Pfizer coronavirus vaccine – vaccinated women in Norway complain of breast enlargement
Pfizer coronavirus vaccine – vaccinated women in Norway complain of breast enlargement

Doctors say that this reaction of the body to the vaccine is temporary.

Residents of Norway who were vaccinated against COVID-19 with the American Pfizer vaccine report on social networks about breast augmentation after this procedure. Doctors have commented on this strange side effect of the vaccine to the Dutch edition of NRK.

One of the Pfizer vaccinees, 17-year-old Emma from the Norwegian capital Oslo, wrote that due to breast augmentation, she had to buy a bra one size larger.

Doctors say that this effect can cause enlargement of the lymph nodes, which is a common reaction of the body to the introduction of this vaccine. As the doctor Heinrich Bachmann assured, breast augmentation is a temporary and short-term phenomenon.

According to Steinar Madsen, a spokesman for the Norwegian Medicines Agency, about 10 percent of vaccinated women had swollen lymph nodes after the first vaccination, making their breasts feel like they were growing.

The vaccine manufacturer Pfizer does not exclude that such an effect may be observed, but they have not heard of any complaints about this.

Mekong region is of great importance to India: EAM Jaishankar
Mekong region is of great importance to India: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. File   | Photo Credit: PTI

He made these remarks while addressing the 1th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation meeting comprising six countries — India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam

By  — Shyamal Sinha

India is seeking a multi-dimensional engagement with the Mekong region considering its great importance, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

In an address at the 11th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting, Jaishankar also called for a ‘collective and collaborative’ response to effectively deal with coronavirus pandemic, saying the virus does not respect national boundaries.

The MGC initiative comprising six countries — India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam — was launched in 2000 to boost cooperation in a range of areas including connectivity, tourism and culture. “We need to broaden the base of our partnership by identifying newer areas of cooperation”’ Jaishankar said.

‘We aim to promote connectivity in the region in the broadest sense of the term including not just physical but also digital, economic, and people-to-people connectivity,’ he said.

Referring to the coronavirus crisis, Jaishankar said there was a need to find ways on how the MGC partnership can lend its strength to the fight against the pandemic.

‘We are into the second year of dealing with the pandemic-related disruption. Our experience shows that the virus does not respect national boundaries. It is, therefore, necessary that the response to the pandemic is also collective and collaborative,’ he said.

‘We need to work together to find ways how the MGC partnership can lend its strength to the fight against the pandemic,’ he added.

The external affairs minister also said that the Mekong Ganga Cooperation stands on a strong foundation of shared geographical, historical and civilizational ties among the six countries.

‘This oldest sub-regional cooperation is as much a celebration of our long and rich history of trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges as it is a vehicle to advance modern day cooperation to bring progress and prosperity to our people,’he said.

sourced – PTI

The level of herd immunity against COVID-19 has reached over 60% of Romania’s urban population
The level of herd immunity against COVID-19 has reached over 60% of Romania’s urban population

Study conducted in Romania

  • The study was conducted by MedLife Medical System, a leader in private medicine in Romania, and was meant to assess the degree of immunisation acquired naturally or following vaccination in Romania, at the urban level.
  • According to MedLife doctors, the level of herd immunity at the urban level is over 60% of the population, i.e. between 6 and 7 million inhabitants, only in cities that represent 54% of the Romanian population.
  • If the rural environment were taken into account, the number of those who either got the disease or were vaccinated could reach 10-12 million people.
  • Less than 10% of those who got the disease but were not vaccinated show titres of neutralizing antibodies.[1]
  • Romania can become the most important nursery in Europe for investment and tourism. This is, however, conditioned by the rapid increase in vaccination rates.

Actively involved in research activities since the beginning of the pandemic, MedLife Medical System, as industry leader in Romania, conducted a new study, through its own research division, to assess the degree of immunization acquired naturally or following vaccination in Romania, at the urban level. Such research was conducted on a representative sample of 943 people, residents in cities with different characteristics in terms of vaccination rate and infection rate: Bucharest, Cluj, Constanța, Timișoara – Zone 1, and Giurgiu, Suceava and Piatra Neamț – Zone 2, respectively.

In order to determine the antibody titre against COVID-19, RBD IgG (protein fragment) serological tests on the spike protein were performed using Abbott analytical systems, which quantitatively measured the level of antibodies and SARS-CoV-2 Antibody (IgG) nucleocapsid qualitative tests confirming or refuting the presence of antibodies.

We make public the results of a new research approach conducted entirely from our own resources and exclusively with Romanian doctors and specialists. The data show that the level of herd immunity only at urban level, in Romania, is over 60%, i.e. 6-7 million Romanians, which indicates a major progress of the immunization rate, given that in May last year we, MedLife, were announcing, for the first time, that the immunity of the Romanian population to COVID-19 was below 2%. Moreover, if we extrapolate the data and also take into account the rural environment, we are probably talking about 10-12 million Romanians who got the disease or were vaccinated. However, this is not the time to relax. Studies on the Delta strain show beyond any doubt that natural immunity, which is obtained after getting the disease, is not effective against the new Delta strain. Wave 4 is closer than originally thought, probably in a month at most Romania will end up having again thousands of cases a day because of this much more infectious strain.

