WHO and UNICEF to partner on pandemic response through COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund

Unprecedented fund an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to tackle COVID-19 pandemic

NEW YORK/GENEVA/WASHINGTON DC, 3 April 2020: The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF today announced an agreement to work together on COVID-19 response, through the historic COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund powered by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation.  

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund has been set up to facilitate an unprecedented global response by supporting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. As part of the agreement, an initial portion of the money from the Fund – which currently stands at more than $127 million – will flow to UNICEF for its work with vulnerable children and communities all over the world.

“COVID-19 is an unprecedented pandemic requiring extraordinary global solidarity to urgently respond,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “I’m pleased that UNICEF joined the Solidarity Response Fund. With their extensive experience both in fundraising and in implementing programmes, this partnership will help us to work together closely to save lives.”

The money collected through the fund will be used, among others, to train and equip communities and health-care workers to prevent, detect and treat COVID-19. It will help countries expand their health-care capacity and mitigate its social impact, especially on women, children and vulnerable social groups. And it will accelerate research and development of treatments and preventive vaccines.   

As a key partner in this joined-up effort, UNICEF will lead emergency efforts to ensure families and communities in the most vulnerable countries are fully engaged in the response and have access to water, sanitation and hygiene and other infection prevention and control measures. UNICEF will also ensure children, caretakers, and frontline responders such as social workers, teachers and healthcare workers are supported through evidence-based guidance through its vast community outreach and country programs. 

“This is an extraordinary emergency that demands an extraordinary response, and we need all hands on deck—individuals, corporations, foundations, governments and other organizations around the world,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “UNICEF is pleased to join the Solidarity Response Fund. It will bolster our efforts to strengthen health and sanitation systems and help protect the most vulnerable families from knock-on impacts of COVID-19 on already overstretched health systems.” 

Funds raised will be spent in alignment with the global response plan, and where needs are greatest. At the direction of WHO leadership, it is expected that resources will go directly toward:
• WHO, for its work to track the spread of the virus, assess gaps and needs, equip frontline health workers with personal protective equipment, ensure lab and testing tools are available in countries around the world, and keep communities and frontline responders informed with the latest technical guidance.
• UNICEF, to ensure children and families around the world are equipped with all the evidence-based information and latest WHO guidance as well as locally relevant information to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19; to support vulnerable countries by providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene, and basic infection prevention and control measures; and to provide access to care for vulnerable families and children.
• CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a key partner leading the financing for research and development for novel vaccines to combat COVID-19, working closely with WHO.

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund was set up at WHO’s request by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and launched three weeks ago. It is the only way for individuals and organizations to contribute directly to WHO’s global efforts to tackle the pandemic. To date the fund has $127 million raised or committed from more than 219,000 individuals from all over the world plus more than 90 global companies and organizations. The partnership is also a tremendous demonstration of solidarity across UN organizations in coordinating, partnering and supporting each other in dealing with the immediate and longer-term impact of the pandemic.  

“There has never been a more urgent need for global cooperation,” said Elizabeth Cousens, President & CEO of the UN Foundation. “The COVID-19 pandemic shows us that we all can play a part to stop the spread. The incredible generosity shown to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund from around the world will help WHO, UNICEF, CEPI and partners accelerate their lifesaving work, especially to support the most vulnerable communities and speed the development of a vaccine.”

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Notes to editors

About UNICEF 
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

About WHO 
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations’ specialized agency for health. It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its Member States usually through the Ministries of Health. The World Health Organization is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Learn more at www.who.int.

About the United Nations Foundation
The UN Foundation brings together ideas, people, and resources to help the United Nations drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. Our hallmark is to collaborate for lasting change and innovate to address humanity’s greatest challenges. Learn more at www.unfoundation.org.

