The United Nations (UN) has stressed full participation of women for an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Xinhua.

UN Women and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs on Monday launched a joint policy brief entitled "COVID-19 and Conflict: Advancing women's meaningful participation in ceasefires and peace processes".

In support of the UN secretary-general's call for a global ceasefire, the brief addresses "the importance of women's full, equal and meaningful participation to an effective pandemic response and to peacemaking efforts."

It also provides a preliminary analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on women's participation in ceasefires and peace processes and offers a series of recommendations, including on "building back better".

Read Also: COVID-19 causes biggest disruption of education system in history

President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande warned in July that advances in gender equality are greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and this may mean a significant setback worldwide if inaction in this regard continues.

In March, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a global ceasefire to allow the world to address COVID-19.

Since the outbreak, women have been at the forefront of effective COVID-19 prevention and response efforts, said the UN chief.

The impact of the crisis on women in conflict-affected contexts is of particular concern. In these already tragic contexts, many women have had their access to sexual and reproductive health, livelihoods and other essential services severely restricted, according to the policy brief.

Women's increased exposure to the disease due to their high levels of engagement in paid and unpaid care work, the surge in domestic violence and already fragile health systems being overwhelmed are driving home the gender-differentiated impacts of the pandemic, said the brief.

Displaced, refugee, rural and other marginalised women face additional challenges including a lack of reliable information and access to critical technologies, the brief noted.

Read Also: No ‘silver bullet’ to combat Covid-19 pandemic: WHO chief

Coronavirus cases, first reported in China in December last year, have shot past 18 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The total number of cases stood at 18,109,901 and the fatalities rose to 690,055 on Monday. Besides, 1,468,689 people recovered from virus infection globally.

Bangladesh has so far confirmed 242,102 cases with 3,184 deaths.

World Health Organization’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday that there’s no silver bullet for a vaccine against Covid-19 pandemic.

There might never be, he told a regular press briefing in Geneva, reports UN News.

He said a number of vaccines are now in phase 3 clinical trials, and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection.

However, there is no silver bullet at the moment, and there might never be, Tedros said.

“The message to people and governments is clear: do it all,” he stated, “and when it’s under control, keep going!”

WHO Director-General Tedros urged all nations to strictly enforce health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and testing.

“For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control. Testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts. Do it all,” he said.

“Inform, empower and listen to communities. Do it all.”

The WHO Emergency Committee on COVID-19 met Friday to review the current coronavirus pandemic at what chief Tedros called “a sobering moment”.

In Geneva, he recalled that when the Committee met three months ago, WHO had received reports of three million COVID-19 cases and more than 200,000 deaths.

“Since then,” he updated, “the number of cases has increased more than five-fold to 17.5 million, and the number of deaths has more than tripled, to 680,000.”

Read Also: Global Covid-19 cases now over 18 million

Mitigation measures

The Committee suggested a range of proposals for countries to bring the virus under control, including enhanced political commitment and leadership for national strategies and localised response activities driven by science, data, and experience.

They also acknowledged that member states have “tough choices” to make to turn the epidemic around.

While recognising that “it’s not easy”, the WHO chief maintained that “when leaders step up and work intensely with their populations”, the disease can be “brought under control”.

“It’s never too late to turn this pandemic around,” Tedros upheld, adding that “if we act together today, we can save lives and livelihoods”.

Masking up

UNB File Photo

This week, WHO is also launching a “mask challenge”, by encouraging people to send in photos of themselves wearing a protective mask.

In addition to being a key tool to stop the virus, masks have come to represent solidarity.

“If you’re a health worker, a frontline worker, wherever you are – show us your solidarity in following national guidelines and safely wearing a mask – whether caring for patients or loved ones, riding on public transport to work, or picking up essential supplies,” Tedros urged.

Breastfeeding during COVID

The UN official reminded that this is breastfeeding awareness week.

He reiterated WHO’s recommendation that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged, the same as all other mothers, to initiate or continue to breastfeed.