There is only one solution: vaccination. If the high level of natural immunization had been accompanied by an equally high rate of immunity achieved through vaccination, Romania would probably have done very well at European level. The vaccination campaign proved to be excellently organized in our country, with a very good territorial coverage and availability of vaccine stocks, but an even more intense increase in communication is needed to inform the population about the importance of this phenomenon and to increase vaccination rates as soon as possible.  If we prioritize vaccination in the next period, we have the chance to become the most important nursery in Europe for investment and tourism”, said Mihai Marcu, President and CEO of MedLife Group.

Three times more people in the big cities of Romania have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus compared to official reports. In smaller cities, the numbers are rising alarmingly

The study conducted by MedLife specialists shows that three times more people in the big cities of Romania were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, compared to official reports that reflect only the number of individuals who got the disease and took the PCR test to confirm the diagnosis. Thus, according to the serological tests performed during the approach carried out by MedLife, 34% of the population studied in the big cities has been exposed to COVID-19 infection since the onset of the pandemic onwards. Of these, more than half were most likely asymptomatic. Moreover, the same study shows that 50% of the population of small towns got the disease, up to nine times more than the numbers officially reported.

However, the situation remains worrying in Romania, given that people who got the disease and have not been vaccinated have a very good chance of being re-infected with the new strains of coronavirus now in circulation. Also, unlike Western European countries, the population aged over 60, the most exposed to severe forms of the disease, including hospitalization and even death, has chosen to be vaccinated to a much lesser extent.

Despite the rate of herd immunity, Romania is still far from the end of the pandemic

Although the data on the rate of herd immunization are optimistic, the MedLife research team warns that the fourth wave of the pandemic is inevitable and that its effects on the Romanian health system and the economy will be devastating if the vaccination rate does not increase rapidly in the next period.

This is explained by the fact that less than 10% of those who came in contact with the virus, but were not vaccinated, have a neutralizing antibody titre. However, MedLife doctors point out that the cumulative effect of vaccination and a history of COVID-19 is very strong, with 84% of those who got the disease and were vaccinated having a neutralizing antibody titre, including against the Delta strain. 

The high rate of herd immunity at the urban level could give us the impression that the situation is under control, but, unfortunately, we are still far from putting an end to this pandemic. We already know that in the case of asymptomatic patients or people with mild forms of the disease, the proportion of those who either did not develop antibodies at all as a result of contact with the virus, or developed a low antibody titre is higher compared to those who had severe forms of the disease. Therefore, there is a variability of the immune response to viral infection, much more so when it comes to the new strains, such as the Delta strain, which is gaining momentum in our country and will most likely become dominant in the next period. Therefore, at this moment, vaccination is the only way to protect ourselves against this virus, and if we do not increase the vaccination rate, most likely, in autumn, Romanian hospitals will begin to face the effects of this fourth wave of the pandemic“, said Dumitru Jardan, a biologist in the research division of the MedLife Group.

Proof of the fact that vaccination works is provided by the very capital of Romania, Bucharest, which seems to have one of the highest immunization rates in the country. The analysed data show that almost 70% of all Bucharest residents achieved immunity to COVID-19 naturally or by vaccination, and this is correlated with the high vaccination rate recorded in Bucharest.

MedLife, the only private medical company in Romania that has invested significant funds in research and managed to monitor the pandemic with a significant contribution to society

As the largest private medical company in Romania and the only one with national coverage, MedLife has been concerned with public health and has been actively involved in pandemic monitoring, conducting extensive studies with Romanian doctors, biologists and researchers. From the first months of the pandemic, the company focused its efforts and resources to monitor the epidemiological progress in the country, and has had a significant contribution in informing the population and the authorities in Romania.

In fact, the company is currently working on the first study in the region that evaluates the cellular immune response against COVID-19, and will soon return with essential information for the progress of the pandemic as regards the resistance of those who got the disease to a new reinfection.

***

The MedLife Medical System is the only operator in Romania truly concerned with public health since the beginning of the pandemic, which has conducted no less than 9 studies exclusively with its own funds and resources, involving Romanian doctors and researchers. Thus, the company provided the authorities with important information on the natural immunization of the population, at national level and in specific outbreaks, the dynamic evolution of antibodies to COVID-19, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating in Romania, and the manner of transmission or presence of other strains.

MedLife’s investment in research actions amounts to more than two million euros since the beginning of the pandemic. The research programme is carried out exclusively from the company’s own funds.

The company continues to invest in research, and is currently carrying out the first study in the region on the cellular immune response against COVID-19, the results of which will be crucial in the evolution of the pandemic.

www.medlife.ro


[1]   Values >= 3950 AU/ml were equated with a probability of 95% with neutralization titres >= 1:250 (PRNT ID50). The results obtained on other analytical platforms are not intercomparable.

