The severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic conditions has resulted in an unprecedented number of member countries seeking financial support from the IMF. As of July 13, 2020, 72 countries have already received financial assistance from the IMF’s emergency financing instruments since the onset of the pandemic, facilitated by the doubling of annual access limits under these facilities approved by the Executive Board on April 6. Further requests for assistance, the majority of which are likely to be met through the IMF’s regular lending instruments, are expected in the months ahead.

“Laws and policies that are grounded in science, evidence and human rights can enable people to access health services, protect themselves from COVID-19 and live free from stigma, discrimination and violence,” says Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “The COVID-19 Law Lab is an important tool for sharing good practices on laws and policies.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged clinicians, public health authorities, companies and governments to quickly develop new capabilities for supporting recovery, maintaining health security, and building resilience. Digital tools and strategies have become crucial in this effort.
This document is an update of the Early Compendium of Technology Responses to COVID-19 published in April 2020. It more than triples the number of solutions, providing better visibility into the diverse uses of technology for the COVID-19 response.

Ciertas enfermedades crónicas subyacentes, como la diabetes, la enfermedad renal y la hipertensión, así como enfermedades infecciosas como la tuberculosis o los inmunosuprimidos, colocan a las personas en mayor riesgo de padecer una forma de COVID-19 más grave.

"Desafortunadamente, muchas de estas condiciones médicas están muy extendidas en las Américas, lo que hace que nuestra región sea más vulnerable", dijo hoy Etienne en una sesión informativa para medios de comunicación.

Las medidas de respuesta de los gobiernos frente a la pandemia de la #COVID19 han puesto de manifiesto la estrecha relación que existe entre salud pública y medio ambiente. Habida cuenta de ello, promover la calidad medioambiental y la salud puede contribuir a prevenir pandemias y crisis relacionadas con el clima en el futuro.

This daily round-up brings you a selection of the latest news updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected. Top stories: South Korea flu vaccine troubles; grim milestones for Mexico and the US; restrictions are relaxed in Bogota; Disneyland Hong Kong reopens.

A team of scientists at Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group has taken the next step towards the discovery of a safe, effective and accessible vaccine against coronavirus. The results of the Phase I/II trial published today in the scientific journal, The Lancet, indicate no early safety concerns and induces strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system.

En este espacio mantendremos actualizadas las medidas que están tomando los países para: 1)  mitigar los efectos del COVID-19 sobre el sector alimentario, y 2) medidas de preparación para acelerar la recuperación y continuidad de la actividad agroalimentaria luego de que se contenga la propagación del virus.

At one point, Spain was among the countries impacted most by COVID-19. At the outbreak’s peak, close to 10,000 new cases were reported in a single day in Spain. Since then, intensive efforts, led by robust surveillance, testing, contact tracing, treatment and isolation, have managed to suppress transmission.

Dr Tedros said this shift was due to the leadership shown by Spain and the strong resolve shown by the Spanish public to adhere to strict restrictions, including lockdowns, physical distancing and other critical measures to contain transmission. These efforts, combined, have successfully changed the course of the country’s outbreak.

Using survey responses across nearly 500 listed firms in 10 emerging markets from early April, we find the vast majority of firms were negatively affected by COVID-19. Firms reacted by reducing investment rather than payroll. There is a surprising degree of support vis-à-vis employees, customers, other stakeholders and broader society. Although stock prices initially reacted to the impact of the crisis, delayed stock price reactions suggest evidence of inefficient markets. Furthermore, we find evidence that stakeholder-centric firms experienced lower stock price declines during the crisis drawdown.

The joint OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029 report finds that over the next ten years supply growth is going to outpace demand growth, causing real prices of most commodities to remain at or below their current levels. Fluctuations in the driving factors of supply and demand could lead to strong price variations around this general path. At the same time, a decrease in disposable incomes in low-income countries and households caused by COVID-19 is expected to depress demand in the early years of this outlook and could further undermine food security.

