"COVID 19 - CORONAVIRUS DISEASE"

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General said today that COVID-19 remains a global health emergency, even though, as the world enters the fourth year of the pandemic, “there is no doubt we are in a far better situation now than we were a year ago, when the Omicron wave was at its peak.” WHO

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Since the beginning of December, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 has been increasing, adding that “the actual number of deaths is much higher.” WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that based on evidence, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination greatly outweigh the potential risk of side effects of the vaccines and that the effectiveness of the current vaccines relies on people taking all of their recommended doses. As of January 2023, 83 per cent of the global population has been vaccinated. UNTV CH

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that WHO still believes that COVID-19 deaths are "heavily underreported from China," reiterating the need for "doctors and those reporting to the public health system to be encouraged to report these cases and not discouraged.” WHO

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “We continue to ask China for more rapid, regular, reliable data on hospitalizations and deaths, as well as more comprehensive, real-time viral sequencing. WHO is concerned about the risk to life in China and has reiterated the importance of vaccination.” WHO

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the Organization is continuing to support the government of Uganda to respond to an outbreak of Ebola disease in four districts. WHO

According to the World Trade Organization, world trade is expected to lose momentum in the second half of 2022 and remain subdued in 2023 as multiple shocks weigh on the global economy. WTO

Speaking at a meeting on ending the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “it’s time to build political momentum to finish the job on COVID-19. Let’s get it done. Let’s end this pandemic, once and for all.” UNIFEED

Asking for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told the General Assembly’s General Debate that his country supports “all efforts to reduce the economic impacts of this crisis”, but it does “not believe that the best way is to adopt unilateral and selective sanctions, that are inconsistent with International Law.” UNIFEED

Ahead of the 77th session of the General Assembly’s General Debate, Secretary-General António Guterres said that faced with geopolitical divisions, climate change, pandemics and high levels of inequality, “we need unity. We need cooperation, we need dialogue. And the present geopolitical divides are not allowing it to happen.” UNIFEED