The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern at the threat posed to the people of Guinea-Bissau by the COVID-19 pandemic
Increasing numbers of cases are also being reported from Iraq, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Oman
GENEVA, Switzerland, July 2, 2020/ -- By Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari
June 30 marked six months since WHO received the first reports of a
cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in China The six-month
mark of the outbreak coincides with reaching 10 million cases and
500,000 deaths world-wide. Although many countries have made some
progress, globally the pandemic is speeding up.
A few days ago, our Region passed its own significant and concerning
milestone, with more than one million people now infected with COVID-19. The number of cases reported in June alone is higher than the total
number of cases reported during the four months following the first
reported case in the Region on 29 January.
Today, three countries make up more than 50% of the total number of
cases reported in the Region: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
Recently, increasing numbers of cases are also being reported from Iraq, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Oman. Almost
87% of all deaths reported are from five countries: Iran, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan.
All countries in the Region are experiencing cluster or community
transmission. While fewer cases are being reported from countries facing complex emergencies such as Syria and Yemen, we are working on the
assumption that the virus is widespread, and are concerned about the
ability of their weakened health system to detect and control its
spread.
There are several reasons for this sharp increase over the space of just a few weeks. First, many countries now have more testing capacity than
they did at the start of the pandemic, which is leading to more cases
being detected. Second, easing of social measures in some countries
during and after the month of Ramadan led to an increase of cases in the following weeks. Third, weakened health systems in conflict-affected
countries are creating challenges in proper detection, testing and
treatment of cases.
In recent weeks, countries have started relaxing lockdowns to resume
some economic and social activities in an effort to find a balance
between controlling the outbreak and protecting livelihoods. As public
spaces begin opening up, there is a real risk that we will continue to
see an increase in cases, even in countries where the situation now
seems to be stabilizing.
We are at a critical threshold in our Region. Easing of lockdowns does
not mean easing of the response or easing of social responsibilities.
Governments must aggressively scale up the proven public health measures that we know control the spread of the virus - detection, testing,
isolation, treatment and contact tracing - now more than ever before. As airports and border crossing open gradually, governments must continue
to apply precautionary measures by enhancing surveillance at points of
entries.
Individuals leaving their homes for the first time in months must be
more cautious and vigilant, and adopt protection measures recommended by the health authorities. Every decision made by a single person affects
us all collectively and can have irreparable consequences.
Our health systems are overwhelmed, our health care workers are
exhausted, a large number of people in our region are still vulnerable.
There is no option to fail. We must succeed, not just in dealing with
this pandemic, but also in responding to other health risks that have
plagued our region for years. Six months into the pandemic response, it
is more critical than ever that essential services such as immunization
programmes and health services for mothers and children continue and are able to properly function without interruption.
WHO is fully committed to our vision of protecting the health of all
people, everywhere. And we need to see even more concrete commitments
and action from governments and the public as we work together as one to fulfil this goal.
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