Portugal: new restrictions on the spread of the Delta variant
Portugal: new restrictions on the spread of the Delta variant

With 1,500 new cases of coronavirus per day, concern is growing again in Portugal. And in particular in Lisbon and its region, faced with the Delta variant of Covid-19.

The Delta variant now represents 70% of new cases of Covid in Lisbon and its region. A situation that worries specialists because of the speed of transmission of this variant.

Several cases of reinfection are reported. In Lisbon, we fear above all a new confinement. ” It’s dangerous. And we pay less and less attention, comments Ana, hairdresser in the center of the capital. People are vaccinated so they think everything is fine, but that is not true. We are in the midst of a pandemic and we are allowing all these young people to come to our country or to other countries. “

As announced by the Minister of Health, Lisbon and its region will have to observe restrictions, especially at weekends.

Comment expliquer cette recrudescence de cas? Le pays de 10 millions d’habitants a été le seul de l’Union européenne où les touristes britanniques ont pu se rendre pendant trois semaines, entre mi-mai et début juin, alors que le variant Delta circulait déjà au Royaume-Uni. C’est également au Portugal que s’est déroulée le 29 mai dernier la finale de la Ligue des Champions entre Chelsea et Manchester City, qui a réuni près de 10.000 Anglais. 

Face à cette augmentation du nombre de cas, les déplacements entre la région de Lisbonne et le reste du pays sont interdits le week-end, jusqu’à nouvel ordre. Les personnes munies du certificat sanitaire européen, adopté par le Portugal, ou d’un test négatif pourront néanmoins se déplacer librement.

Selon l’Institut national de santé (Insa) du Portugal, le variant Delta est devenu prédominant dans la région du grand Lisbonne, représentant plus de 60% des nouveaux cas détectés. La ministre de la Santé a aussi reconnu que de nouvelles restrictions pouvaient être “nécessaires” pour contrer l’émergence de ce variant. “Quand nous limitons la circulation, nous gagnons du temps pour pouvoir mieux réagir. C’est ce que le Portugal fait actuellement, (…) gagner du temps pour vacciner davantage”, a fait valoir la ministre de la Santé, Marta Temido mercredi.

Sikhs To The Rescue As India’s COVID-19 Crisis Rages
Sikhs To The Rescue As India’s COVID-19 Crisis Rages

As COVID-19 ravages India, exposing government incompetency and bringing the country’s healthcare system to a collapse, Sikh organizations have moved quickly to save lives.
[…]

Khalsa Aid launched a COVID helpline via a public WhatsApp number where anyone in Delhi can send a request for aid. They have received thousands of messages for help since its launch.

“Nearly a week ago, when we started our seva, most people were demanding oxygen cylinders. Then we learned of an oxygen leak incident in a Maharashtra hospital, where at least a dozen people died. There was also an issue of refilling oxygen cylinders. It was at that point we thought that we need to provide oxygen concentrators,” Amarpreet Singh, Director of Khalsa Aid Asia Pacific, shared with Baaz.

They have distributed 65 concentrators in the first phase, and have plans to distribute another 35 in the second phase.

“The biggest issue we are facing is that there is not enough supply of concentrators in India. Most of the concentrators are being imported,” Amarpreet Singh said.

“The next time we get a supply of concentrators we will also start work in Punjab,” he added.

Hemkunt Foundation, which has been active across Farmers’ Protest sites, has also come to the aid of COVID patients in Delhi. They have distributed oxygen cylinders from its headquarter in Gurgaon, including home delivery.

They receive thousands of distress calls every day, keeping up the demand as best as possible. While they are providing their service free of cost, they do require a security deposit of 10,000 rupees which is refunded on the return of the cylinder.

It is not easy to procure cylinders in Delhi, which is why Hemkunt Foundation arranges for them from neighbouring states. However, just yesterday, their truck carrying a fresh shipment from Rajasthan was seized by local police while patients were patiently waiting outside the organization’s headquarters for the delivery.

Read more:

https://www.baaznews.org/p/sandeep-singh-sikhs-to-the-rescue

Jordan: EIB and the Housing Bank join forces to support SMEs
Jordan: EIB and the Housing Bank join forces to support SMEs
    • €100 million of financing to support economic resilience of Jordan
    • Team Europe response to tackle the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Funds to support private sector in Jordan

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is partnering with Housing Bank to support the Jordanian economy with a €100 million line of credit to local private sector businesses that have been severely impacted by the economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak.

The operation represents a coordinated effort with the European Union and forms part of Team Europe’s overall response to the Covid-19 crisis, which aims to support sustainable social and economic recovery of the region. It also falls under the EU-EIB Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), which amongst its primary objectives, intends to promote private sector development through the support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as key players for generating economic growth and employment opportunities in Jordan.

