Updates from the field #44: Committed to the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and other challenges

COVID-19 and other challenges continue to jeopardize the health and well-being of people across the globe. UN country teams are not standing down. They continue the fight with the same fearless determination.

Below, we highlight some of the coordinated efforts: 

COVID-19

Brazil 

24 August - The UN in Brazil, under the leadership of Resident Coordinator Silvia Rucks, continues to provide support to indigenous communities in the northern region. Four hundred health workers received 1.3 million personal protective equipment while UNOPS supported the purchase of medicines for COVID-19 treatment. UNICEF and UN Women, held workshops on gender-based violence, sanitation, hygiene, and COVID-19 treatment for more than 500 indigenous people while UN Women also provided food items and agricultural tools to indigenous women. For its part, UNFPA provided birth support kits to a non-governmental organization supporting 1,400 traditional midwives in the north of the country. 

Cambodia

6 August - Our UN Team in Cambodia, led by Resident Coordinator Pauline Tamesis, continues to support authorities to respond and recover from the pandemic, including through an equitable distribution of the vaccine. By early August, 7.6 million people had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 5.3 million received a second dose. The UN team has also been supporting the safe re-opening of schools, providing basic cleaning and hygiene supplies to all of Cambodia’s 13,300 public schools, reaching 3.2 million students.  

Cameroon

12 August - Our UN team in Cameroon, led by Resident Coordinator Matthias Naab, continues to work with national authorities to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The country received over 150,000 single-dose vaccines through COVAX this past Sunday, purchased by the UN Economic Commission for Africa through the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Trust initiative. This shipment adds to 300,000 doses of COVAX-backed single-dose vaccines donated by the USA last month. With other bilateral contributions, Cameroon received over 1 million vaccine doses so far.  

China

9 August - In China, our UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee, is supporting authorities’ response to the pandemic. WHO is providing technical support as well as research, knowledge sharing, vaccine development and roll-out. The team is also encouraging participation in the COVAX Facility while WHO is engaging with national health authorities on the COVID-19 vaccine programme, vaccine communications, and the procurement of testing and protective supplies. The UN in China is also providing risk communications and translation support.  

Ecuador 

18 August - In Ecuador, Resident Coordinator Lena Savelli is leading the work of the Organization in supporting national authorities with the health and social and economic response to the pandemic. The country received 100,000 doses of COVAX-backed AstraZeneca vaccines from Spain in mid-August, which will be distributed across the country to expedite its vaccination plan. According to official records, the country is close to meeting the goal of vaccinating 9 million people in 100 days. To date, Ecuador has received more than 1 million doses through the COVAX Facility, with the Pan-American Health Organization and UNICEF playing a key role.  

Fiji

13 August - Our UN team in Fiji, led by Resident Coordinator Sanaka Samarasinha, continues to support Fiji’s COVID-19 response on testing, treatment, communications, and vaccination. The UN has mobilized around US $26 million this year and recently provided 30 oxygen concentrators, 1,700 water and sanitation kits, 3,000 reusable masks, tents and other supplies. To complement what was already delivered, Fiji received more than 100,000 AstraZeneca and over 150,000 Moderna vaccine doses via COVAX, with more anticipated to arrive. Over half a million adults have received their first dose and over 180,000 their second. More than half of the COVAX-backed vaccines received are being given to pregnant women.  

Kyrgyzstan

3 August - From the onset of the pandemic, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Ozonnia Ojeilo, including WHO, UNICEF and other UN entities, is contributing to boost the health system, including the safety of frontline workers to deliver essential medical services. Last year, the UN team in Kyrgyzstan re-purposed more than half of its annual financial support to the COVID-19 response through a US$67 million response and recovery plan, in coordination with authorities to tackle the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic and to pave the way for a sustainable, longer-term recovery.  

Malaysia 

2 August - The UN team in Malaysia, led by Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner, continues to support authorities to rollout the COVID-19 national vaccination plan, especially where it affects undocumented persons, refugees, and asylum-seekers, including those in hard-to-reach areas. IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WHO are providing technical and advocacy support while UNHCR is providing data. The UN in Malaysia is also working with partners to widen the coverage of the current vaccination plan, providing support on risk communication, outreach, and community engagement in local  languages. The team launched an online portal for refugees, asylum-seekers and organizations supporting refugees and is organizing activities to combat misinformation.  

Malawi

3 & 11 August - In Malawi, the UN team, led by UN Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres, continues to support authorities’ response to the COVID-19 crisis. The UN facilitated the delivery of 192,000 doses of Astra Zeneca vaccines from France under COVAX. This adds to the 360,000 doses received in March, also through COVAX. Through WHO and UNICEF, the UN also provided 145 oxygen concentrators and 35 oxygen cylinders to boost critical care facilities. Leveraging nearly US $4 million from the SDG Acceleration Fund, the UN is also boosting access to essential health services and education as well as protecting vulnerable communities, including women and girls. 

