WHO, UNITAID Form Task Force to Secure Oxygen for COVID Patients

Sat, 27 Feb 2021

WHO, UNITAID Form Task Force to Secure Oxygen for COVID Patients

Voice of America
24 Feb 2021, 06:35 GMT+10

The World Health Organization, the global health initiative UNITAID and a consortium of partners Tuesday announced a new task force to secure oxygen supplies for COVID-19 patients in low and middle-income nations.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations' Geneva headquarters, UNITAID spokesman Herve Verhoosel said low-and-middle-income nations have faced challenges maintaining oxygen supplies since the pandemic started. He said some hospitals have simply run out, resulting in preventable deaths.

Verhoosel said more than 500,000 people in low- and middle-income countries currently need more than 1.1 million cylinders of oxygen per day, equal to eight million cubic meters.

Based on assessments provided by WHO's Health Emergencies Program,

task force members are hoping to raise $90 million to address oxygen needs in up to 20 countries, including Malawi, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Verhoosel said UNITAID and another task force member group, the health research foundation WELLCOME, will provide the initial $20 million, and they will determine the most urgent, short-term needs as well overall funding needed for the next year.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Mexico Star.

More Information

27 ℃

Fair in Mexico City

Lifestyle

Section

Irish schools expect to reopen in March

DUBLIN, Ireland - The government is considering easing the nationwide Covid lockdown before the planned nine-week deadline, as Taoiseach Micheal ...

US announces 'Khashoggi ban' for 76 Saudi individuals

Washington [US], February 27 (ANI): The United States on Friday (local time) imposed visa restrictions on 76 Saudi individuals who ...

Eat your way to Russia with this Northern dish - 'shangi (RECIPE)

Soft as a pillow, crunchy on the edges and stuffed with various rich fillings - Russia's shanga pie is wickedly ...

TN CM announces 3 lakh for deceased in Sivasaki fire

Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 26 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday announced Rs 3 lakh ...

US House to Vote on $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives votes Friday on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-relief package that aims to provide relief ...

Maternal instincts lead to social life of bees

Toronto [Canada], February 26 (ANI): The maternal care of offspring is one of the behavioural drivers that has led some ...

International

Section

Texas hearings to focus on failures that left people without power

AUSTIN, Texas: Texas lawmakers have begun hearings into the causes of the enormous power outages that plagued Texas residents at ...

U.S. Senate votes 78-20 to confirm Thomas-Greenfield as UN ambassador

WASHINGTON DC: - Career foreign service diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield was approved to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations this ...

Supreme Court ruling exacerbates Trump's legal issues

NEW YORK, New York - Like a mob boss looking for payback, Donald Trump wanted the Supreme Court to do ...

Inspectors to seek out metal failure as cause of United engine fire

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered immediate inspections of all Boeing 777-200 planes using Pratt ...

EU expects Navalny sanctions for Russians to be ready next week

BRUSSELS, Belgium - In a largely symbolic move, foreign ministers of the European Union agreed this week to sanction four ...

Boost in supplies seen as Covid vaccine stocks fall short of promises

WASHINGTON, DC - Moderna has announced, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that it will place 15 ...

Movie Review

Parasite (Gisaengchung)