Dario Scannapieco, Vice President of the EIB, said “It is one of the EIB’s top priorities to support the resilience of the private sector during this unprecedented crisis with the provision of most needed funding through our cooperation with the Jordanian banking sector. Our partnership with Housing Bank for Trade and Finance aims to make available vital financing local businesses to help them cope with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the Team Europe response, we are committed to stepping up our support for Jordan to address the immediate challenges caused by the pandemic, as well as laying the foundations for a successful economic recovery after the crisis.”

Housing Bank’s CEO Ammar Safadi said, “This cooperation agreement is especially valued at Housing Bank, demonstrating the depth of the trust that EIB has placed in us as well as cementing their belief in our ability to support private-sector companies and especially the SMEs, a sector that we pay particular attention to due to its positive role in stimulating economic growth and providing job opportunities.” He pointed out that Housing Bank has established a specialized department dedicated to supporting SMEs to obtain the necessary and needed funding through programs that offer preferential rates.

Safadi went on to say the Housing Bank was among the first Jordanian banks to launch a financing program to support SMEs, helping them counteract the negative repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic by offering them low interest rates of just 2%, a move that is in line with the Central Bank of Jordan’s directions in April 2020 in response to the Jordan Loan Guarantee Corporation’s initiative. Safadi explained that the financing program offers excellent terms and competitive costs as a means of facilitating SME financing, helping them cover their operational costs and working capital in order to continue operations, pay employee salaries and meet their running costs.

Housing Bank Chief Executive Officer Ammar Al-Safadi said, “The European Investment Bank’s ardent financial support for the SME sector, which is the backbone of Jordan’s economy and a key driver of the economy, will go a long way towards recovery from the difficulties brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Through these funds, we will be able to continue supporting the sector and safeguarding jobs while simultaneously strengthening the economy’s resilience.”

The EU Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Maria Hadjitheodosiou, welcomed the financing provided by the EIB to Housing Bank, underlining the importance of supporting SMEs in maintaining jobs and creating economic growth.  The EU Ambassador added that this financing is complementary to other EU ongoing programs that aim to support economic growth, such as the €64 million programme “EU Support to Economic Reforms for Growth and Jobs in Jordan” that supports the implementation of the Government’s economic reform plans to improve private sector competitiveness and the investment climate, whilst strengthening public finance management.

Background information

SMEs are the backbone of the Jordanian economy as they account for over 95% of local businesses, contribute to more than 50% of GDP, and employ about 60% of the working population. As a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies have experienced a decrease in turnover and profitability, leading to payment delays and an increased demand for liquidity. It is now crucial to step up support to private sector businesses, thus helping to protect jobs and keep the economy going.

About Housing Bank:

Established in 1973 under a private law as a Jordanian public limited company, Housing Bank started its work as a bank specialized in housing finance with a capital of half a million Jordanian dinars. After 24 years of its establishment, a new phase began in the Bank’s journey when it became a comprehensive commercial bank in 1997. The Bank’s capital was raised more than once during the past years, the last of which was in 2017, when it reached 315 million Jordanian dinars (equivalent to 444 million US dollars). The Bank’s successive administrations have been keen to increase its capital base by strengthening its various reserves. Throughout its journey, the Bank was able to occupy a leading position in the Jordanian banking sector, and is today considered the largest bank in Jordan in terms of the number of branches, ATMs, and savings account balances. The Bank has received several important awards.

For more information, visit our website: www.hbtf.com

Note to the editor

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union’s bank. It is the long-term lending institution of the EU and is the only bank owned by and representing the interests of the European Union Member States. The EIB works closely with other EU institutions to implement EU policy.

Jordan and the EIB

EIB in the region

Economic Resilience Initiative:

Follow us on twitter :@eib

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanInvestmentBank/

Update on COVID-19: cautious optimism
Update on COVID-19: cautious optimism

Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe

Copenhagen, 11 February 2021

Good morning,

Even though we’re still seeing more than 1 million cases reported every week across the European Region, the overall case incidence of COVID-19 has been declining for 4 consecutive weeks, and for 2 weeks in a row, the number of new deaths has decreased.

Whilst this is good news, the decline in cases conceals increasing numbers of outbreaks and community spread involving variants of concern, meaning that we need to watch overall trends in transmission carefully and avoid rash decisions.

The numbers we are seeing are still too high. Two days ago, 40 countries in the European Region reported 3610 deaths in 24 hours, caused by COVID-19.

At this point, the overwhelming majority of European countries remain vulnerable. Right now, it’s a thin line between the hope of a vaccine and a false sense of security.

Based on information from 29 out of the 37 countries currently vaccinating in the European Region today, 7.8 million people have completed their immunization series. That’s equivalent to only 1.5% of the population of those 29 countries.

Yesterday, 17 states and territories in the WHO European Region had a 14-day incidence larger than 400 reported cases for every 100 000 people. This warrants measured decision-making at this critical juncture.

Time and again have we seen countries reopen too fast and lose hard-earned gains. I must reiterate that decisions to lift public health and social measures need to be underpinned with data, based on epidemiological assessment and health system capacity. Criteria need to be evidence-based – and not based on observations of relative progress.

