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Battling COVID-19 in the Region, November 2020

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Since the start of the Syrian crisis, WHO has maintained a strong partnership with the Syrian Red Crescent to reach people living in hard-to-reach and besieged areas, especially people with limited access to health care to save lives and promote health. This partnership continues in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Pakistan, WHO and the Health Services Academy visited Rawalpindi to monitor the second round of a COVID-19 seroprevalence survey to better understand this new disease.
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In the Gaza strip, WHO delivered 50 000 COVID-19 sample collection swabs and 1000 rapid tests to local health authorities. This delivery comes at a critical time as testing supplies are running low due to the ongoing spread of the virus.
In Iraq, with the support of WHO and Germany, a COVID-19 prevention awareness-raising campaign was conducted on the importance of mask-wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing.
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In Libya, with the support of WHO, distribution of 426 oxygen concentrators is ongoing to 93 health facilities involved in the COVID-19 response aiming to strengthen the local health system response.
In Syrian Arab Republic, WHO and UNICEF conducted a 20-day awareness campaign in Homs and Hama governorates on COVID-19 preventive measures, with special attention to mental health and psychosocial support for children affected by humanitarian emergencies.
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In Tunisia, WHO continues to support the Ministry of Health technically and financially in order to improve laboratory capacities and timely detect COVID-19 cases.
In Jordan, with funds from the EU Trust Fund Health Emergency Project, WHO provided the Ministry of Health with the COBAS 6800 fully-automated system that can perform around 1300 COVID-19 PCR tests in 24-hours, enhancing the testing capacity of central laboratories.
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In Yemen, COVID-19 is exacerbating the humanitarian needs of the people. A new partnership with Germany will enable WHO to support the continuity of medical treatment at 32 isolation units, including through the provision of personal protective equipment.
In the Gaza Strip, with the support of Kuwait, WHO distributed five ventilators, and with the support of UK Aid, 70 000 swabs, to local health authorities to help maintain Gaza’s capacity to detect and manage COVID-19 cases.
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In Sudan, with a generous donation from the United States Agency for International Development and country-based pooled funds, WHO distributed essential medicines to respond to the health impact of the recent floods. These lifesaving medicines and medical supplies for emergency services will help 900 000 people in 15 states over 3 months.
In Tunisia, WHO experts conducted a 6-day mission to assess the situation and made recommendations on ensuring the continuity of medical services during the pandemic.
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As Somalia battles COVID-19, WHO is also responding to other health threats to protect the most vulnerable. With the support of health authorities in the central and southern zones , and UNICEF, more than 56 500 children aged 6 months to 5 years received measles vaccine and vitamin A, and children above 12 months also received albendazole tablets.
In Sudan, WHO and UNICEF worked with the Federal Ministry of Health to reach people living in hard-to-reach areas to deliver polio vaccine to 8.6 million children during a polio outbreak response campaign.

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