Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said Friday that Europe "has now become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.”
“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” he said.
Tedros added that at least 132,000 cases of coronavirus and 5,000 deaths have been reported around the world.
The WHO, which urged countries to act quickly and aggressively test to fight the virus, also announced on Friday that it will provide personal protective equipment to health workers in 28 additional countries.
“We’re continuing to support countries to prepare and respond,” Tedros said during a press briefing on Friday.
“We have shipped supplies of personal protective equipment to 56 countries, we’re shipping to a further 28, and we’ve sent almost 1.5 million diagnostic tests to 120 countries,” he said. “Every health facility should be ready to cope with large numbers of patients and ensure the safety of staff and patients.”
Just days after declaring the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, the WHO also announced a new response fund that companies, philanthropies and people can donate to and help fight the spread of coronavirus, also known as or COVID-19.
“Funds raised will be used to coordinate the response, to buy masks, gloves, gowns and goggles for health workers, to buy diagnostic tests, to improve surveillance and to invest in research and development,” Tedros said.
“This pandemic is growing faster than our resources to respond. WHO has outlined a $675 million funding need for its COVID-19 response through April of this year alone,” Kate Dodson, vice president for global health at the United Nations Foundation, said during a phone call with reporters this week.
“The funds will go to support the work of WHO and partners in solidarity with countries and communities around the world to track and understand the spread of the virus; ensure patients get the care they need and frontline workers get additional supplies and information; help ensure all countries can prepare, especially those with the weakest health systems; and accelerate efforts to develop vaccines, tests and treatments,” Dodson said.
