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Telecommuting: How It Supports A Green Lifestyle

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These days people are more interested in saving time energy, and ways to make their lives easier and more productive all at once.Our world is changing fast and sometimes it is hard to keep up.

Being a Baby boomer in a world filled with so many technical challenges to learn and keep up with can be a little intimidating. It is important though to familiarize yourself and try to keep up to date with how to stay connected without losing yourself in the mix. But working from home has improved my overall attitude about work, and has helped me to be more productive, and creative while at the same time helping to do my part in working towards a Greener way of living.

How I am benefiting from working at home

First I am saving money on gas every week! And although the price of gas has gone down, I am taking that money that I saved, and putting it towards investing in my business. I choose my own hours to work and by working in blocks of time, I can manage to get many things accomplished in an allotted amount of time, and also take breaks and a walk or do some yoga stretches in between.

Eating a healthy meal through the day is important to me being vegan, and health conscious of what I am feeding my body as well as my mind. I can eat at leisure setting a block of time, just for eating as well as for breaks and I still get everything accomplished in an efficient and timely manner. Still being professional and at the same time taking good care of myself, so I can work at my optimum best.

Telecommuting can ease the stress of having to commute back and forth to work in bad weather. It will definitely save some wear and tear on your vehicle and tires and save the time it would take to get back and forth from work. It can also save you money on dry cleaning costs!

Another great reason to work from home and help support a green lifestyle, because dry cleaning uses Perchloroethylene, a toxic chemical that is very harmful to our environment, and if you are concerned with helping reduce toxins you can look up where to find a green dry cleaner in your area instead.

Working from home enables you to work for longer periods and more comfortably by being in surroundings that are stress-free and conducive to your overall benefit. Create a workspace free of clutter. Make sure you have some water to keep hydrated. Have all of the tools and implements you may need close by to help you work efficiently, and so you do not have to keep getting up and down. Turn off all distractions unless some soft music in the background helps. And enjoy creating those masterpieces!

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Source by Debbie Frye

Views: 0

July 25, 2022
Simple Life Style Changes That Help You Lose Weight

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There are a number of reasons many people in our society are over weight. Much of this has to do with life style. Your life style will affect you health and often your weight. So if your life style is adversely affecting you health and weight, you probably want to make some changes.

Some changes that you could make are actually very simple, but will take some will power. These changes include proper exercise and a balanced diet. Exercise is very important and could just mean going out side and taking your dog for a walk. Having a balanced diet could mean including more vegetables and fruits in your diet and reducing your sugar intake.

Exercise means including more physical activities in you daily routine. Many people think of their diet when trying to lose weight. This is appropriate but physical activity is an essential component in weight lose and improving your health, Exercise will help you to burn calories, the calories you take in from the food you eat. Take a walk in the morning before work. Include your dog in this activity as your fury friend also needs the activity. You could also develop a routine consisting of moves that will burn serious calories. These moves could include sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts and running on the spot. Of course these must be done correctly and at least three or four times a week. This could be done after work, before dinner and would be a great way to freshen up after a long day at work. Another thing is to consider walking or cycling to work during the warmer months. Walking or cycling to work will also save money when it come to the cost of running your car and make getting to work less frustrating. Also consider stretching before work especially if your job consists of is considered to be physical, Even if you sit at a desk all day long consider stretching before work and during breaks,

Exercise is important, but you will still need a balanced diet which involves consuming food with proper nutrients. This could mean reducing the amount of fast food in your diet and increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you include in your diet. Include items such as carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, apple, oranges, peaches and blueberries with your daily lunch break. Items high in fiber should be included with breakfast and lunch. Use high fiber bread for your morning toast and your lunch-time sandwich. You could kidney beans and green beans into your soup. Reduce the amount of red meat you eat and replace it with seafood such as sole or salmon,

The are many changes you can make in your daily routine to lose weight and become healthier, This means coming up with a plan and implementing it, So make your place pick a day to start. There are many excellent resources on the internet that can help you with this. But remember you need to stick to the plan.

Best Regards

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Source by Paul Luciw

Views: 0

July 24, 2022
5 Reasons to Schedule DFW On Site Drug Testing

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Scheduling DFW on site drug testing may seem like a lot of work to go through. However, it has a variety of benefits. Knowing why you should schedule this will make it easier for you to spend the money and enjoy the convenience.

Not Everyone has Reliable Transportation

You want to make sure you eliminate as many excuses as possible as to why someone couldn't conduct their test on time. Unfortunately, not everyone has reliable transportation and therefore it may be too much for you to ask for people to go to a lab. The moment you ask people to do things on their own time, you will start to see diminished participation.

The better solution is to offer on-site drug testing where people are already on premises. You can simply send them in to be drug tested when they have been randomly selected.

