE NOW:
See Also: https://www.epacha.org/unicef
Cool School Learning Tools for . . .
Kids!
Hi Kids! Are you keeping up with
your school work at home?
During this time of the
Corona Virus [COVID-19] -
"staying home for safety,"
learning at home can
be a fun-filled
adventure!
Click below to discover some
"Cool School Learning Tools for Kids!"
As Nations great and small progress through the year 2021, may the
lessons of 2020:
"The Year of COVID-19"
be a guide toward building back
a better world with the helpful
ingenuity of the whole
"Family of Humanity."
- EPACHA Foundation -
If you’ve missed the work of EPACHA in its Phase I duration, please be encouraged to click on the below web links.
Sincerest Thanks are Extended to http://archive.org/web/ for having made possible an archived viewing of
EPACHA Foundation’s entire volume of its Phase I web pages:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180321225044/http://www.epacha.org/Pages/Home_Page_BkUp3.aspx
Complete List of EPACHA - Phase I web pages:
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1