Somalia (23 August) 

23 August - In Somalia, our UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Adam Abdelmoula, continues to support the Government response to the pandemic. The UN team is supporting the health ministry in ensuring safe and equitable distribution of vaccines through the management of cold chain systems, training of vaccinators, and monitoring of vaccine use. On the socio-economic front, WFP and UNICEF are supporting the first long-term security programme of the government to provide financial aid for 200,000 households this year. For its part, UNDP is coordinating research on the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of COVID-19 on health, education, gender, displacement, budget, and ports in Somalia at the federal and state levels. 

COVAX 

Bahamas 

11 August - The Bahamas received over 33,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, the third batch received via COVAX. As of 31 July 2021, a total of over 106,000 doses had been administrated, with more than 61,000 people having received the first dose and over 46,000 being fully vaccinated according to national records. 

Bolivia

16 August - Bolivia received close to 150,000 additional doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Sweden under the COVAX Facility. This fifth batch is the result of the partnership between the authorities and UN team, including PAHO/WHO and UNICEF. The arrival of this shipment will allow the national immunization plan to continue to protect priority groups and people at increased risk of developing severe symptoms of COVID-19. 

Egypt

16 August - In mid-August, Egypt has received an additional 1.7 million doses of COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines through COVAX. This delivery will provide an important boost to the on-going vaccination campaign in Egypt. It comes as the third shipment with a total of over 4.3 million vaccine doses received via COVAX. 

Kyrgyzstan 

3 August - Kyrgyzstan received over 220,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines donated to the COVAX Facility by the Government of Sweden. The shipment arrived on 30 July and is the first batch received through COVAX, of a total 2.6 million doses of vaccines expected through this Facility. Also, under COVAX, more than 2.6 million syringes and over 25,000 safety syringe disposal boxes have arrived between April and July. 

Malawi

11 August - Malawi received over 300,000 single doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the United States through the COVAX Facility in early August, bringing the total number of COVAX-backed vaccines the country has received to more than 850,000. As Malawi is facing a third wave of the pandemic, this arrival is boosting the country’s capacity in protecting its population. 

Somalia

23 August - In early August, 108,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from France through COVAX arrived in Somalia. The country is prioritizing frontline and essential health workers, the elderly, and the chronically ill in this phase of COVID-19 vaccine deployment. To date, nearly 190,000 people have received their first dose of vaccine and more than 92,000 their second dose. 

Latin America and the Caribbean

10 August - Guyana received a third batch of COVAX-backed vaccines, with over 57,000 doses of AstraZeneca, including more than 19,000 from France. Guyana has vaccinated nearly 60 per cent of its adult population, including 30 per cent who are fully vaccinated. More vaccine doses are expected to arrive. 

COVAX-backed vaccines also arrived in Nicaragua and Suriname. Suriname received a third shipment of over 26,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Spain in early August, which is being rolled out with support from PAHO and UNICEF, Nicaragua also received its third shipment with nearly 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, also from Spain. With this latest batch, Nicaragua has received nearly 270,000 doses through COVAX.  

For its part, Paraguay received over 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility at the beginning of August as part of a donation from Spain as well as 6,000 doses of Coronavac vaccines from Colombia, also through COVAX. So far, Paraguay has received over 550,000 doses via COVAX, with more on the way. According to official records, more than 2 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with over 300,000 being fully vaccinated. 

Moving over to Peru, the country received more than 101,000 AstraZeneca vaccines in early August from Spain through the COVAX Facility. With this shipment, Peru has received a total of more than 1.7 million doses through COVAX since March.  

And Trinidad and Tobago received more than 30,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines via its third COVAX batch. According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency, some 10.7 million people are vaccinated earlier in August. 

Other areas 

Côte d'Ivoire / EBOLA

17 August - In Côte d'Ivoire, our UN team led by Resident Coordinator Philippe Poinsot is boosting support to authorities following the confirmation of a new case of Ebola, the first in the country in 27 years. Authorities quickly confirmed the case within 24 hours of its diagnosis and the patient is being treated and in recovery. The UN team supported authorities to swiftly receive 5,000 doses of Ebola vaccines, which arrived from Guinea. Vaccination of contacts and health workers began shortly after. Authorities are finalizing a multimedia communication campaign to raise awareness and prevent more cases. The UN in Côte d’Ivoire is fully mobilized to support on vaccination, treatment and logistics efforts. 

Guinea / Marburg Virus 

11 August - National authorities confirmed yesterday the first case of Marburg virus disease in Guinea. The UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Vincent Martin, which continues to support national authorities as part of the 90-day post-Ebola plan in the region, including in infection prevention and control. WHO supported the investigation that led to the confirmation of this first case while also working with UNICEF, IOM and other UN entities supporting the on-going COVID-19 and Ebola response. The UN in Guinea is leveraging its rapid response resources to boost contact tracing, and treatment capacity, engaging with communities on risk communication, while strengthening cross-border monitoring capacity. The team is also ensuring the continuity of essential social services, including protection against sexual exploitation and abuse.