Ensure Full Compliance

You need to be sure you are in full compliance with all rules and regulations. Particularly with the DOT, on-site drug testing is preferred simply because it rules out various issues. You can have an MRO conducting the tests and maintaining full confidentiality with the records. It also means that the tests pass through fewer hands, which makes it easier for you to track the tests throughout the entire process.

Eliminate Tampering

You know who your employees are, and therefore you don't have to worry about any kind of tampering. If they are on your premises, you know that they are where they are supposed to be. If you don't offer on-site testing, you can never be too sure whether it's your employees going in for the drug test or if they have someone else do it for them. Additionally, you don't know how legitimate the drug testing site may be – and you need to eliminate any potential tampering issues.

Appear More Professional

You are going to appear more professional when your drug testing is on-site. It keeps your employees happier because they don't have to go anywhere besides your facility. They also don't have to do anything on their own personal time.

When the drug testing is conducted on-site, you also get to stay more organized in terms of the results and all of the employee records.

Faster Results

On-site testing is also known to be much faster than if you were to use a third-party lab. Faster results are of the utmost importance because you don't want to keep your candidates waiting nor do you want to run the risk of employees being out on the roads when they have tested positive for drug use.

There are plenty of reasons why you should be scheduling DFW on-site drug testing. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than you make it out to be. You will be able to save time, money, and be more professional when you have the tests conducted on-site. Additionally, you stay compliant and get faster results.

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Source by Jeff Weigang

Views: 0

July 24, 2022
My Husband Says He Doesn’t Care If I Stay Or Leave

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I sometimes hear from wives who have been telling their husband that they are considering leaving the home or the marriage. Some are sincere about this. They are unhappy and feel that taking a break by leaving may be the best thing at the time. Others are not exactly serious about leaving. They are threatening to leave in the hopes that their husband will ask them not to (or they will at least get a reaction out of him to show that he still cares.)

Unfortunately, sometimes this backfires. The wife will announce her intention to leave and hope that her husband will try to stop her (or at the very least ask her not to leave.) Instead, her husband will tell her that he really doesn’t care if she stays or goes. This leaves her unsure of how to proceed. Does she go when she really doesn’t want to in order to save face or make a point? Or does she cave and simply tell him that she changed her mind? And what does her husband’s indifference say about the state of her marriage or her ability to save it?

She might say, “my husband and I have been fighting pretty badly for almost four months. Things are definitely not happy at home. For a while, my husband was apartment hunting and was telling me that he was going to move out, but he never actually did. Still, he complained constantly. I got tired of hearing him complain all of the time, so I told him that I was going to leave so he wouldn’t have to be so unhappy. Now, I’m going to be honest. I really hoped that he would confess that he really doesn’t want for us to live apart, which is why he hadn’t actually signed a lease or moved out yet. Instead, his exact words to me were: ‘I really don’t care if you stay or go.’ He just sort of shrugged his shoulders and said that nothing really changes between us no matter what we do. Now, I am unsure about how to proceed. This hurts me. I had hoped that his not moving out meant that he was willing to save our marriage, but now he acts as if he is indifferent as to whether we live together or not. I don’t want to pack my stuff and leave, but what do I even say now? How do I avoid not having to leave my house? Do I just have to admit that I gambled and lost and that my marriage is over?”

I don’t think so. If everyone who ever threatened to leave their marriage ended up divorced, the divorce rate would be much higher than it actually is. Many couples make these sorts of threats in the heat of the moment and nothing actually comes of them. The threats are understandable. They are usually made because things are bad, but nothing is changing. So one of the spouses decides to shake things up by threatening to leave. The hope is the other spouse will beg them not to go and will have to craft a plan to make things better. Frankly, your husband might have done exactly the same thing when he threatened to leave previously. He did not make good on the threat and I don’t believe that you have to, either, especially if you really don’t want to go.

However, it goes without saying that in order for both of you to want to stay put, you’re going to need to dig in and really improve your marriage so that one or both of you do not get so frustrated that you just give up. I think it would be helpful if you could clear the air, if possible, so that you both know that no one is going anywhere immediately. Because if the living situation is up in the air, it becomes harder to commit to doing the work necessary to save your marriage. If you doubt that your spouse will stick around and work with you, there can be some uncertainty, which could hurt your progress. So you might try something like, “well, you may not care if I leave or stay, but I have decided that I care very much. I have calmed down and thought about it and, if I’m being honest, I really don’t want to leave. I said that I did because I was frustrated and didn’t know how to fix this. But I think of instead of us both getting angry and threatening to leave, we could turn our energy toward making things better between us so that no one has to go. I’d prefer not to leave and live alone. I am hopeful that if we work together, neither of us will need to live alone.”

Yes, saying this will make you feel vulnerable, may feel awkward, and requires that you are the bigger person. But it will hopefully buy you some time. After you have cleared the air, hopefully no one will need to threaten to leave in the hopes that the other will ask them not to go. Because in essence, you will have accomplished what you are both hoping for – the reassurance that with work, no one will have to leave, because no one really wants to separate.