Many of you worry about new variants, about how infectious they are, whether the disease they cause is more severe, whether vaccines will be less effective against them. Some variants are indeed of particular concern. We have all followed the reports on how receptive the variant B.1.351, first identified in South Africa, is to the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

This particular variant of concern has been reported in 19 European countries. Although community transmission in Europe is not yet widespread, the variant has increasingly been linked to outbreaks in communities. Irrespective of the variant, we must continue to suppress the virus.

Yesterday, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization concluded, based on all available evidence, that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine can be used in persons aged 18 years and above, including people older than 65 years.

What does the emergence of these variants mean?

It means that we must do everything in our power to reduce transmission and delay mutations that may influence vaccine efficacy. Unless we halt transmission now, the expected benefits from vaccinations in controlling this pandemic may not be evident.

This means that manufacturers will have to adjust to the virus’ evolution. This also underlines the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio of vaccines of varied technology platforms for use in a range of settings.

Vaccines are essential, but as of now, they are not sufficient to control the pandemic. They are only one among many tools at our disposal.

What has not changed is how the virus transmits. Temporary setbacks do not change the fact that current responses are having an impact. Despite new variants, WHO’s guidance on social and public health measures remains unchanged.

There is some more good news.

Thirty-five state parties have extended their genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, as have 18 others supported by WHO’s reference laboratories, due to the growing importance of identifying new variants.

Based on data from nearly 20 countries, the hospitalization rate due to COVID-19 fell from 13 to 11 per 100 000 people, between the 3rd and 4th week of January. A decrease, yes, but many of our hospitals continue to struggle.

The number of vaccine doses given has also exceeded the number of reported cases in the Region: some 41 million doses administered, versus 36 million reported cases.

Vaccination of priority groups is already saving lives. But the sheer scale of COVID-19 vaccine deployment is enormous; vaccinations will take time.

Vaccines offer a way to emerge faster from this pandemic. But only if we ensure that all countries, irrespective of income level, have access to them.

The divide between high-, middle- and low-income countries is clearer than ever. Unfair access to vaccines can backfire. The longer the virus lingers, the greater the risk of dangerous mutations.

Equitable access is a moral imperative, one that mitigates the pandemic’s impact on all of us, not just some.

Together with the European Union, today we launch a €40 million programme to ensure effective deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in 6 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. This complements ongoing work through COVAX and the EU sharing mechanism, with an initial focus on readiness, information campaigns, supplies and training of health workers.

Yesterday, I also signed an agreement with the EU to support the countries of the western Balkans in their efforts. In addition, we have a joint EU–WHO programme for the response across the central Asia region.

The time to scale up and accelerate vaccine production is now. We’re calling for a joint European effort to get vaccination programmes on track. Manufacturers and health-care providers need to share clinical data and dossiers with us so that we can accelerate Emergency Use Listings. We are also identifying smaller production sites with enough capacity and quality criteria in place to help manufacturing of vaccine components. Again, the key here is solidarity and pragmatism, through synergizing vaccine production capacity.

Finally, a very happy birthday to Sister Andre, Europe’s oldest person, a French nun who celebrates her 117th birthday today. A COVID-19 survivor, there’s a remarkable lesson to be learned from Sister Andre, who, during her illness, selflessly showed more concern for her fellow nursing home residents than for her own life.

Look after each other, and please stay safe.

Thank you.

WHO/Europe reports on unprecedented year at 148th Executive Board session
WHO/Europe reports on unprecedented year at 148th Executive Board session

Last week saw the conclusion of the 148th session of the WHO Executive Board, where members agree on the agenda and resolutions to be considered for the next World Health Assembly, to be held in May.

With 8 Member States from the WHO European Region represented on the Executive Board, and many more taking part actively in the discussions, the Region was well represented throughout the proceedings. On the important and most debated agenda item – the proposed Programme Budget 2022–2023 – all 53 European Region Members States agreed on a joint regional statement, which was proposed by Switzerland and delivered by the Russian Federation. This statement called for strengthening WHO to enable it to act effectively and independently to fulfil its mandate, while enhancing accountability and transparency at all levels of the Organization.

Throughout the session, WHO/Europe provided support to its Member States. The Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, hosted daily morning briefings to facilitate exchange between delegations and to highlight the regional dimensions of the global issues being discussed. He also intervened in the session to report on actions taken at regional level, including the regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic, steps undertaken to improve access to effective treatments, the transformation of the Regional Office and the activities of 70th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.

European Region’s response to COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected countries around the world and has been acutely felt in the European Region, Dr Kluge expressed his concern about the impact of the crisis on societies, as well as on health and care workers.

Since the outbreak, WHO/Europe has provided science-based and region-specific recommendations on topics such as: easing lockdowns, reopening schools, managing pandemic fatigue and ensuring health systems can manage COVID-19 and seasonal influenza.

