Let’s work together to avoid another pandemic: WHO

Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia, spoke of the significance of increasing the health sector’s capability

Let’s work together to avoid another pandemic: WHO

People wearing face masks and shields wait for their transport on a street in Manila on Tuesday. Pic/AFP

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for countries to work together to ensure that another pandemic of the magnitude of the Covid-19 crisis should not occur again in the near future.

“The pandemic’s impact differs from country to country,” Ghebreyesus said at the inaugural ceremony of the 74th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Southeast Asia here on Monday. “We must ensure that a pandemic of this magnitude does not occur in the near future.” He urged the entire world to work together to make it a reality.

Addressing the virtual session hosted by Nepal, top health executives emphasised the need for greater commitment to global healthcare delivery and a risk-averse health system, as well as the importance of providing vaccines, medicines, equipment and technology to the region.

Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia, spoke of the significance of increasing the health sector’s capability. Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba stressed that for health care reaching out to individuals in distant areas should be a top concern for everyone. The five-day session is being attended by representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

Turkey imposes new curbs; Japan’s biz lobby seeks exemptions

>> Turkey has imposed a series of new Covid-19 regulations, including a mandatory negative Covid-19 test result or proof of vaccination for domestic travel, as well as for entering crowded events and activities.

>> Daily Covid-19 cases in the US have increased more than four times that what the country witnessed on Labor Day last year, or a 316 per cent spike, a media report said.

>> Japan’s largest business lobby, known as Keidanren, has urged the government to promptly consider exempting overseas arrivals who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from quarantine and shortening the current quarantine period of 14 days to less than 10.

>> Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his decision to travel to Sydney despite the current Covid-19 outbreaks and lockdowns in major cities.

3,55,094
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

22,13,14,774
Total no. of cases worldwide

45,79,211
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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