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Source by Leslie Cane

Views: 0

July 24, 2022
Starting a Woodworking Business With Little or No Related Experience Will Require a Proven Plan

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If you have little or no woodworking experience it is possible to start a profitable business in this trade. There are guides available on the internet that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to start-up such a business.

To start your woodworking business you will need a materials list that help you access wood and tools from local sources. These materials and tools will have to be affordable and of good quality. Having a resource to guide you with this challenge will help you save time and money. Materials that you will need, do not have to be from the local hardware store. Some of these materials can be found at a garage sale. I know a person who found a pile of two-by-fours that a home owner left on his curb. This wood was pine. He made this pile of discarded pine into a picnic table and sold it for $250.

There are a number of steps to consider when starting a woodworking business. The key to starting such a business requires a proven plan. You need to know what types of products to build and will give you consistent sales. The types of woodworking project you get involved in will be determined by the area you live in. Oe course knowing what your potential customers needs are will go along way with regards to making sales.

How to build these woodworking projects, in a timely and cost-effective way, will while require that you master certain woodworking skills. Of course you will need to learn which types of tools to purchase that will make constructing these various woodworking project in the most efficient manner

This knowledge of how to use these various tools can be found on the internet. These various tools need to be used with safety in mind, Various tools you will to learn how to use complete you woodworking projects can cause serious hard to your body if used in a safe manner. A proven woodworking resource will teach how to use these tools in a safe manner

These tools will be critical in completing these various projects in a timely and cost-effective manner. Such tools will include a circular saw, chisel, hammer, drill, various drill bits, impact driver and even a miter saw. Of course you will need a place to work such a backyard shed.

Of course you will have to consider what types of wood you will be using to construct your woodworking project. Certain types of wood are more to certain projects than others. Good woodworking plan will help you to make the best choices with regards to this.

Whatever woodworking project you decide to start your business with, will require some planning. Having a proven woodworking plan to start this endeavour would be a good step.

Best Regards

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Source by Paul Luciw

Views: 0

July 24, 2022
Shop Smart & Save Money 2019

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In this eCommerce era, it has become possible to find the best deals using a smartphone or a laptop, and get it shipped to your doorstep. It also became possible to score deals in stores, online and through apps.

There are 3 ways to shop smart and save money in 2019, before buying, while buying and after purchase.

1-How to save money before buying an item?

When I find a product I want or need, the first step is to decide whether to purchase it online or in store. Then what store or online platform offers the best quality to price ratio. I also look at some elements that I believe to be very important before making any purchase:

-Shipping Policy: It’s important to know if a price tag online comes with free shipping or if the customer is responsible for this cost.

-Return Policy: It’s also important to find out if a seller or a shopping platform offers free returns or not. With a free return policy in place, the seller will pay for the return shipping cost if the customer doesn’t like the item received.

-Location: Where is the item you are purchasing being shipped from? The items origin location will determine how long it should take for your item to arrive. However there are a lot of online sellers that use the drop shipping method. When the consumer purchases, the seller (who doesn’t have the item on hand) then has the manufacturer or a 3rd party entity ship the item to the customer. These items are usually being shipped from overseas from countries like China, which will take a lot longer for the for the item to arrive. If you are OK waiting that long for shipping it makes no sense to go through a drop shipper, you could pay less by going directly to Alibabba or ALiexpress websites.

Following are some ways I use to score some good deals

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Shop & Save Money

-Goodwill Outlet Store

Goodwill Outlet is a good example of a store that I never visited before 2018. Now I can go there and buy as many items as I want for very cheap, and if I’m lucky enough that day, I can find some brand name items, to keep or resell online. I can pay up to $1.49 for a pound of clothes (prices vary depending upon location). The Goodwill outlet in my opinion is not only for someone who resells online. I encourage you to visit the Goodwill outlet store in your area, it’s an experience that you will enjoy if you like finding deals, and it’s for a good cause. If you decide to go after reading this article or if you have been there, please share with us your experience in the comments area for everyone to learn from

-eBay Auctions

eBay is another platform where you are most likely to score a deal. It’s in my list of smart ways to shop online in 2019 for 3 reasons:

1. Huge inventory with a possibility to make an offer, which gives you some control over the price to are willing to pay for an item. If the seller accepts you have a deal.

2. HUGE number of auctions you can win for cheap if you know what you are doing. I usually score a great deal quickly by bidding on auctions that are ending soon with no bidders. I found out that winning auctions is a great way to save money and shop smart.

3. Rare finds in all categories

eBay has been around for a while and has a strong brand that offers a good buyer protection policy and has trust from around the world.The eBay platform is another smart way to shop, and also get rid of unwanted items around the house. I sell on eBay and keep a Top Rated seller status with a 100% customer feedback, just by keeping my prices low, accepting reasonable offers, and trying to give the best customer service possible. You can still get a good feedback even if the item isn’t brand new, as long as you are honest and mention any scratches or blemishes in the description. You can find my store on eBay here. I will appreciate it if you check it out.

