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The year that was: key global health moments

A look back at 10 global health highlights from 2021, including a few issues you might have missed.

Towards a historic global accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response | Video

At the special session of the World Health Assembly earlier this month, Member States agreed to begin the process to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement or other international instrument under the WHO Constitution to strengthen global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, in order to protect the world from future pandemics.

Vaccinating children against polio needs to be sustained

Nine million children in Afghanistan were targeted for polio immunisation this month in a campaign synchronised with Pakistan to improve cross-border polio eradication efforts. This was the second campaign this year. More than 8.5 million children were vaccinated in November, including more than 2.4 million in parts of the country that were previously inaccessible. While vaccination intensifies to reach more children across the country, access needs to be sustained to build immunity. Six more campaigns are planned for 2022.

Focus on COVID-19

Syria: Strengthening the COVID-19 response in Syria
Health services are overstretched, health workforce working around the clock, and supplies and resources to address the increased demands of the COVID-19 response are depleting. In response, the European Union is providing €1 million to WHO in Syria to increase testing capacity and scale up vaccination across the country.

Nigeria: Accelerating COVID-19 vaccination among people living with HIV
Along with the emergence of the Omicron variant, COVID-19 continues to strain the progress to end AIDS, disrupting HIV prevention and treatment services, schooling, violence prevention programmes, and more. WHO is working with the Government of Nigeria, civil society and development partners, and communities of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) to increase COVID-19 vaccinations among PLHIV through its network support groups.

Lao PDR: Staff deployed to support the COVID-19 emergency response
WHO and the Ministry of Health supported Khammuan province to increase quarantine and isolation capacities, provided training for laboratory technicians, and deployed a team for surveillance, risk assessment, case investigation and data management.

Honduras: Vaccinating populations in hard-to-reach areas | ES
WHO supported the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out to reach populations in small, inaccessible towns and achieve the vaccination coverage goals in Honduras; as well as to raise awareness and educate communities of the benefits of the vaccine and break down fears and misconceptions.

Nepal: Building in-country capacity for pathogen genetic sequencing
WHO and partners are supporting health authorities in Nepal to increase the country’s facilitated providing genetic sequencing capacity.

Other health emergencies

Haiti: Post-earthquake response for recovery of populations, health system | FR
Following the earthquake that affected over 600,000 people, the WHO emergencies programme deployed field teams to support the recovery of the health system; distributed medical equipment and supplies; and strengthened post-disaster health services. WHO also deployed the Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS) to enable crucial early detection and rapid response to disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and emergency situations before they escalate, cost lives, and become more challenging to control.

Lithuania: “With more information, I was sure I needed the vaccine”
WHO has been supporting Lithuania’s immunisation programme to increase pregnant women’s uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination and antenatal care in Lithuania. Influenza vaccination protects both mothers and their babies after birth. “I had some doubts, but when I got more information I was sure that I needed the vaccine,” says medical student Justina who was especially focused to learn about how it is safe for her and her baby. With her positive experience, she was also able to reassure others.

Yemen: Amidst conflict, mass campaigns continue to end tropical diseases
WHO and the World Bank are supporting Yemen tackle neglected tropical diseases that can lead to anaemia, malnutrition, slow physical development, and learning difficulties among children In a recent four-day mass campaign, 860,000 children were treated for schistosomiasis, as Yemen makes progress against other neglected tropical diseases.

South Sudan: Strengthening yellow fever laboratory testing capacities
Given South Sudan’s increased vulnerability to diseases and public health threats, WHO trained a team of technical officers to contribute to controlling yellow fever outbreaks with support from the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) partnership. Current efforts to enhance yellow fever testing also align with national priorities to acquire additional surveillance and laboratory capacities for Ebola, Marburg, influenza, and COVID-19.

Pakistan: Measles and rubella campaign to vaccinate more than 90mn children
With the measles virus remaining among the leading causes of death among young children globally, Pakistan vaccinated more than 90 million children against measles and rubella, one of the country’s largest vaccination campaigns in history in spite of the challenges posed by COVID-19. WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI supported more than 386,000 health professionals and 143,000 community mobilisers in outreach centres and educational facilities for the vaccination campaign.

DRC: Addressing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse
WHO published a Management Response Plan to support survivors and their families, complete investigations, take urgent action and launch internal audits, and reform WHO structures to address allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation in the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA have also jointly organised prevention trainings for national focal points and international and non-government organisations working on the front lines.

Highlights: donors, partners, and critical support

WHO continues to send life-saving medical supplies to Afghanistan
Through the support of various donors, WHO has shipped more than 414 metric tonnes of supplies to Afghanistan since August 2021; including medicines to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, diarrhoea, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, and other conditions; medical equipment; and supplies for health facilities and services for women and children, and treat trauma and people suffering from non-communicable diseases.

Japan supports Iran to strengthen national capacity against COVID-19
The Government of Japan is supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran to strengthen capacity in public hospitals in six provinces through the acquisition of diagnostic and therapeutic supplies. The equipment that WHO procures through this grant will not only serves the COVID-19 response; it will also address treatment needs for many other significant illnesses and diseases.

The Netherlands committed as leading flexible contributor to WHO
The Kingdom of the Netherlands has increased its flexible contribution to WHO for agile and strategic efforts to achieve the Triple Billion Targets for countries to improve the health and well-being of their populations. Flexible funds enable WHO to better fulfil its mandate and work more effectively and rapidly in response to health emergencies.

Donors making a difference
Donor support to WHO has helped countries slow down the transmission of COVID-19, including through equitable distribution of vaccines, life-saving supplies, and helping provide personal protective equipment and information and communications technology where they are needed most.

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