Dr Kluge also highlighted the important role that WHO country offices have played in ensuring regular outreach and support to Member States. This included capacity-building to strengthen technical know-how and delivery of essential supplies where needed. “We have sought to listen as much as tell, empathize more than judge; gauging how our advice is used in practice, and constantly adjusting as we move forward. What we have learned and continue to learn, shapes the direction we take over the next 12 months and beyond,” Dr Kluge said.

WHO/Europe will continue to provide support to strengthen preparedness and response, but also to address the longer-term impacts – noting the work of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development to advise on how societies can rebuild from COVID-19 and better respond to future pandemics.

Access to effective treatments

On behalf of the Regional Director, WHO/Europe’s Executive Director, Robb Butler reflected on the need to move out of the deadlock created by the ever-increasing prices for new medicines entering the market in order to ensure access to effective treatments.

Referring to the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that through unprecedented political commitment, as well as international collaboration and solidarity, it is indeed possible to speed up research, development and access to life-saving medicines. This is why the European Programme of Work – “United Action for Better Health in Europe”, calls for a new social contract, convening all stakeholders – public and private – to ensure that population needs are met while the pharmaceutical industry gets the right incentives for producing the much-needed medicines.

In this spirit, WHO/Europe has launched the Oslo Medicines Initiative – a close collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Norwegian Medicines Agency. A high-level meeting is planned for March 2022, in Oslo, where a new vision for collaboration between the public and private sectors for better access to effective, novel, high-priced medicines will be presented and discussed.

Transforming WHO/Europe

On the item of the WHO transformation agenda, Dr Kluge reported on the innovations that are being introduced at WHO/Europe to make it more fit for purpose, with a focus on delivering impact in every single Member State across the Region. This is to be achieved by becoming a centre of normative and technical excellence and a top employer of choice, building a culture of open communication, energizing its workforce and fostering staff health and well-being.

In the meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board that preceded the session, the Chair of the Independent Expert Oversight Advisory Committee commended WHO/Europe and its Regional Director for the spirit and drive among staff to “get things done” and “to move from good to great”, by addressing the root causes of problems and implementing sustainable solutions.

Dr Kluge also reported to the Executive Board on the 70th session of the Regional Committee for Europe, which took place in September 2020. By introducing a shift in the format, culture and substance of the Regional Committee session, ushering in a new culture of free, frank and friendly exchange and discussion with Member States, WHO/Europe also wants to further strengthen its governance structures and the close involvement of its Member States.

Improving gender equality during and after the COVID-19 crisis
Improving gender equality during and after the COVID-19 crisis
  • New services essential to protect victims of domestic violence
  • Need for targeted actions to advance gender equality in national recovery and resilience plans
  • The most vulnerable groups of women must be supported

MEPs examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and proposed measures to protect women’s rights and enhance gender equality during and after the crisis.

In a report adopted by 485 votes in favour, 86 against and 108 abstentions on Thursday, MEPs stress the need for a gender-sensitive response to all aspects of the COVID-19 crisis in order to enhance gender equality and to protect women’s rights during the pandemic and post-pandemic period.

New services needed to protect victims of domestic violence

MEPs acknowledge that the public response has been insufficient in addressing violence against women during the pandemic. They ask member states to establish safe and flexible emergency warning systems and to offer new services to assist women in contacting the police directly by phone, email and text message.

In addition, MEPs urge the Commission to develop an EU protocol for violence against women in times of crises, which would include services to protect victims. They reiterate their call that all member states must ratify the Istanbul Convention and ask the Council to add violence against women to the list of EU criminal offences. They urge the Commission to propose a directive to tackle all forms of gender-based violence.

Women hit harder by the economic crisis

Since this economic crisis affects women disproportionately, and will lead to even greater inequalities between men and women, MEPs call on EU countries to incorporate a chapter with targeted actions to improve gender equality in their national recovery and resilience plans.

MEPs repeat that working from home is not a substitute for childcare and that access to childcare services is essential. EU countries should encourage men, through incentive measures, to take up flexible working, as a disproportionate number of women are now making use of these arrangements, they say, adding that member states should fully transpose and implement the Work-Life Balance Directive without delay.

Furthermore, MEPs call on the Commission to support women entrepreneurs, including through entrepreneurship opportunities for mothers or single parents, and to improve access to loans, equity finance and microfinancing through EU programmes and funds.

COVID-19 and intersectionality

Intersecting and structural discrimination creates additional barriers and challenges, as well as having a negative socio-economic impact on more vulnerable groups of women. Appropriate measures must be developed to reflect the varying circumstances in which women find themselves. These include older women in care homes that are now virus hotspots, women with disabilities unable to access their usual support networks or maintain physical distancing, migrant women that are more vulnerable to gender-based violence, but also rural, homeless and Roma women as well as members of the LGBTQI+ community, MEPs add.

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The rapporteur, Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, IE), said: ‘‘COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a differential impact on women, from the increase in domestic violence and care responsibilities to job losses. Yet men have also been significantly affected; for example, initial figures show that older men are more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. The post-virus recovery must take account of this differential impact if we are to build back better, reshaping our society to ensure that it is fully inclusive of all.”

