Latest news with #PandemicFund
Zawya
3 days ago
- Health
- Zawya
Strengthening surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases in Egypt
The World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Egypt and the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, together with the Ministry of Health and Population's Expanded Programme on Immunization, conducted a training workshop to strengthen surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases in Egypt. The training, held from 20 to 23 July 2025 with support from the Pandemic Fund, was attended by surveillance officers from 13 governorates. Surveillance systems are essential for detecting, tracking and responding to diseases. They provide reliable, evidence-based data that informs public health decision-making, particularly in responding to diseases that can be prevented through vaccination. Through interactive discussions, simulation exercises and hands-on activities, participants enhanced their skills in detecting and reporting health threats and supporting disease surveillance and response activities as well as reviewing the latest updates to Egypt's vaccine-preventable disease surveillance guidelines. With ongoing humanitarian crises and disease outbreaks in neighbouring countries and territories, where health systems and surveillance mechanisms have been severely disrupted, strengthening Egypt's surveillance system is more important than ever. The training reflects WHO's continued commitment to supporting Egypt in building a stronger, more responsive surveillance systems to ensure early action to protect the health of all people living in the country. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization - Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Wire
3 days ago
- Health
- The Wire
Recovery, the Unfinished Business of the Pandemic
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic far outlasted the health emergency. Long after infection curves flattened and emergency declarations were lifted, countries across the globe continued to wrestle with a deep economic, social and health-related fallout. In India, over 23 crore people were pushed into poverty during the pandemic years, with rural and informal sector workers bearing the brunt, and the economic spillover continues to be seen in the form of increased government debt, rising inflation, a stagnating hospitality industry and other things, even after half a decade has passed since the onset of COVID. In the health sector, the disruption to routine immunisation services led to measles outbreaks in numerous Sub-Saharan countries, while a UNICEF report warned that about 23 million children missed out on essential vaccines in 2020 alone. Mental health outcomes also deteriorated sharply. Data from the WHO shows that there was a 25% global increase in anxiety and depression in the first year of the pandemic. These aftershocks demonstrate that recovery is not a passive return to normalcy – it is a protracted and complex phase that demands sustained attention, governance and resource mobilisation. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered worldwide efforts to mitigate the scale and impact of future health emergencies, including amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR); the creation of the Pandemic Fund and the WHO Pandemic Intelligence Hub; and the ACT-Accelerator, COVAX and One Health initiatives. The latest – and most talked-about – in this series of efforts is the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which was adopted on May 20, 2025 after three years of negotiations and discussions. It will become a legally binding international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response once it is signed by 60 countries. After India's vote in favour of the resolution to adopt the agreement, making it an official state party to the agreement, the prime minister has talked about its importance for vulnerable populations in the Global South that disproportionately bear the effects of health challenges. In order to successfully achieve this goal, the agreement needs to accomplish two things – chart out obligations targeted towards vulnerable populations, and highlight the specific ways in which pandemics' disproportionate impact on the Global South can be mitigated. While the agreement does lay the ground for equity in both aspects, it falls short of outlining implementable measures to achieve these goals meaningfully without hindering sovereign decisions. Notably, the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, a critical component tied to equity and access, still has another year to be worked out, further delaying clarity on how benefit-sharing commitments will be operationalised. Commendably, the agreement talks about the need to provide affordable health and other social support services to 'persons in vulnerable situations'. It also calls for the mitigation of the socioeconomic impacts of pandemics on such persons. However, it misses an opportunity to guide state parties on when and how this should be done at the domestic and trans-national levels, especially at the time of recovery. Integrating recovery into the pandemic agreement Article 3 of the agreement, titled 'Preparedness, health system resilience and recovery', gestures toward the importance of post-pandemic strategies. However, recovery is buried within broader health system resilience goals and mentioned only in passing. It refers vaguely to 'developing post-pandemic health system recovery strategies' without outlining how, when or by whom such strategies must be developed, implemented or monitored. This diluted treatment effectively renders recovery a discretionary task, rather than an obligation. There is no requirement for countries to assess the long-term impacts of pandemics on vulnerable populations, nor is there any architecture for coordinating recovery efforts, allocating responsibilities or ensuring accountability. In the light of this gap, recovery