For further information, please contact:
Kurtis Cooper, UNICEF, +19174761435, [email protected]
Serena Jiwani, UN Foundation, +12028542355, [email protected]
Tarik Jasarevic, WHO,  +41793676214,  [email protected]
Margaret Harris, WHO,  +41 79 290 6688,  [email protected]

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OMS no UNICEF parseria hatan ba pandemia COVID-19 liu husi fundu solidaridade

Ho fundus ida ne’ebe seidauk akontese antes ne’e no abordajen ida ‘liman hotu iha ulun’ atu kombate COVID-19

Nova Yorke/Geneva/Washinton DC, 3 April 2020: Organizasaun Mundial Saúde ho UNICEF anunsia ohin loron akordu ida atu servisu hamutuk hodi hatan ba COVID-19, liu husi Fundus Slidaridade Ístoriku Hatan ba COVID-19 husi fundus Nasoins Unidas no Fundasaun Philanthropy Swiss.   

Fundus Solidaridade Hatan ba COVID-19 aloka ona atu fasilita ba hatan ne’ebe uluk seidauk iha hodi apoia Organizasaun Mundial Saúde (OMS) nia Planu Emerjensia ba Preparasaun atu Hatan. Hanesan parte husi akordu ne’e, inisiu husi proporsaun fundus ne’e – atualmente iha millaun $127 liu – sei aloka ba UNICEF-nia servisu ba labarik vulneravel sira no komunidade sira hotu iha mundu ne’e. 

“COVID-19 ne’e pandemia ida seidauk akontese rekere solidaridade global estraordinariu atu hatan ho urjente, “dehan Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Diretor Jeral Organizasaun Mundial Saúde. “Hau kontente ho kontribuisaun Fundus Solidadridade hodi Hatan. Ho sira-nia experiensia barak ba angriasaun no implementasaun programa sira, parseria ne’e sei ajuda atu servisu hamutuk besik-liu hodi salva moris sira.”

Orsamentu ne’e halibur husi fundus mak sei uza, entre sira seluk, ba formasaun no ekipa komunidade sira no profesional saude sira hodi prevene, deteta no trata COVID-19. Ne’e sei ajuda país sira habelar sira-nia kapasidade kuidadu saúde no mitiga nia impaktu sosial, espesialmente feto sira, labarik sira no grupu vulneravel sira. No ne’e mós sei aselera peskiza no dezenvolvimentu tratamentu no vasina preventiva sira. 

Hanesan parseiru xafe iha esforsu konjunta ne’e, UNICEF sei lidera esforsu emerjensia atu garante familia sira no komunidade sira iha país vulneravel sira involve totalmente iha hatan ba asesu bee, saneamentu no ijiene no prevensaun infesaun sira seluk no medida kontrolu sira. UNICEF sei mós garante labarik, kuidador, no ema sira iha liña oin sira hanesan servisu sosial nain sira, mestri, no prestador servisu saúde sira hetan ona apoiu liu husi matadalan bazeia ba evidensia liu husi sira-nia programa ba komunidade sira no programa pís sira. 

“Ne’e emerjensia extraordinaria ida mak eziji hatan extraordinaria, no ita presiza individu sira-nia liman hotu iha ulun – kompañia, fundasaun, governu sira no organizasaun sira seluk iha mundu ne’e,”dehan Henrietta Fore, Diretora Exekutiva UNICEF. “UNICEF kontente atu involve iha Fundus Solidadridade ba Hatan ne’e. Ne’e sei reforsa ita-nia esforsu sira hodi fortalese sistema saúde no saneamentu sira no ajuda proteje familia vulneravel-liu sira husi impaktu indiretu COVID-19 iha sistema saúde mak todan ona.”   

