The public well being danger from COVID-19 stays excessive, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday. The virus remains to be circulating globally however comparatively few nations are following infections carefully, which means the precise menace because of the coronavirus and its variants could possibly be something from two to 19 instances greater than what’s being reported to WHO. Tweet URL > UNGeneva The company’s COVID point of interest, Dr Maria Van Kerhove, advised journalists in Geneva that knowledge from simply 50 nations signifies there are nonetheless 10,000 deaths per thirty days because of the virus. “On the positive side, the numbers of deaths have reduced drastically since its peak a couple of years ago”, the senior official stated. Among the ten,000 deaths reported in December, greater than half have been reported from the United States with an extra 1,000 from Italy. She stated it was clear that different deaths have been merely not being recorded however that “doesn’t mean that they’re not happening.” Dr Van Kerkhove additionally famous with concern a steep rise in hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions and warned that these numbers are prone to have elevated over the vacation season. The UN well being company official stated that many nations proceed to endure unnecessarily from COVID which may be prevented with ample testing and antivirals, together with acceptable scientific care, oxygen and vaccination. ## More than 336,000 in want of pressing support within the Republic of Congo Widespread flooding attributable to unusually heavy rainfall within the Republic of Congo has left greater than 336,000 folks in want of pressing humanitarian help, the World Health Organization stated on Friday. Floods have broken well being services and colleges and submerged giant areas of important farmland. Nine of the nation’s 12 departments have been affected, with these within the north of the nation in addition to departments bordering the Congo River among the many most severely impacted. Experts estimate that the present rainfall is twice the typical recorded within the 2022–2023 season. The floods have destroyed or broken 34 well being services, 120 colleges and greater than 64 000 homes within the affected areas. Humanitarian wants are projected to rise, additional worsening the plight of the affected inhabitants. “WHO is committed to supporting the government to ramp up emergency response to save lives and ensure access to critical basic services,” says Dr. Lucien Manga, WHO Representative within the Republic of Congo. “We are working with partner organizations to bolster relief response, support livelihoods and limit the threat of diseases outbreaks.” Working with companions, WHO is stepping up efforts to offer emergency well being providers to avert unfold of ailments; important medicines and life-saving medical provides; and guarantee crucial high quality well being providers by way of practical well being services and cellular clinics.  © Unsplash/Eddy Billard People store at a market exterior Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. ## Sri Lanka: OHCHR involved over crackdown on drug abusers The UN human rights workplace (OHCHR) stated on Friday it was very involved over Sri Lanka’s adoption of a “heavily security-based response” as a method of tackling unlawful drug abuse. Spokesperson Liz Throssell stated that “a staggering” 29,000 folks have reportedly been arrested on drug-related fees since 17 December, and a few are alleging that they’ve been ill-treated or tortured. Security forces have reportedly carried out raids with out search warrants, detaining suspected drug sellers and customers, whereas 1000’s have been despatched to military-run rehabilitation centres. “During and after these operations, people are reported to have been subjected to a number of violations, including unauthorised searches, arbitrary arrests and detention, ill-treatment, torture, and strip searches in public”, stated Ms. Throssell, whereas some legal professionals performing for detainees allege that they’ve confronted intimidation from law enforcement officials. Although medicine have been a urgent drawback for any society, “a heavy-handed law enforcement approach is not the solution”, she added. “Abuse of drugs and the factors that lead to it are first and foremost public health and social issues. People suspected of selling or trafficking drugs are entitled to humane treatment, with full respect for due process and transparent, fair trials.” She stated what was wanted have been acceptable help and programmes which deal with the basis causes of habit and permit social reintegration. The High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is urging Sri Lanka to assessment its ongoing “Yukthiya” operation, and to implement human rights based mostly approaches, stated Ms. Throssell, including that allegations of abuse of authority, torture and ill-treatment, or denial of due course of, “must be thoroughly and impartially investigated”.

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