must be established as a clear, foundational pillar within the pandemic agreement – not a vague aspiration buried under resilience. It is important to acknowledge at the onset that international treaties cannot impose rigid mandates on sovereign states. However, by creating shared expectations and enabling frameworks, they can support states in fulfilling recovery goals without infringing on national autonomy. Rather than prescribe uniform recovery models, the agreement can promote adaptable, equity-based cooperation that complements domestic efforts while ensuring accountability and consistency across borders. The agreement should require states to develop standalone national recovery frameworks tailored to their contexts, with explicit mandates for implementation, periodic review and transparent reporting. Recovery should be understood broadly – not just as restoring health systems but as encompassing social, economic and mental health dimensions affected by pandemics. A comprehensive recovery approach must prioritise impact assessments focused on marginalised and vulnerable populations – including gender minorities, workers in the informal sector, migrants, senior citizens, homeless populations, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities – who disproportionately suffer during crises. These assessments should directly inform targeted economic and social policies, such as livelihood restoration, social protection adjustments and reintegration support, to prevent widening inequalities in the post-crisis phase. Further, recovery goals must be multi-dimensional and should account for the wide-ranging impact of pandemics across different key areas. Accordingly, the agreement should embed principles for access to justice and redressal mechanisms for harms suffered during pandemics, the restoration of disrupted education systems, safeguards for the continuity of essential public and welfare services, mechanisms for the review of governmental decisions and actions during the state of exception, and the rebuilding of public trust through transparent and participatory governance. The absence of these dimensions risks a recovery that is piecemeal and opaque, weakening institutional integrity and leaving societies more vulnerable to future crises. International cooperation in recovery efforts In order to achieve the aim of equity, especially across the Global North-Global South divide, the international community must direct its attention to recovery efforts across national borders. The agreement must institutionalise mechanisms for international coordination and solidarity during the recovery phase, facilitating sharing of expertise, resources and data across countries to reduce regional vulnerabilities and promote equitable resilience. The bodies set up under the agreement do not account for this adequately, in terms of function or finances. The mechanisms set up under the agreement, such as PABS, deal with important functions like pathogen and data sharing, and pharmaceutical supply and distribution. There are no such systems established for recovery. The Coordinating Financial Mechanism previously established under the IHR has been envisaged as the mechanism to promote sustainable financing for the implementation of the pandemic agreement as well. Its mandate under the pandemic agreement is to 'support strengthening and expanding capacities for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, and contribute to the prompt availability of surge financing response necessary as of day zero, particularly in developing country Parties.' This conspicuously and concerningly misses recovery as a crucial stage of assessing impacts and developing strategies for rebuilding, which is especially crucial for low and middle-income countries in the Global South, including India. The cultural impact of international documents Understandably, international agreements cannot impose specific obligations in the same way that domestic laws can. Given the legally binding nature of the pandemic agreement, it should also refrain from interfering with sovereign and context-specific decisions adopted at the national and sub-national levels. At the same time, beyond policy prescriptions, international treaties play a critical role in shaping legal cultures and empowering civil society to demand justice and reform. By embedding preparedness, resilience-building and recovery within the pandemic agreement, the global community will be able to create a shared vocabulary and normative framework that activists, policymakers and courts can invoke domestically to advance equity and resilience. India's past experience has illustrated this dynamic vividly. The Vishakha Guidelines on workplace sexual harassment, which transformed protections for women, were grounded in India's commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Similarly, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has influenced landmark judicial decisions and legislative reforms enhancing disability rights and access to welfare in India. What can be done to prioritise recovery? While laying out the rules or procedure and terms of reference, the Intergovernmental Working Group empowered under the agreement must lay down specific provisions on recovery, including indicative domestic guidance, mechanisms for international cooperation and sustainable financing or recovery that recognises marginalisation and prioritises equity. Embedding principles that prioritise domestic and international efforts will shift recovery from a discretionary afterthought to a binding commitment that demands accountability without prescribing inflexible solutions. It provides states with a flexible but clear mandate to build inclusive, adaptive recovery architectures that address the deep, lasting fallout of pandemics. Shreyashi Ray is a senior resident fellow with the health team at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. Anchal Bhatheja is a research fellow at the centre.
