UN Agencies Supporting Indian Government-Led Efforts To Deal With Coronavirus Pandemic: UN Spokesperson

United Nations: As the number of COVID-19 cases in India soars to over 4.2 million, several UN agencies are supporting the government-led health and socioeconomic efforts to help deal with the outbreak. Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Tuesday that the UN team in India is led by Resident Coordinator Renata Dessallien.

It is supporting the government-led health and socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic, with over 4.2 million confirmed cases to date.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has assisted with contact tracing of 8 million cases, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has trained 2.2 million health workers in Infection Prevention and Control, reaching 650 million children and families with life-saving information.

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The UN team has also supplied personal protective equipment. With a view to reach the most vulnerable, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) helped 100,000 migrant workers access social protection and reached 100,000 sanitation workers with safety kits and 4,000 metric tonnes of dry rations, Mr Dujarric said.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has trained 5,300 sanitation workers on safe waste disposal and is also helping develop a helpline directory for women in distress and supported guidelines on reproductive and adolescent services during lockdown.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) colleagues supported guidelines for gender-responsive job recovery, Mr Dujarric said.

The UN in India is also supporting the Government’s anti-stigma campaign, with over 170 million social media impressions in August alone, he added.

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According to estimates by the Johns Hopkins University, India currently has 4.2 million coronavirus cases in the world, second only after the US, which has 6.3 million cases.

Over 72,000 people have died in India from the virus, the third-highest death toll after the US and Brazil.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) 

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.