WHO

GeneXpert to scale up TB testing

The instruments will help scale up TB diagnosis for early detection, treatment and care for people affected by this highly infectious and deadly disease in PNG.

In a small but significant handover ceremony, WHO-PNG Officer in Charge, Dr Mollent Okech said WHO was committed to supporting NDOH in its efforts to end TB.

“We are working together with the government of PNG and other partners to scale up TB diagnosis, prevention and care. 

Training On Patient Oxygen Management

The National Department of Health (NDoH), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Australian Government, jointly organized a training on patient oxygen management last week at the Stanley Hotel.

Clinicians, Infection Prevention Control (IPC) and Biomed officers were trained on how best to manage patients with low oxygen levels. This included using devices to help them breathe and manage oxygen concentrators that have been widely distributed since the start of the pandemic.

WHO reaches draft consensus on future pandemic treaty

The draft resolution, hammered out in negotiations over the weekend, will be presented for adoption to health ministers at the WHO's three-day special assembly that opens on November 29, they said.

The diplomatic breakthrough came amid growing international concern over the new coronavirus variant Omicron, first detected in South Africa this month, which has spread further around the world.

Partnerships strengthened to support Pacific health sector responses to COVID-19

This follows the new Financing Agreement the EU and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) signed, to repurpose funding to support the Pacific’s response to COVID-19.

WHO chief calls for tenfold increase in funding for COVID-19 treatments

"The coming three months present a crucial window of opportunity to scale out the impact of the ACT [Access to COVID-19 Tools] accelerator for global impact," Dr Tedros said on Monday.

"However to exploit this window, we have to fundamentally scale up the way we are funding the ACT Accelerator and prioritise the use of new tools.

"There is a vast global gap between our ambition for the ACT accelerator, and the amount of funds that have been committed."

WHO reports record single-day global increase in coronavirus cases

According to WHO, this is the first time the number of new daily infections has surpassed a quarter of a million.

The biggest increases were in the US, Brazil, India and South Africa.

The global death toll from coronavirus also rose by 7,360 - the largest daily increase since 10 May.

The previous record rise in new confirmed cases was recorded by WHO just one day earlier.

The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus passed 14 million on Saturday, with over 600,000 recorded deaths, according to the tally kept by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Nations heading in wrong direction with COVID-19, says WHO

Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "too many countries [were] headed in the wrong direction".

Cases were rising where proven measures were not adopted or followed, he added.

The Americas are the current epicentre of the pandemic. The US has seen a rise in cases amid tensions between health experts and President Donald Trump.

The US, the worst affected country, has over 3.3 million confirmed cases and more than 135,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

What has the WHO said?

Hundreds of scientists say coronavirus is airborne - New York Times

The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with Covid-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks.

In an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan to publish in a scientific journal next week, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined the evidence showing smaller particles can infect people, the newspaper reported.

Pacific Covid-19 cases rise: WHO

There are new confirmed cases in Papua New Guinea, its tenth, and Guam, where a spike in cases has taken its total to 231.

The total number of cases listed by the WHO for the region is 352 - an increase of 38 cases since last week.

The WHO says although infection rates are slowing in the Pacific, the crisis is far from over.

While most Pacific Island nations have no recorded cases, the WHO says in many parts of the region, the pandemic is only starting to make its presence felt.

Outbreak at 'decisive point' as WHO urges action

His comments come as countries around the world battle to prevent the virus spreading further.

For a second day, more cases have been reported outside than inside China.

Iran and Italy have become major centres of infection, with people travelling from there spreading the virus further afield.

Several high-profile Iranian officials have become infected, the latest being Vice-President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar.

"It's what's happening in the rest of the world that's now our greatest concern," Dr Tedros said.