-Poshmark

I love the poshmark app because It’s easy to use, and it’s a great way to find some good deals in the clothing category. As a posher, you can make offers on items you like and use the power of negotiation to your advantage to ask poshers to lower their prices. You can also follow the sellers you like and join parties based on brands or item categories you’re interested in.The Poshmark App made it to my list of smart ways to shop in 2019 because it allows it’s members to be buyers and sellers at the same time. It’s a great way to clean up your closet and get rid of the clothes you don’t use anymore.If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $5 bonus when you sign up with my code SARADRETAIL.

Disclaimer: If you use my code to sign up to poshmark for free, you will receive a $5 credit and I will receive a $5 credit after you make your first purchase. Please leave me a comment below to follow your closet, you can check out my closet here.

-ThredUP:

ThredUP is another website that makes buying brand name preowned clothing and accessories affordable.Their customer service is great, their shipping is quick, and their prices are some of the best in the market. Every purchase I make in the thredUP website is a deal. Check it out here if you are looking for some high ticket items for a really good price. Some of the brands available on thredUP: GUCCI, BURBERRY, GIORGIO ARMANI, MAX MARA, J.CREW, THEORY, COACH, VINCE, MICHAEL KORS…

2-HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHILE BUYING AN ITEM?

There are a couple of different ways to save money while buying products. When you are buying online, depending upon your platform (ie. eBay, amazon, poshmark, craigslist, letgo, offerup, etc.) you may have the power of negotiating your price. Haggling over price is still used in many cultures all over the world, but ultimatley as a buyer we haggle to get the best price we can. Many platforms now have a way to haggle through “Best offer” or “Make an Offer” options. Of course the seller ultimately gets to decide to accept, counter or decline the offer. As long as you offer a reasonable price and don’t low ball in most cases you can expect to pay a lower price than originally was being asked.

Another way to save money online is through coupons, ecoupons, and promo codes. You may be thinking did I just read coupons, aren’t those the things my mom cuts out of the Sunday paper. Well they aren’t just for in store purchases any more. Everything is online now-a-days and that includes discount coupons. There are websites that offer online discounts and printable coupons for almost any item, any store and any retailer at the click of button. These discount codes can be entered at checkout to get anywhere from 10-70% off your total purchase. Plus on many platforms if you bundle (purchase more than 1 item from the same seller) your purchase you can save even more.

Coupons have been used at grocery retailers for over a hundred years. With technology retailers are now able to offer their customers direct mail and email coupons, they can put coupons on their website and customers can even save them on their phone. There are coupons available for any item, any discount and any retailer. Its just a matter of finding the best coupon to use for your purchase.

Here you can check out Coupons.com for some good deals.

Shop Smart In 2019

3-How to Save money after purchase?

3-How to Save money after purchase?

You may be wondering what I mean by saving money after you have made a purchase. It doesn’t make sense that you can save money after you have already purchased an item. Well in actuality I mean cash back rewards. Cash back rewards allow you to earn cash back on any item you have purchased, in turn allowing you to save off the purchase of that product.

We are in the age of apps. We have become glued to our phones, never letting them out of our site, using them to not only make phone calls but browse the internet, purchase products, watch tv, read a book, etc. Apps have become a normal part of our phones anatomy. And there are some apps which allow you to make cash back by doing your normal everyday shopping. These apps include Ibotta, Shopkick, Receipt Hog, FetchRewards, etc. The basic premise of these apps is once you make a purchase you upload your receipt and based upon the items purchased and total spent, you will receive a point value. The points equal a dollar amount and once you reach a certain points total you get that dollar amount either through paypal or through gift cards, etc. Each app has its own unique additions such as getting points just to walk into a store, or scanning certain products. Its nice to know that you can get rewarded for doing normal everyday things such as shopping.

These are the apps I use. If you sign up under me you will get starting bonus:

Ibotta: gyrrrvo

Shopkick: SAVE219356 – get 250 kicks for signing up

Fetch Rewards: YF8AD – get 3000 points for signing up

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Source by Sarah Labdar

Views: 0

July 24, 2022
Statement on the third meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
The third meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), took place on Thursday, 30 April 2020, from 12:00 to 17:45 Geneva
time (CEST).

Proceedings of the meeting

Members and advisors of the Emergency Committee were convened by teleconference. Membership of the Emergency Committee was expanded
to reflect the nature of the pandemic and the need to include additional areas of expertise.

The Director-General welcomed the Committee, thanked them for their commitment to enhancing global public health, and provided an overview of the major achievements in the COVID-19 response since the last Emergency Committee meeting on 30 January 2020.
Representatives of the legal department and the Department of Compliance, Risk Management, and Ethics (CRE) briefed the members on their roles and responsibilities.