Fundus sira halibur ona sei gasta tuir aliñamentu planu hatan global, ho nesesidade bo’ot. Tuir diresaun lideransa OMS, ita hein katak rekursu sira sei diresiona direta ba:
• OMS, ba sira-nia servisu atu kontrola propagasaun virus ne’e, avalia lakuna nesesidade sira, ekipa profesional saúde sira ho ekipamentu protesaun pesoal, garante ekipamentu laboratoriu no teste disponivel iha país sira iha mundu, no manten komunidade no ena iha liña oin sira informadu ho matadalan tekniku foun.
• UNICEF, atu garante labarik no familia sira iha mundu ekipadu ho informasaun bazeia ba evidensia no matadalan foun husi OMS no mós informasaun lokal relevante hodi proteje sira-an rasik husi propagasaun COVID-19; atu apoia país vulneravel sira liu husi fornese asesu ba bee, saneamentu no ijiene, no prevensaun infesaun faziku, no medida kontrolu sira; no oferese asesu ba kuidadu familia no labarik vulneravel sira. 
• CEPI, Koligasaun ba Inovasaun iha Preparasaun ba Epidemia, hanesan parseiru xafe lidera finansiamentu ba peskiza no dezenvolvimentu vasina foun hodi kombate COVID-19, servisu besik-liu ho OMS.  

Fundus Solidaridade Hatan ba COVID-19 aloka ona tuir rekizisaun OMS liu husi Fundasaun ONU no Fundasaun Philanthropy Swiss no lansa ona semana tolu liu ba. Ne’e dalan úniku ba individual no organizasaun sira atu kontribui diretamente ba OMS nia esfrosu global atu hatan ba pandemia ne’e. Ohin loron fundu ne’e hamutuk millaun $127 halibur ona ka komprometidu ona ba individual 219.000 liu iha mundu ne’e no kompañia no organizasaun global liu 90. Parseria ne’e mós hatudu solidaridade bo’ot ida iha organizasaun ONU tomak ba kordenasaun, parseria no apoiu malu iha asaun imediatu no periudu naruk ba impaktu pandemia.   

“Laiha nesesidade ida urjente liu fali koperasaun global,” dehan Elizabeth Cousens, Prezidente & CEO Fundasaun ONU. “Pandemia COVID-19 hatudu mai ita katak ita hotu bele hola parte atu hapara propagasaun. Jenerozidade bo’ot hatudu ona iha Fundus Solidaridade Hatan ba COVID-19 husi mundu hotu liu husi ajuda OMS, UNICEF, CEPI no parseiru sira aselera sira-nia servisu salva vida sira, espesialmente ba apoiu komunidade vulneravel liu sira no aselera dezenvolvimentu vasina.

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Nota na editor sira

Kona-ba UNICEF 
UNICEF servisu iha fatin balu mak difisil tebes, atu hakbesik ba labarik desfavoresida-liu sira. Iha país no territoriu liu 190, ami servisu ba labarik hotu, iha ne’ebe deit, atu hari’i mundu ida di’ak-liu ba ema hotu.  

Kona-ba OMS 
Organizasaun Mundial Saúde (OMS) ne’e ajensia ONU espesializada iha saúde. Nia Organizasaun inter-governamental ida no servisu ho kolaborasaun ho Estadu Membru sira nomeadamente liu husi Ministeriu Saúde. Organizasau Munsial Saúde responsabiliza ba provizaun lideransa ba buat hirak saúde global-nian, prepara ajenda peskiza saúde, kria norma no padraun sira, artikula opsaun politika bazeia ba evidensia, provizaun apoiu tekniku ba país sira no monitorizasaun no avaliasaun tendensia saúde sira. Atu hatene liu tan iha www.who.int. 

Kona-ba Fundasaun Nasoins Unidas
Fundasaun ONU halibur hamutu ideia sira, povu, no rekursu hodi ajuda Nasoins Unidas hodi dudu progresu global no rezolve problema urjente sira. Ami-nia marka mak kolabora ba mudansa duradoura atu rezolve dezafiu umanidade bo’ot sira. Atu hatene liu tan iha www.unfoundation.org. 

Ba informasaun detallu, favor kontaktu:
Kurtis Cooper, UNICEF, +19174761435, [email protected]
Serena Jiwani, UN Foundation, +12028542355, [email protected]
Tarik Jasarevic, WHO,  +41793676214,  [email protected]
Margaret Harris, WHO,  +41 79 290 6688,  [email protected]