Coronavirus - Emergency Response - World Health Organization 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) works with countries and partners to prepare for prevent respond to and recover from hazards that create health emergencies including disasters disease outbreaks and conflicts. In early 2020 the WHO and Chinese authorities identified a new coronavirus in Wuhan City Hubei Province in the People’s Republic of China. The WHO and its partners are working with Chinese authorities and global experts to identify populations most at risk the transmission of the disease and the most effective ways to detect interrupt and contain human to human transmission. On January 30 2020 the WHO declared the outbreak in the China a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” indicating that the outbreak requires a more robust coordinated international response. The WHO released its Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (February to April 2020) outlining its strategy to scale-up the response in order to stop further spread of the disease. With GAC’s support WHO’s emergency operations work to help and control the spread of the coronavirus and support the international response to the outbreak. Project activities include: (1) deploying experts to assess outbreak threat; (2) delivering essential medicines supplies and equipment; (3) training health personnel; and (4) strengthening health sector coordination and health information systems.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved surveillance early detection and rapid assessment of disease outbreak; (2) increased access to essential life-saving health services; and (3) improved coordination of the health response. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises with health emergencies or acute food insecurity.