The Ethics Officer from CRE provided the members and advisers with an overview of the WHO Declaration of Interest process. The members and advisers were made aware of their individual responsibility to disclose to WHO, in a timely manner, any interests
of a personal, professional, financial, intellectual or commercial nature that may give rise to a perceived or direct conflict of interest. They were additionally reminded of their duty to maintain the confidentiality of the meeting discussions and
the work of the committee. Only those committee members and advisers who were not considered to have any perceived or direct conflict of interest participated in the meeting.

The Secretariat turned the meeting over to the Chair, Professor Houssin. He also welcomed the Committee and reviewed the objectives and agenda of the meeting.

The WHO Regional Emergency Directors and the Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) provided regional and the global situation overview. After ensuing discussion, the Committee unanimously agreed that the outbreak still constitutes
a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and offered advice to the Director-General.

The Director-General declared that the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to constitute a PHEIC. He accepted the advice of the Committee to WHO and issued the Committee’s advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR.

The Emergency Committee will be reconvened within three months or earlier, at the discretion of the Director-General. The Director-General thanked the Committee for its work.

Advice to WHO

Coordination, planning, and monitoring
- Continue to lead and coordinate the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with countries, the United Nations (UN), and other partners.
- Work with fragile states and vulnerable countries that require additional technical, logistical and commodity support.
- Establish mechanisms to compile lessons learned from country and partner experiences and WHO missions and share the best practices and updated recommendations.
- Provide further guidance to countries about adjusting public health measures, taking into account the different epidemiological situations of the pandemic.
- Promote the inclusion of all interested countries, including low- and middle-income countries from all regions, in the Solidarity clinical trials for therapeutics and vaccines.
- Continue efforts with partners to obtain equitable access to personal protective equipment, diagnostics, and biomedical equipment essential to the pandemic COVID-19 response.
- Continue to coordinate global expert networks in epidemiology, laboratory, vaccines, clinical care, infection prevention and control, social sciences, and operational research; modelling; and other technical support.
One Health
- Work with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and countries to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including
  the possible role of intermediate hosts. This should be accomplished through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions, which will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events.
- Work closely with OIE and FAO to provide guidance on how to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals and humans and prevent the establishment of new zoonotic reservoirs.
- Work with partner organizations and countries to strengthen the global food supply chain, protect food workers, properly manage food markets, and mitigate possible disruptions to the food supply.
Essential Health Services
- Support countries to assess and manage the unintended consequences of public health measures implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic, including gender-based violence and child neglect.
- Support countries to monitor their ability to provide and strengthen essential health services throughout a likely extended COVID-19 response. This should include, but is not limited to, essential prevention for communicable diseases, particularly
  vaccination; services related to reproductive health, including care during pregnancy and childbirth; care of vulnerable populations, such as young infants and older adults; provision of medications and supplies for the ongoing management of chronic
  diseases, including mental health conditions; continuity of critical inpatient therapies; management of emergency health conditions and common acute presentations that require time-sensitive intervention; and auxiliary services, such as basic
  diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and blood bank services.
- Support countries to address shortages of essential medicines and health products, personal protective equipment, and other medical supplies and to establish sustainable risk management practices to prevent future shortages.
Risk communication and community engagement
- Continue risk communications and community engagement activities through the WHO Information Network for Epidemics (EPI-WIN) and other platforms to counter rumours and misinformation.
- Continue to regularly communicate clear messages, guidance, and advice about the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, how to reduce transmission, and save lives.
- Work with partners and countries to articulate potential long-term consequences of COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for strengthened cross-sectoral preparedness, transparency and global coordination.
Surveillance
- Clarify the testing strategy, support countries to increase testing capacity, and aim to provide equitable access to diagnostic tests and supplies in light of market failures and global shortages.
- Continue to provide guidance on monitoring disease trends using Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) surveillance systems in anticipation of the co-circulation of influenza viruses.
- Develop qualitative and quantitative indicators that countries can use to assess and monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission at all levels of public health response.
- Continue to support countries and partners by providing technical and operational guidance, training platforms, and tools such as Go.Data,to enhance case identification and contact tracing capacity, strengthen the public health workforce, and engage
  communities for contact tracing.
- Provide clear qualitative and quantitative indicators to monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission to inform the adjustment of public health and social measures.
Travel and Trade
- Continue working with countries and partners to enable essential travel needed for pandemic response, humanitarian relief, repatriation, and cargo operations.
- Develop strategic guidance with partners for the gradual return to normal operations of passenger travel in a coordinated manner that provides appropriate protection when physical distancing is not feasible.
- Update recommendations on appropriate travel measures and analyze their effects on international transmission of COVID-19, with consideration of the balance between benefits and unintended consequences, including entry and exit screening, education
  of travelers on responsible travel behaviour, case finding, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine, by incorporating evidence on the potential role of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission.
To all States Parties