He said that the “many, many benefits of breastfeeding for newborn babies and children substantially outweigh the potential risks for COVID-19 infection”.

Global coronavirus situation

Globally, the number of officially confirmed coronavirus cases has shot past 18 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The total number of cases stood at 18,109,901 and the fatalities rose to 690,055 as of Monday evening, data compiled by JHU’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) showed.

Besides, 1,468,689 people recovered from virus infection globally.

Coronavirus situation in Bangladesh

The death tally from coronavirus in Bangladesh reached 3,184 on Monday as 30 more patients died of the virus in the last 24 hours, the health authorities announced at a regular online briefing.

But the number of tests came down drastically with only 4,249 samples being tested during this period. But more than one in four tests turned out to be positive – 1,356 in total.

Currently, Bangladesh’s officially confirmed cases stands at 2,42,102.

Nearly 1.6 billion learners across the world have been affected by the largest disruption of education systems in history caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated education disparities, according to UN Secretary-General’s policy brief on "Education during COVID-19 and Beyond" released on Tuesday.

Learning losses due to prolonged school closures threaten to erase progress made in recent decades, not least for girls and young women.

Some 23.8 million additional children and youth (from pre-primary to tertiary) could drop out or not have access to school next year due to the pandemic’s economic impact alone, the UN document noted.

Read Also: COVID-19: UNICEF for universal access to online, distance learning for children

Education is a fundamental human right and it is the bedrock of just, equal and inclusive societies and a main driver of sustainable development.

To prevent a pre-existing learning crisis from turning into a learning catastrophe, governments and the international community must step up, the policy brief said.

A ten-year-old boy studies with the help of his mother at home in the Mathare Informal Settlement in Nairobi, Kenya

Once national or local outbreaks of the virus are under control, governments must look to reopen schools safely, listening to the voices of key stakeholders and coordinating with relevant actors, including the health community.

The gap in education financing globally could increase by 30 percent because of the crisis.

The policy brief said governments need to protect education financing in national budgets, in international development assistance and through greater cooperation on debt.

Read Also: Experts for converting COVID-19 challenges into opportunities

To cope better with future crises, governments should strengthen the resilience of education systems by placing a strong focus on equity and inclusion; and on reinforce capacities for risk management.

Failure to do so poses major risks to international peace and stability, it said.

The transformation of education systems has been stimulated and reinforced in many countries during the pandemic: innovative solutions for learning and teaching continuity have flourished.

Responses have also highlighted major divides, beginning with the digital one.

It is time to reimagine education and accelerate positive change, and ensure that education systems are more flexible, equitable, and inclusive, said the policy brief.

Read Also: Education sector needs ‘comprehensive recovery plan’: Rasheda K. Chowdhury

250m school-age children out of school

To spur global momentum around the education emergency and the need to protect and reimagine education in a post-COVID-19 world, a coalition of global organisations is joining forces to launch the ‘SaveOurFuture’ campaign.

This campaign will amplify the voices of children and young people and urge governments worldwide to recognise the investment in education as critical to COVID-19 recovery, the policy brief reads.

In mid-July, schools were closed in more than 160 countries, affecting over 1 billion students. At least 40 million children worldwide have missed out on education in their critical pre-school year.

And parents, especially women, have been forced to assume heavy care burdens in the home.

Despite the delivery of lessons by radio, television and online, and the best efforts of teachers and parents, many students remain out of reach.

Learners with disabilities, those in minority or disadvantaged communities, displaced and refugee students and those in remote areas are at highest risk of being left behind.

And even for those who can access distance learning, success depends on their living conditions, including the fair distribution of domestic duties.

More than 250 million school-age children were out of school.

Globally, the number of officially confirmed coronavirus cases has shot past 18 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The total number of cases stood at 18,109,901 and the fatalities rose to 690,055 as of Monday evening, data compiled by JHU’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) showed.

Besides, 1,468,689 people recovered from virus infection globally.