COVID-19 drives wages down, new International Labour Organization (ILO) report finds
COVID-19 drives wages down, new International Labour Organization (ILO) report finds
Even before the COVID pandemic hit, hundreds of millions of workers worldwide were being paid less than the minimum wage.

Press release | 02 December 2020

A new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has found that monthly wages fell or grew more slowly in the first six months of 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in two-thirds of countries for which official data was available, and that the crisis is likely to inflict massive downward pressure on wages in the near future.

The wages of women and low-paid workers have been disproportionately affected by the crisis.

Furthermore, while average wages in one-third of the countries that provided data appeared to increase, this was largely as a result of substantial numbers of lower-paid workers losing their jobs and therefore skewing the average, since they were no longer included in the data for wage-earners.

In countries where strong measures were taken to preserve employment, the effects of the crisis were felt primarily as falls in wages rather than massive job losses.

Across a sample of 28 European countries, the largest wage bill losses – in excess of 10 per cent – have been estimated in Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. Workers in Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden have seen the lowest wage bill losses, smaller than 3 per cent.

The Global Wage Report 2020/21  shows that not all workers have been equally affected by the crisis. The impact on women has been worse than on men. Estimates based on a sample of 28 European countries find that, without wage subsidies, women would have lost 8.1 per cent of their wages in the second quarter of 2020, compared to 5.4 per cent for men. The largest differences between women and men are observed in Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, and the UK.

The crisis has also affected lower-paid workers severely. Those in lower-skilled occupations lost more working hours than higher-paying managerial and professional jobs, and this has increased earnings inequality. Using data from the group of 28 European countries the report shows that, without temporary subsidies, the lowest paid 50 per cent of workers would have lost an estimated 17.3 per cent of their wages. Without subsidies, the average amount of wages lost across all groups would have been 6.5 per cent. However, wage subsidies compensated for 40 per cent of this amount.

“The growth in inequality created by the COVID-19 crisis threatens a legacy of poverty and social and economic instability that would be devastating,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. “Our recovery strategy must be human-centred. We need adequate wage policies that take into account the sustainability of jobs and enterprises, and also address inequalities and the need to sustain demand. If we are going to build a better future we must also deal with some uncomfortable questions about why jobs with high social value, like carers and teachers, are very often linked to low pay.”

The Report includes an analysis of minimum wage systems, which could play an important role in building a recovery that is sustainable and equitable. When they are set at an adequate level and are enforced, they also have potential to reduce the gender wage gap. Minimum wages are currently in place in some form in 90 per cent of ILO Member States. But even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the report finds that, globally, 266 million people – 15 per cent of all wage earners worldwide – were earning less than the hourly minimum wage, either because of non-compliance or because they were legally excluded from such schemes. Women are over-represented among workers earning the minimum wage or less.

In the EU-27, an estimated 26.5 million wage earners are paid at or below the minimum wage, representing 15% of all wage earners. The majority of these workers – 57 per cent – are women. The highest minimum wages in the EU are found in Luxembourg, Ireland and Germany; the lowest in Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia.

“Adequate minimum wages can protect workers against low pay and reduce inequality,” said Rosalia Vazquez-Alvarez, one of the authors of the report. “But ensuring that minimum wage policies are effective requires a comprehensive and inclusive package of measures. It means better compliance, extending coverage to more workers, and setting minimum wages at an adequate, up-to-date level that allows people to build a better life for themselves and their families. In developing and emerging countries, better compliance will require moving people away from informal work and into the formal sector”.

The Global Wage Report 2020/21 also looks at wage trends in 136 countries in the four years preceding the pandemic. It found that global real wage growth fluctuated between 1.6 and 2.2 per cent. Real wages increased most rapidly in Asia and the Pacific and Eastern Europe and much more slowly in North America and northern, southern and western Europe.

Saving Lives by Donating Plasma: Why Are Shincheonji’s Good Deeds Ignored?
Saving Lives by Donating Plasma: Why Are Shincheonji’s Good Deeds Ignored?

Eileen Barker, Europe’s most senior scholar of new religions, notes in her entry “New Religious Movements” in the 2020 SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religions, that “one does not often see reports of the charitable work in which many of the NRMs engage,” even if it is sometimes “outstanding.” That this happens, is evidence of the phenomenon social scientists call “gatekeeping.” For different reasons, the media filters out the news that do not correspond to certain agendas or established stereotypes. New religious movements, derogatorily identified as “cults” are by definition malignant, and cannot do anything good.

There are two ways gatekeeping works in this field. First, charitable deeds performed by new religious movements are ignored, or get much less coverage than their alleged wrongdoings. Second, when their good work is just too visible to be ignored, it is reluctantly reported, but immediately interpreted as motivated by a hidden agenda.