Coordination and Collaboration
- Support WHO leadership and continue to collaborate with WHO at all levels of the organization and with other countries to enable effective global COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response.
- Participate in global solidarity efforts to enable access to essential supplies for all.
- Document and share lessons learned from efforts to control the pandemic, including the timing, pace, and sequencing of the application and lifting of public health measures.
Preparedness
- Strengthen preparedness for health emergencies, and build resilient health systems, incorporating lessons learned during different stages of the pandemic, and sharing experiences with other countries.
Surveillance
- Work with WHO and multisectoral partners to interrupt transmission by maintaining robust surveillance systems; enhancing capacities for case detection, testing, isolation of cases, contact tracing, quarantine of contacts, and rapid response; strengthening
  the public health workforce; and actively engaging communities for contact tracing, with a particular focus on high risk areas.
- In settings where testing a large proportion of suspected cases is not possible, monitor overall trends; undertake early detection through laboratory confirmation of a limited number of cases with a focus on health workers; and rapidly implement
  public health measures.
- Share with WHO all data necessary to conduct global risk assessments through data platforms, such as the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System and the IHR mechanism. These data should include SARI and ILI where available.
- Use the WHO qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess and monitor SARS-CoV-2 transmission at all levels of public health response.
Additional Health Measures
- Avoid restrictions on international transport of food, medical and other essential supplies and permit the safe movement of essential personnel required for an effective pandemic response.
- Implement appropriate travel measures with consideration of their public health benefits, including entry and exit screening, education of travelers on responsible travel behaviour, case finding, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine, by
  incorporating evidence on the potential role of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission.
- Implement and monitor case finding and contact tracing of travellers, using digital tools where appropriate.
- Continue to review travel and trade measures based on regular risk assessments, transmission patterns at origin and destination, cost-benefit analysis, evolution of the pandemic, and new knowledge of COVID-19.
- Engage in global efforts to respond to the challenges of COVID-19 in managing maritime vessels.
- Do not implement trade restrictions beyond those considered to be of public health importance in accordance with relevant international agreements.
- Continue to provide appropriate public health rationale to WHO for additional health measures in accordance with IHR.
Health Workers
- Prioritize the protection of the health workforce through access to training and provision of personal protective equipment, infection prevention and control measures, improved working conditions, application of WHO recommended testing strategies,
  and prevention of stigma and attacks on health workers.
Food Security
- Work with WHO and partners to strengthen the global food supply chain, protect food workers, properly manage food markets, and mitigate possible disruptions to the food supply, especially for vulnerable populations.
One Health
- Promote sound practices to manage risks of trade of live animals in food markets and regulate trade of exotic wildlife.
Risk Communications and Community Engagement
- Continue to engage communities to address rumours and misinformation and keep the public informed, with a focus on vulnerable populations.
Research and development
- Address research gaps such as: routes of transmission, including the role of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infection droplet, contact, fomite and aerosol transmission; and viral shedding; and animal source and intermediate hosts, in collaboration
  with partners.
- Continue to support and conduct COVID-19 research, in line with the WHO Research and Development Blueprint, and the road map for COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
- Continue sharing full genome sequences to increase global understanding of virus evolution and phylogenetics and their application to public health practices.
Essential Health Services
- Maintain essential health services throughout a likely extended COVID-19 response. This should include essential prevention for communicable diseases, particularly vaccination; services related to reproductive health, including care during pregnancy
  and childbirth; care of vulnerable populations, such as young infants and older adults; provision of medications and supplies for the ongoing management of chronic diseases, including mental health conditions; continuity of critical inpatient
  therapies; management of emergency health conditions and common acute presentations that require time-sensitive intervention; and auxiliary services, such as basic diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and blood bank services.
- Continue to track and document the impact of COVID-19 on essential health services.
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-05-2020-statement-on-the-third-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)

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May 9, 2020
Maternal infections in health facilities

A clearer picture of the global impact

New research from the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS), a major WHO/HRP initiative, shows that infection has a much larger impact on global maternal mortality and morbidity than previously thought.

The
results from GLOSS, published in The Lancet Global Health, are the first to provide data on frequency of maternal infections and
sepsis across the pregnancy and post-pregnancy period, in a large number of health facilities around the world.

Around 11 women per 1000 live births had an infection which resulted in or contributed to what is known as a severe maternal outcome – either they died or nearly died – during their hospitalization.

Urgent improvement is needed to manage this life-threatening risk faced by all pregnant and recently pregnant women, wherever they are in the world.

What is maternal sepsis and how does it lead to maternal death?

Maternal sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs during pregnancy, child-birth, post-abortion or the postpartum period.

The latest global estimates place sepsis due to obstetric infections as the third most common cause of maternal mortality. However, this only includes infections as a direct result of pregnancy, such as endometritis or post-caesarean wound infections.

Few
previous studies include post-abortion infections. Neither do they address indirect infections such as respiratory and meningitis, which are aggravated by pregnancy but not directly caused by it.

