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Fighting COVID-19: highlights from May 2020

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In May 2020, WHO continued its battle against COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. WHO trained field teams and laboratory workers, and developed awareness-raising materials for people throughout the Region. WHO also shipped millions of dollars’ worth of testing kits, protective gear and medicines to help patients and health workers.

Click through the gallery to see highlights from May.

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Islamic Republic of Iran has suffered thousands of COVID-19 deaths. The country has joined WHO’s Solidarity Trial to test potential treatments. WHO handed over Solidarity Trial medications to the country’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
In Somalia, WHO has equipped health facilities with medical oxygen and other supplies to treat COVID-19 patients, like this man in an isolation centre in Mogadishu.
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In Somalia, WHO and United Nations partners are improving laboratory capacity for COVID-19 testing under the leadership of the country’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Photo courtesy of United Nations Population Fund.
In Jordan, WHO gave hospital workers tablets so they could log data about COVID-19 patients.
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The Gaza Strip is facing a chronic shortage of essential medical supplies for COVID-19. WHO procured 5 laboratory kits to support testing of hundreds of people in Gaza Strip, with more essential supplies on the way.
In mid-May in Lebanon, WHO delivered 20 000 swabs to a warehouse for further distribution.
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In the city of Aden in Yemen, WHO and partners trained 40 medical staff working in isolation units. The training covered therapy, infection prevention and control, and psychological first aid.
WHO continued to ship medical equipment into Yemen so health workers could treat COVID-19 patients. As of mid-May 2020, 154 ventilators and 520 intensive care beds for 38 isolation units were provided and set up.
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In Afghanistan, the head of the pharmacy unit at Afghan Japan Infectious Disease Hospital expressed gratitude for WHO’s support: “The timely provision of medical equipment and supplies from the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak helped us address the existing problems and respond to the ongoing pandemic.”
In May 2020 in Morocco, WHO held a webinar to teach nurses and midwives how to care for women before, during and after giving birth in the context of COVID-19. More than 600 health workers attended the virtual event.
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In Lebanon, WHO Representative Dr Iman Shankiti met with a fashion designer (right) to discuss options for making coveralls, gowns, and other protective gear for health workers.
In Egypt, to teach children how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, WHO works with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Population to create engaging cartoons.
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In Lebanon, WHO Representative Dr Iman Shankiti met with a fashion designer (right) to discuss options for making coveralls, gowns, and other protective gear for health workers.
In mid-May, WHO delivered more laboratory testing kits to the Gaza Strip to support COVID-19 testing of more than 2500 people.
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In Lebanon, WHO Representative Dr Iman Shankiti met with a fashion designer (right) to discuss options for making coveralls, gowns, and other protective gear for health workers.

In May 2020, a contact tracer in northwest Islamic Republic of Iran made calls to track down people who may have interacted with a COVID-19 infected person. WHO is supporting primary health centres in the country as they battle the disease.