The media often claim that humanitarian activities carried out by new religious movements are “fronts” for public relations, or for converting others under the false pretext of helping. This “paradigm of suspicion” may be criticized on two accounts. First, it is in turn suspicious that critics do not raise these objections when good deeds are performed by the Catholic Church, the Methodists, or other mainline religious organizations. In these cases, it is understood that their good work is done in good faith, out of a sincere desire for a better world, rather than for self-promotion purposes. Only the activities of new religious movements are accused of dissimulating hidden motivations.

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A vicious circle is thus created. If new religious movements only spend their time in missionary activities, it is objected that this is typical of “cults,” which devote all their energies to proselytization, while “real” religions help suffering human beings. But, if new religious movements engage in charitable, social, or health activities, it is argued that these are only “fronts” and public relations exercises.

In the case of Shincheonji, one of the largest Korean Christian new religious movements, the “paradigm of suspicion” was constantly used to dismiss and criticize the activities of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), the humanitarian and peace organization created and led by Shincheonji’s founder, Chairman Lee Man Hee. Although most speakers at international events organized by HWPL, rather than members of Shincheonji, are political and religious leaders with no interest in converting to new religions, opponents maintain that Lee uses HWPL as a proselytization tool, which is demonstrably false. The campaigns HWPL promoted in the field of peace education, cooperating with UN agencies, were non-sectarian and certainly not aimed at proselytization on behalf of Shincheonji, and the same is true for other HWPL campaigns and events.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shincheonji was accused of negligence in cooperating with the authorities after one of its female members in the South Korean city of Daegu, before being diagnosed with the virus, infected directly or indirectly thousands of co-religionists. This set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the arrest of Chairman Lee and other Shincheonji leaders. As we have argued elsewhere, the reaction by the authorities has been so disproportionate that the suspicion that COVID-19 was used as a pretext to hit a movement unpopular among both fundamentalist Protestants, an important electoral constituency in South Korea, and the current South Korean political leadership, which is afraid of criticism by Christian churches in general for both its domestic and foreign policy, is difficult to escape.

Late August and September 2020 saw a new and significant development. The plasma of those who have been infected with COVID-19 and have recovered contains naturally formed antibodies and may work as a “natural vaccine,” which would at least lower the risk of death among those hit by the virus. In South Korea, this possibility has been identified and studied early, yet not many donors have been willing to cooperate. On July 12, media reported that, “out of some 12,000 recovered COVID-19 patients who could donate blood for the cause, just 361 have so far shown interest and only 171 had volunteered.”

In March already, Shincheonji had announced that his members who had contracted the virus and had recovered were ready to become plasma donors. At that time, the offer was ignored. In September, however, when plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients was both in high demand and scarce, the availability of Shincheonji members to donate plasma met with gratitude. As of September 6, more than 1,600 Shincheonji members who went through the cycle of infection and recovery had donated their plasma.

This generous availability was mentioned by some domestic and international media, including the BBC, but the number of media reports was low when compared to the hundreds of articles that in March had exposed Shincheonji, quite inaccurately, as a cult of plague-spreaders.

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Slowly, however, the story became too newsworthy to be ignored. While very few recovered COVID-19 patients in South Korea had volunteered to donate plasma, those from Shincheonji willing to cooperate were in the thousands and growing. Opponents, thus, mobilized the second tool of gatekeeping. While the Shincheonji plasma donation story was impossible to ignore, critics argued that it was a public relations exercise, and a way to divert attention from the previously alleged non-cooperation with the authorities. It is true that some Korean media changed their attitude after a new wave of COVID-19 cases hit the Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul, a conservative Evangelical church led by Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon. They confronted the attitudes of Sarang Jeil and Shincheonji and correctly concluded that the latter had been much more cooperative with the health authorities than the former. Other media, however, continued to dismiss Shincheonji’s plasma donations as propaganda.

This was grossly unfair, and indicative of the critics’ prejudice. As the meager results of previous appeals proved, South Korean citizens (as it happened in other countries) are generally reluctant to donate plasma. Side effects such as fatigue, dehydration, and dizziness may exist. Also, in times of COVID-19 hospitals and health facilities in general are often regarded as dangerous places.

Confronted with this situation, why did so many Shincheonji members who had recovered from COVID-19 volunteer to donate plasma? It is true that we cannot exclude a willingness to publicly state that they are good South Korean citizens, unfairly maligned and depicted as anti-social and sinister by the media and some politicians. But there should be more.

Shincheonji teaches that we live in the times described in the Bible in the Book of Revelation, and will soon enter a glorious Millennium. While God would be able to usher in the Millennium without human help, he prefers to seek our cooperation. Acts of charity and kindness, Shincheonji devotees believe, have cosmic consequences, well beyond the limited mundane aim of improving the image of their religion.

It is for this reason that thousands of them have volunteered for peace education and other campaigns of HWPL. And it is also for this reason that thousands rush to donate their plasma. One of the negative effects of gatekeeping applied to unpopular millenarian religions is that it leaves out the essential. Those who believe that the Millennium is at hand and that God asks our cooperation in creating his kingdom, do not need other motivations to perform charitable, humanitarian deeds that benefit society in general, including those who regard the Millennium as a delusion.