A better understanding of maternal infection

GLOSS was a massive facility-based data collection effort led by WHO, accompanied by a ‘STOP SEPSIS!’ campaign to increase awareness among healthcare providers.

The study gathered data on women who were admitted with suspected or confirmed infection during pregnancy or post-pregnancy over a one-week period in 2017. More than 2800 women participated in the study in 52 countries.

GLOSS included healthcare facilities that care for women during pregnancy, childbirth or at the end of pregnancy, as well as facilities without maternity service but where women could be hospitalized during or after pregnancy, and data on infections
which are not usually recorded as maternal sepsis, including post-abortion and indirect infections.

The result is a more complete understanding of the frequency and impact of maternal infections in health facilities.

GLOSS calls attention not only to the wider range of risks faced by pregnant women but also to the long period of time during which they are at risk.

Putting global numbers on maternal infection and sepsis

Overall, around 70 pregnant or recently-pregnant women per 1000 live births were found to have a maternal infection needing hospital management.

Across the study, 11 women with either direct or indirect infection per 1000 live births developed a severe maternal outcome, but in low- and middle-income countries up to 15 women per 1000 births were affected.

Infections were the underlying cause of most of the deaths recorded during the study, primarily post-abortion infection and indirect infections. Infections were also present in about a third of deaths attributed to other causes, such as postpartum
haemorrhage.

This suggests that the contribution of infection to global maternal mortality and morbidity may be larger than current reports of maternal sepsis mortality suggest.

Preventing, identifying and treating maternal infection and sepsis

Some of the most common maternal infections found in the study, such as urinary tract infections, post-caesarean and post-abortion infections, are largely preventable and treatable.

GLOSS results suggest that current levels of monitoring and clinical care across health facilities are not enough to prevent, identify and treat levels of maternal infection effectively.

For instance, a complete set of vital signs was not reported for a third of the women in the study, on the day their infection was suspected or diagnosed. Delays in antimicrobial therapy were frequent.

GLOSS also shows marked differences across countries, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries, compared with high-income countries.

This may reflect the impact of broader health determinants in different country contexts. Challenges of overcrowding, limited access to water and sanitation and constraints to safe births by skilled birth attendants can reduce the ability of healthcare
providers to manage the frequency and outcome of maternal infections.

An opportunity to implement evidence-based practice

GLOSS gives healthcare providers, policy-makers, and the public at large an opportunity: to mobilise around these data improve evidence-based practice, and save lives.

WHO has produced a number of resources which can support timely action to prevent, diagnose and treat maternal infection, as well as activities such as the upcoming SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign
on 5 May which celebrates the central role played by nurses and midwives in clean health care.

In addition, WHO will publish a global sepsis epidemiology report around the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in May, as requested in the
2017
WHA Resolution on Improving the prevention, diagnosis and clinical managementof sepsis.

Understanding why and how infection affects women is essential for equipping healthcare providers with life-saving knowledge and enabling health care systems to bring down global maternal mortality and morbidity.

Related publications

WHO recommendations for prevention and treatment of maternal peripartum infections

WHO Clinical practice handbook for safe abortion

Global guidelines on the prevention of surgical site infection

WHO statement on maternal sepsis

World Health Assembly resolution on Improving the prevention, diagnosis and clinical management of sepsis

Health Topics

Antimicrobial resistance

Infection Prevention and Control

Water Sanitation Hygiene

Other links

Global Maternal Sepsis Study

SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands 5 May 2020

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/27-04-2020-maternal-infections-in-health-facilities

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May 9, 2020
Commitment and call to action: Global collaboration to accelerate new COVID-19 health technologies
Our Vision and Mission

Grounded in a vision of a planet protected from human suffering
and the devastating social and economic consequences of
COVID-19, we, an initial group of global health actors (BMGF,
CEPI, Gavi, Global Fund, UNITAID, Wellcome Trust, WHO) and
private sector partners and other stakeholders, are launching
a landmark, global and time-limited collaboration to accelerate the
development, production and equitable global access to new COVID-19 essential health technologies.

We know that as long as anyone is at risk from this virus, the entire
world is at risk – every single person on the planet needs to be
protected from this disease.

We agree that alongside evidence-based public health measures,
innovative COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines are
needed – in record time and at record scale and access – to save
millions of lives and countless trillions of dollars, and to return
the world to a sense of ‘normalcy’.

We recognize the significant amount of critical work, investment
and initiatives already ongoing around the world to expedite
the development and deployment of innovative COVID-19 related
products and interventions.

We appreciate that while development and deployment of
innovative products is essential, it will not be enough. We must
simultaneously and urgently accelerate the strengthening of
sustainable health systems and capacities to enable delivery of
the new COVID-19 tools to those who need them and to mitigate
the knock-on impact on other diseases.

