Health & Well Being

Photo: A passenger washing hands using the new device before boarding a public service vehicle at Muangatsi Market Centre Bus Stage, Busia County, Kenya. Credit: Kevin Wafula.

Kenyans Are Innovative in Finding Ways to Fight COVID-19

By Justus Wanzala

BUSIA, Kenya (IDN) – It is a hot afternoon at a bus station at Mungatsi market centre, Nambale Sub-County, in Busia County, Western Kenya. Many people, many travellers, are queuing to wash their hands. Each person is maintaining a distance from the other as they wash their hands and board public service vehicles heading to their various destinations.

Hand washing before boarding public service vehicles and maintaining social distance are new practices that Kenyans are constrained to observe. They have been declared mandatory by health authorities as a safety measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.

: Justus Wanzala; THE WORLD; Africa; 27 April 2020

COVID-19: Strengthen WHO for Systemic Change of Health Systems

Viewpoint by Dr P. I. Gomes

The writer is former-Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean & Pacific Group of States (now known as Organisation of Africa, Caribbean & Pacific States - OACPS)

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (IDN) – As the curve flattens in the trajectory of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in some countries, or the peak is claimed to have reached in others, allowing limited economic activities as in Wuhan, China or shopping for household necessities in Germany, widespread commentary and debate focus on economic, social, commercial and political impacts of the pandemic.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 24 April 2020

Photo: Syrian refugee camp on the Turkish border for displaced people of the Syrian civil war. Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Many Facets of Pandemic Vulnerability

Viewpoint by Alison Mountz*

This article was originally published on openDemocracy. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News.

WATERLOO, Ontario (IDN) – We are living a sudden, seismic acceleration of bordering. This acceleration unfolds not only along national borders but within them: between states and provinces, around cities, care homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, cruise ships, apartments, bodies – two metres, to be precise.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 23 April 2020

Collage of coronavirus affected Africa and animated video by INPS-IDN.

The Impact of COVID-19 Stalks Africa – Animated Video Tells Children About It

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – While Africa, like the international community, on the whole, is engaged in a tough fight against the coronavirus, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert has called into question frightening estimates of those affected by COVID-19. At the same time, Ghana in a surprise move has ordered a partial lift of the lockdown. The pandemic virus is luring Rwanda into massive 'loans' under the garb of debt reduction.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 22 April 2020

Photo: Bill and Melinda Gates have committed funds to research the disease and manufacture a vaccine when one becomes available. Credit: Kjetil Ree, CC BY-SA 3.0

COVID-19: Why We Should Be Sceptical of the Benevolence of Billionaires

Viewpoint by Gwilym David Blunt*

LONDON (IDN) – The coronavirus pandemic has produced a surge in philanthropic giving from some of the world’s wealthiest people. Bill and Melinda Gates, longstanding champions of global health, have committed funds to research the disease and manufacture a vaccine when one becomes available. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, has pledged one billion dollars for “global COVID-19 relief”. Then there are Jack Ma, Li Ka-Shing, George Soros, Giorgio Armani and Jeff Bezos – other examples of billionaires giving staggering amounts of money to help alleviate the suffering caused by this global crisis. It is not surprising that they have enjoyed widespread praise and acclaim.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 22 April 2020

Image credit: Independent Online (IOL), South Afruca.

New Initiative to Fight COVID-19 with Information Technology

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – With support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations specialized agency for information ((ITU) are set to work with telecommunication companies to text people directly on their mobile phones with vital health messaging to help protect them from COVID-19.

These text messages, as part of the joint 'WHO-ITU Be initiative', will reach billions of people who are not in a position to connect to the internet for information, said a joint statement on April 20.

: J Nastranis; UN INSIDER; 21 April 2020

Photo: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo (right). Credit: WHO/WTO

Good Health and Unimpeded Global Trade Go Hand in Hand

Viewpoint by Roberto Azevêdo and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Following is the text of a joint statement by WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on April 20.

GENEVA (IDN) – COVID-19 has rapidly progressed to become a global pandemic, causing unprecedented, far-reaching impact on the health, social and economic well-being of communities around the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and World Trade Organization (WTO) are committed to responding effectively to the situation, working together with other international organizations and our respective memberships.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 20 April 2020

Photo: Police across the world have been given new powers. Credit: Yuri Kochetkov/EPA

Coronavirus Shows World Not Prepared for Security Threat of Climate Change

Viewpoint by Kate Guy*

OXFORD (IDN) – How might a single threat, even one deemed unlikely, spiral into an evolving global crisis which challenges the foundations of global security, economic stability and democratic governance, all in the matter of a few weeks?

My research on threats to national security, governance and geopolitics has focused on exactly this question, albeit with a focus on the disruptive potential of climate change, rather than a novel coronavirus. In recent work alongside intelligence and defence experts at the think-tank Center for Climate and Security,

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 17 April 2020

Collage with map of Brazilian states by population (from Wikimedia Commons) and Basic Income card (from Vox).

COVID-19: Brazil Implements Basic Income Policy Following Massive Civil Society Campaign

By Pedro Telles

The writer is 2018-19 Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity at the International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics.

SÃO PAULO (IDN) – Tens of millions of Brazilians have begun receiving basic income payments aimed at addressing the economic impact of COVID-19, following Congress' approval of a bill prompted by a country-wide grassroots campaign that began just three weeks ago.

: J C Suresh; SUSTAINABILITY; Health & Well Being; 17 April 2020

WHO Cautions Against Relaxing Lockdown Measures in Europe

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a potential "second wave" of COVID-19 infections. The warning comes as some European countries have begun to relax lockdown measures following weeks of confinement introduced to halt the spread of the new coronavirus. In an update to strategic advice to Governments, the UN health agency called for greater support for health services.