Contribution to the WHO Strategic Prepared-ness and Response Plan for addressing the Covid-19 pandemic

Despite the development of several effective and safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in record time, the spread of more infectious virus variants has resulted in increased infections and deaths. Insufficient access to vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests, as well as weak health system capacities to adequately roll them out, pose enormous challenges to low- and lower-middle income countries. In addition, an indirect adverse effect of the pandemic has been increasing deaths that have been documented worldwide, as health systems disruptions associated with the pandemic and response measures have impacted care for other health conditions.

End the Covid-19 pandemic and build health systems’ resilience and readiness for the future

Ultimate beneficiaries: population in low-income countries and lower- and middle-income countries which are most impacted by Covid-19.

Direct beneficiaries: national and sub-national authorities, health systems and local community networks

·  Transmission of the virus is suppressed

·  Exposure to the virus is reduced

·  Misinformation and disinformation are countered

·  Vulnerable groups are protected through vaccination

·  Mortality and morbidity from all causes are reduced

-  Equitable access to new Covid-19 tools (vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics) is accelerated 

·    Implementation of effective and evidence-based public health and social measures, infection prevention and control measures, and measures to protect high-risk groups.

·    Communities are enabled to adopt risk-reducing behaviors and to practice infection prevention and control.

·    Managing the infodemic, communicating with, engaging, and empowering communities, enriching the information eco-system online and offline through high-quality and accessible and appropriate health guidance.

·    Vaccine deployment readiness is ensured in all countries and for all populations, through Covid-19 vaccination campaigns, by engaging sufficient health workers, and by building vaccine acceptance and demand based on priority groups.

·    Core health systems are strengthened to maintain and meet the increasing demand for both Covid-19 care and other essential health services.

-    National planning of preparedness and response, along the 10 Pillars of the SPRP, are prepared, implemented and monitored. 

Over the last 18 months, WHO provided support to national health systems in:

·    Accelerating innovative research on how to contain the spread of the virus. E.g. WHO has brought together more than 3000 researchers (40% of them from low-income or middle-income countries), from more than 1000 global institutions.

·    Leveraging global networks to adapt and update a comprehensive set of technical guidance for member states, from surveillance to clinical management, along with a readiness checklist and a disease commodity package for supply chain management. 

·    Training millions of health workers, in the field and online, and fixed broken supply chains to ensure that health workers have both the equipment and training to do their job safely and with an impact in reducing mortality and transmission.

·    Creating new tools and technologies to pioneer new ways of listening to and responding to communities. E.g. WHO compiled a compendium of 24 technologies that can be used in low-resource settings like ventilators with an extended battery life.

-     Counteracting infodemicwith different partners and modalities