We remember lessons from the past, which have shown that even
when effective tools are available to the world, too often some
are protected, while others are not. This inequity is unacceptable –
all tools to address COVID-19 must be available to all. In the fight
against COVID-19, no one should be left behind.

We understand we cannot do this alone, and that we need to
work together in unprecedented and inclusive partnership with all
stakeholders – political leaders, public and private sector partners,
civil society, academia, and all other stakeholders across society
– jointly leveraging our comparative strengths and respective
voices to drive towards collective solutions, an accelerated path,
and access for all. We are stronger, faster and more effective
working together.

Our Mission is not only accelerated development and availability
of new COVID-19 tools – it is to accelerate equitable global access
to safe, quality, effective, and affordable COVID-19 diagnostics,
therapeutics and vaccines, and thus to ensure that in the fight
against COVID-19, no one is left behind.

Our Commitment
1. We commit to the shared aim of equitable global
  access to innovative tools for COVID-19 for all.
2. We commit to an unprecedented level of partnership
  – proactively engaging stakeholders, aligning and
  coordinating efforts, building on existing collaborations, collectively devising solutions, and grounding
  our partnership in transparency, and science.
3. We commit to create a strong unified voice to
  maximize impact, recognizing this is not about
  singular decision-making authority, but rather
  collective problem-solving, interconnectedness and
  inclusivity, where all stakeholders can connect and
  benefit from the expertise, knowledge and activities
  of this shared action-oriented platform.
4. We commit to build on past experiences towards
  achieving this objective, including ensuring that
  every activity we undertake is executed through the
  lens of equitable global access, and that the voices
  of the communities most affected are heard.
5. We commit to be accountable to the world, to
  communities, and to one another. We are coming
  together in the spirit of solidarity, and in the service
  of humanity, to achieve our mission and vision.
Our Call

We ask the global community and political leaders to
support this landmark collaboration, and for donors to
provide the necessary resources to accelerate achievement
of the objectives of this global collaboration, capitalizing
on the opportunity provided by the rolling pledging
campaign that will start on 4 May 2020.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-04-2020-commitment-and-call-to-action-global-collaboration-to-accelerate-new-covid-19-health-technologies

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May 9, 2020
WHO urges countries to move quickly to save lives from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa

Severe disruptions to insecticide-treated net campaigns and in access to antimalarial medicines could lead to a doubling in the number of malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa this year compared to 2018, according to a new modelling analysis released by
WHO and partners ahead of World Malaria Day (25 April).

WHO urges countries to move fast and distribute malaria prevention and treatment tools at this stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa, and to do their utmost to safely maintain these essential malaria control services.

The analysis considers nine scenarios for potential disruptions in access to core malaria control tools during the pandemic in 41 countries, and the resulting increases that may be seen in cases and deaths.

Under the worst-case scenario, in which all insecticide-treated net (ITN) campaigns are suspended and there is a 75% reduction in access to effective antimalarial medicines, the estimated tally of malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020 would reach
769 000, twice the number of deaths reported in the region in 2018. This would represent a return to malaria mortality levels last seen 20 years ago.

According to the World malaria report 2019, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for approximately 93% of all malaria cases and 94% of deaths in 2018. More than two-thirds of deaths were among children under the age of five.

A window of opportunity

To date, the number of reported cases of COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa has represented only a small proportion of the global total, though cases are increasing every week. This means that countries across the region have a critical window of opportunity
to minimize disruptions in malaria prevention and treatment and save lives at this stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mass vector control campaigns should be accelerated, while ensuring that they are deployed in ways that protect health workers and communities against potential COVID-19 transmission. WHO and partners commend the leaders of Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Chad
for initiating ITN campaigns during the pandemic. Other countries are adapting their net distribution strategies to ensure households receive the nets as quickly and safely as possible.

Preventive therapies for pregnant women and children must be maintained. The provision of prompt diagnostic testing and effective antimalarial medicines are also essential to prevent a mild case of malaria from progressing to severe illness and death.

WHO and partners have developed guidance to ensure that those suffering from malaria can safely receive the care they need within the package of essential health services to be delivered in COVID-19 settings. Tailoring malaria interventions in COVID-19 response includes guidance on the prevention of infection through vector control and chemoprevention, testing, treatment of cases, clinical services, supply chain and laboratory activities.

Note to the editor

The modelling analysis was conducted by WHO in close collaboration with partners, including PATH, the Malaria Atlas Project and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The analysis is subject to uncertainties. It does not consider, for example, the effects of an interruption in indoor residual spraying or seasonal malaria chemoprevention (except in Burkina Faso); a suspension of these core malaria prevention tools would
also lead to considerable loss of life.

In addition, there is limited understanding of the spread of COVID-19, its epidemiology and interactions with malaria. The model will be updated as such data become available, and countries will be provided with relevant information to tailor their responses
accordingly.

Read More
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-04-2020-who-urges-countries-to-move-quickly-to-save-lives-from-malaria-in-sub-saharan-africa

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May 9, 2020