Coronavirus global health emergency

Sister Juliet Lithemba in Leribe, Lesotho recommends getting vaccinated for COVID-19 after being hospitalized due to the virus. United Nations photo: WHO Lesotho

COVID-19 convent outbreak shows risk to seniors

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.

Fashion designer Reinaldo Lourenço addresses workshop participants in his factory in São Paulo, Brazil. Photo courtesy OIT/MPT/UNICAMP
UNIC Rio
08 Apr 2021 | UNICs

Brazilian slave labor victims learn new careers during Covid-19

Top Brazilian designers led a workshop earlier this year to teach victims of slave labor a new and more dignified career in fashion. The workshop is part of the "Slave Labour Never Again" project: a collaboration among the Public Ministry for Employment, the  International Labour Organization (ILO) and the University of Campinas (Unicamp). 

An Air France plane transports medical supplies to Djibouti as part of UNICEF’s Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative. Photo courtesy Air France KLM Martinair Cargo
UNRIC Brussels
29 Mar 2021 | UNICs

EU airlines join forces with UNICEF to transport COVID-19 vaccines around world

Major European airlines are among those helping UNICEF in its historic mission to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines and medical devices across the globe in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

person's hands holding currency
26 Mar 2021 | Finance, Secretary-General

Time to act on debt

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has been teetering on the brink of a global debt crisis. One year on from the Secretary-General’s policy brief on debt, he is launching a second policy brief, entitled Liquidity and Debt Solutions to Invest in the SDGs: The Time to Act is Now. The brief provides an overview of the still unfolding crisis, steps taken to date, and the additional measures that are needed. It calls for the creation of a new debt architecture, based on transparency, sustainability, responsible borrowing and lending, and fair burden sharing. A high-level virtual meeting underscores the urgency of this initiative.

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WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak. 

WHO’s response in countries

Find out how the WHO is working across its 149 country offices to assist communities all over the world.

What is a Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Find out more about this novel coronavirus (nCoV) that has not been previously identified in humans.

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FAQs

What are the symptoms of COVID-19? How can I protect myself? Should I worry about COVID-19? Get the answers.

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Information from the UN System

Everyone is talking about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Be sure to get your facts from reliable sources. The UN offices, field missions, agencies, funds and programmes are providing new information as it becomes available. Here are some of their resource pages.

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Information for UN personnel

The United Nations is closely monitoring the situation with the COVID-19 outbreak. This page features important advisories, guidelines, resources, and materials on the COVID-19 outbreak for all UN duty stations, offices, personnel and their families, visitors, and UN healthcare workers, as well as advice on maintaining wellness. It is updated with the latest available information.

 

Meetings

Get information on UN meetings that are being held virtually due to COVID-19.

 

Documents

General Assembly resolutions

Secretary-General's reports

 

Video

Broadcast-quality video 

UN WebTV COVID-19 playlist

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Communication Materials

Social media posters, advice for patients and health workers and key scenarios for printing

Novel Coronavirus Situation

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Explore

Greta Thunberg with a microphone

19 April 2021 - The teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has donated 100,000 Euros to boost global efforts to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to anyone, anywhere, who needs them, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday. 

 

young women with face masks and traffic vests

16 April 2021 - COVID-19 infections are approaching their highest rates since the pandemic began just over a year ago, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. 

 

woman looking at Van Gogh painting

13 April 2021 - Faced with alarming and extended closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s museums are of “fundamental importance” to reviving cultural life and preserving our shared heritage “in all its diversity”, said the UN cultural agency chief on Tuesday.  

 

In our unequal world, how does inequity impact our fight against COVID-19? How can we address it? WHO’s Dr. Mariângela Simao explains in Science in 5 this week.

 

In this Y- Action video of UNESCO Youth response to COVID-19 music will take the main lead to connect and educate the community about barrier gestures to fight covid and create awareness about information. They inspire us by keeping the good vibes that music brings with a whisper of hope.

Feeling sad, stressed or anxious while coping with COVID-19 is normal. Adjusting to new ways of learning and working is difficult. But know this: You are not alone. As part of UNICEF's Youth Mediathon, a group of young content creators from Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia, were challenged to reimagine the future of mental health and made this video.