#COVID19: WHO Lauds 7.4 Billion Euro Contributions From World Leaders, Initiates #Handclapping, #Handwashing— In Celebration Of World MidWife Day, World Hygiene Day

World Leaders have pledged 7.4 billion Euros in support of research for the development of medicines to combat Covid-19.

Top United Nations Officer and Chief of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanam Ghebreyesus lauded the generous donations as highly progressive, during a conference held yesterday for the recently launched ACT Accelerator, a program to speed up the production of Covid-19 treatments.

“Today, countries came together not only to pledge their financial support, but also to pledge their commitment to ensuring all people can access life-saving tools for Covid-19, accelerating development of products, but at the same time access for all”, Tedros, speaking from Geneva said.

The contributions, which were outlined on the WHO Chief’s Twitter account, include:

1. China: 45.6 million Euros
2. Denmark: 50 million Euros
3. Malta:400,000 Euros
4. Romania: 200,000 Euros
5. Bulgaria: 100,000 Euros
6. Estonia: 100,000 Euros, among others.

Tedros went on to emphasize that vaccines must be created with a global reach in mind, stressing ” making medicines available to all, the true measure of success will depend on the equitable distribution of the new medicines, not how fast they are developed”.

“None of us can accept a world in which some people are protected, while others are not. Everybody should be protected”, he added.

Today, May 5th also marks the International Day of the Midwife, and WHO is calling for people everywhere to take a break at noon to clap for these health workers who continue to deliver vital services to mothers and newborns amid the pandemic.

The support provided by midwives is actually a lifeline for many, Tedros said, as research shows their interventions can avert over 80 per cent of all maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

“Midwives are essential for guiding and caring for women through their entire pregnancy, and for the critical moment of childbirth”, he said, adding “but we need more midwives in all countries, especially low-resource countries”.

Meanwhile, Tedros also highlighted the importance of one of the simplest ways to ward off COVID-19 and other diseases.

Today which marks Hand Hygiene Day has seen the UN agency reminding people everywhere of this basic practice.

“The simple act of cleaning hands can be the difference between life and death, and remains one of the most important public health measures for protecting individuals, families and communities against COVID-19 – and many other diseases,” Tedros said.

Tedros however reported that less than two-thirds of health facilities globally have hand hygiene stations, while three billion people lack soap and water at home.

“If we are to stop COVID-19 or any other source of infection, and keep health workers safe, we must dramatically increase investments in soap, access to water, and alcohol-based hand rubs,” he said.