
WHO chief pats Dharavi for checking COVID spread
MUMBAI, July 11, 2020 (Samachar Network): WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is all praise for the way Mumbai checked the spread of COVID-19 in Dharavi
Addressing a virtual global media meet yesterday, Dr Tedros said through a there are many examples from around the world that have shown that even if the outbreak is very intense, it can still be brought back under control.
And some of these examples are Italy, Spain and South Korea, and even in Dharavi – a densely packed area in the megacity of Mumbai – a strong focus on community engagement and the basics of testing, tracing, isolating and treating all those that are sick is the key to breaking the chains of transmission and suppressing the virus, Dr Tedros said.
As many as 12 million cases have already been recorded the world over. The number of patients has doubled over the last six weeks.
Across all walks of life, we are all being tested to the limit. For those in poverty, with little or no access to quality health services, it’s not only COVID-19 that threatens lives and livelihoods.
Other diseases like measles, polio and malaria all thrive when immunization is paused and supply chains for medical supplies are interrupted.
WHO continues to work with partners to ensure that the poorest and most marginalized are prioritized.
That means restarting routine immunization and ensuring that medical supplies reach health workers across the world. There’s a lot of work still to be done.