Zawya
23-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Unicef, World Bank join forces with South Africa for pandemic readiness
A mechanism set to support pandemic preparedness in low- and middle-income countries is set to be launched later this week. The Department of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), will officially launch the Pandemic Fund. As the project lead for this initiative, the Department of Health aims to strengthen South Africa's capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics. According to the joint statement, the launch, scheduled for Thursday in Pretoria, represents a significant milestone in global health security efforts. The Pandemic Fund, hosted by the World Bank, is a global financing mechanism that provides catalytic funding to support pandemic preparedness and response in low- and middle-income countries. 'South Africa's engagement through this project reinforces its leadership and commitment to advancing health system resilience,' the statement read. The launch will feature keynote remarks from national and international leaders, the unveiling of South Africa's Pandemic Fund implementation strategy, a panel discussion on pandemic preparedness, and opportunities for media engagement and networking with key stakeholders. The gathering will feature senior officials from various departments, including Health, Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development, as well as Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment. Representatives from the WHO, Unicef, FAO, the Pandemic Fund Secretariat, development partners, civil society organisations, and the media will also be present. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
See - Sada Elbalad
09-07-2025
- Health
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt, WHO Launche Region's 1st Vector Control Field Epidemiology Training
Ahmed Emam Egypt has launched the Middle East and North Africa's first field epidemiology training programme (FETP) dedicated to vector control, marking a major step forward in the region's ability to tackle vector-borne diseases. The initiative is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Egypt and funded by the Pandemic Fund. The newly launched training aims to build national capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and flies. With a strong emphasis on the One Health approach, the programme fosters collaboration across human, animal, and environmental health sectors. A total of 32 participants — mostly agricultural engineers from both the human and animal health sectors — are taking part in the training. The programme blends short, classroom-based instruction with extensive field placements. Over a six-month period, participants will attend three workshops, each followed by hands-on assignments in various governorates. The training dedicates 20% of the time to classroom learning and 80% to practical fieldwork. "This training is a regional first, and it reflects Egypt's commitment to strengthening public health capacity and intersectoral collaboration to address vector-borne threats,' said a WHO Egypt representative. Participants engaged in practical demonstrations, including the development of tools for controlling disease-carrying vectors. The training is competency-based and includes mentoring to reinforce field epidemiology skills. Egypt's FETP, first established in 1993, has trained over 385 epidemiologists and operates at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. WHO continues to provide technical support to the programme through updates to training materials, mentoring, reviewing scientific outputs, and logistical assistance for fieldwork and workshops. By investing in this initiative, Egypt aims to bolster its preparedness and response capabilities, contributing to the country's broader efforts to protect public health and build a more resilient health system. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Zawya
07-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Egypt launches the first field epidemiology training programme in vector control in the Middle East and North Africa
The WHO Country Office in Egypt supported the Ministry of Health and Population in launching the Middle East and North Africa's first field epidemiology training programme (FETP) focused on vector control. Supported by the Pandemic Fund, it aims to strengthen national capacity in detecting, preventing and responding to vector-borne diseases. The training involved 32 participants, mainly agricultural engineers from the human and animal sectors. It is designed to build workforce capacity to manage and respond to vector-borne disease outbreaks by strengthening and fostering multisectoral collaboration and communication across the human, animal and environmental health sectors using the One Health approach. The training combines short classroom-based modules with extended field placements. Over 6 months, participants attend 3 workshops, each followed by field assignments to reinforce practical skills. The programme allocates 20% of training time to classroom instruction and 80% to hands-on fieldwork across different governorates. Egypt FETP comprises competency-based, mentored training that helps public health professionals enhance their field epidemiology knowledge, skills and competencies. Established in 1993, it has trained and graduated 385 epidemiologists. FETP operates at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. WHO Egypt has continued to provide technical support to Egypt's FETP, including updating training materials, mentoring participants, reviewing reports, abstracts and manuscripts and offering logistical support such as organizing workshops and other fieldwork activities. Successful implementation of the training will enhance Egypt's capacity for prevention, preparedness, detection and response to outbreaks, contributing to the safeguarding of public health and health system resilience. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization - Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.