The US has topped the list of countries with most confirmed cases (4,668,406) as its fatalities reached 154,861, according to JHU.

Besides, Brazil came in the second place with 2,733,677 infections and 94,104 deaths.

India currently ranks third in terms of confirmed coronavirus cases (1,803,695) followed by Russia (854,641), South Africa (511,485), Mexico (439,046) and Peru (428,850).

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has been placed 16th in this list of countries with most officially confirmed coronavirus cases.

Coronavirus situation in Bangladesh

The death tally from coronavirus in Bangladesh reached 3,184 on Monday as 30 more patients died of the virus in the last 24 hours, the health authorities announced at a regular online briefing.

But the number of tests came down drastically with only 4,249 samples being tested during this period. But more than one in four tests turned out to be positive – 1,356 in total.

The daily infection rate reached an unprecedented 31.9 percent which is highest in the last two months. 

Currently, Bangladesh’s officially confirmed cases stands at 2,42,102.

Prof Dr Nasima Sultana of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), who has been delivering the numbers at an online briefing, said 1,066 patients have made full recovery from Covid-19, raising the total recoveries to 1,37,905. 

Nearly 57 percent have recovered from the disease in Bangladesh, she said.

UN has urged communities everywhere to “support breastfeeding for a healthier planet” as the World Breastfeeding Week is underway beginning Saturday.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a joint call for governments to protect and promote women’s access to skilled breastfeeding counselling - a critical component of breastfeeding support.

The UN has long advocated the benefits of breastfeeding, which delivers health, nutritional and emotional benefits to both children and mothers.

It also helps foster a sustainable food system, according to UN News.

“While breastfeeding is a natural process, it is not always easy”, said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in their joint statement.

“Mothers need support – both to get started and to sustain breastfeeding.”

Counselling services

The two top officials noted that skilled counselling services can ensure mothers and families receive this support, along with the information, advice, and reassurance they need to nourish their babies in the best way.

“Breastfeeding counselling can help mothers to build confidence while respecting their individual circumstances and choices”, they added.

“Counselling can empower women to overcome challenges and prevent feeding and care practices that may interfere with optimal breastfeeding, such as the provision of unnecessary liquids, foods, and breastmilk substitutes to infants and young children.”

Improving access to skilled counselling can also extend the duration of breastfeeding and promote exclusive breastfeeding, with benefits for babies, families and economies, they said.

820,000 lives potentially saved

“Indeed, analysis indicates that increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding could save the lives of 820,000 children every year, generating $302 billion in additional income.”

A variety of different healthcare professionals can provide the expert help needed, such as lactation counsellors and peer support providers - in a variety of clinical settings, or through home visits or community programmes, in person or remotely.

Innovate during COVID crisis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to find innovative solutions to ensure that access to these essential services is not disrupted and that families continue to receive the breastfeeding counselling they need.

During the pandemic, UNICEF and WHO, in line with the policy actions advocated by the UNICEF-WHO-led Global Breastfeeding Collective, are calling on governments to invest to make skilled breastfeeding counselling available to every woman.

Ensuring availability of skilled breastfeeding counselling to every woman will require increased financing for breastfeeding programmes and improved monitoring and implementation of policies, programmes and services, according to the statement shared by the WHO.

The governments are urged to train health care workers, including midwives and nurses, to deliver skilled breastfeeding counselling to mothers and families.

They urged the governments to ensure that counselling is made available as part of routine health and nutrition services that are easily accessible.

The governments are requested to partner and collaborate with civil society and health professional associations, building strong collaborative systems for provision of appropriate counselling.

The WHO and UNICEF urged the governments to protect health care workers from the influence of the baby food industry.

Fore and Tedros, concluded their message with a clear call for united action, on behalf of mothers and babies: “Together, through commitment, concerted action and collaboration, we can ensure that every mother has access to skilled breastfeeding counselling, empowering her to give her baby the best possible start in life.”