Reducing inequality and improving social mobility, identifying new forms of growth, and focusing on new measures of economic performance are among the biggest challenges facing the global economy as countries emerge from lockdown. Current unemployment figures are likely a better barometer of economic health than financial market valuations, and the deglobalization of supply chains may force emerging markets to reconsider growth models. These are some of the findings of the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists Outlook, published today.

Aunque todavía no hay datos disponibles sobre el aumento de la pobreza multidimensional a nivel mundial tras la pandemia, simulaciones realizadas para 70 países en desarrollo a partir de los efectos anticipados del virus en dos indicadores del IPM global —nutrición y asistencia escolar—, nos ofrecen una idea de cuál podría ser el impacto de la crisis si no se toman las medidas adecuadas.

La pandemia de COVID-19 y la crisis mundial que ha provocado han colocado a los países de renta baja al borde de la ruina. Si no se toman medidas urgentes, pronto veremos una serie de tragedias humanitarias brutales y destructivas, advirtió este jueves la ONU al solicitar a las economías del G20 fondos por 10.300 millones de dólares para financiar el Plan Global de Respuesta Humanitaria.

El coordinador de las Naciones Unidas para Asuntos Humanitarios, Mark Lowcock, explicó que el Plan contempla intervenciones de emergencia en 63 países que no cuentan con los medios para hacer frente a la pandemia y que su intención es beneficiar a 250 millones de personas.

“The pandemic and associated global recession are about to wreak havoc in fragile and low-income countries”, he said. “The response of wealthy nations so far has been grossly inadequate and dangerously short-sighted. Failure to act now will leave the virus free to circle round the globe, undo decades of development and create a generation’s worth of tragic and exportable problems.”

“It doesn’t have to be like this – this is a problem that can be fixed with money from wealthy nations and fresh thinking from the shareholders of international financial institutions and supporters of UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and NGOs,” UN’s top humanitarian official warned.

Un nuevo análisis del Foro Económico Mundial revela que algunas de las fortalezas turísticas de Latinoamérica y el Caribe revisten menor importancia que antes para una economía turística competitiva durante la COVID-19. La aparición y propagación de la pandemia de COVID-19 ha dado un giro a los factores que hacen que el sector de turístico de un país sea competitivo. Ciertos factores, como la capacidad sanitaria y las ofertas de viajes digitales, están cobrando mayor importancia durante la pandemia. Actualmente, otros, como la apertura internacional, una fortaleza principal de Latinoamérica, son menos importantes.

The report, endorsed by 11 pro-democracy institutions, is aligned with a recent ‘Call to Defend Democracy’ that was signed by almost 100 organizations from all over the world, as well as nearly 500 prominent individuals from 119 countries, including 13 Nobel Laureates and 62 former Heads of State or Government.

En un comunicado conjunto, COICA y la OPS piden a los países “fortalecer la atención en los servicios de salud de la Amazonía, con la dotación de recursos humanos, insumos y dispositivos médicos, incluidas las pruebas y tratamientos y vacunas para la COVID-19 cuando estas estén disponibles”, con especial énfasis en los pueblos con aislamiento voluntario.

COICA incluye organizaciones indígenas de la selva peruana, el oriente boliviano, la Amazonia ecuatoriana, la Amazonia colombiana, y la Amazonia brasileña.

El último Estudio económico de Costa Rica de la OCDE muestra que políticas públicas consistentes, incluyendo la apertura comercial y el uso sostenible de los recursos naturales, han permitido triplicar el PIB per cápita en tres décadas. Los niveles de vida son altos, con un acceso casi universal a la educación, la salud y las pensiones. Además, el impulso reformista ha sido sobresaliente en los últimos 18 meses, habiendo llevado a término numerosas iniciativas ligadas a la adhesión de Costa Rica a la OCDE. Sin embargo, los altos déficits públicos y el rápido incremento de la deuda pública ponen en riesgo estos logros, incluso sin las presiones añadidas derivadas de la crisis del coronavirus.

El Informe especial COVID-19 N⁰ 5 de la CEPAL, titulado Enfrentar los efectos cada vez mayores del COVID-19 para una reactivación con igualdad: nuevas proyecciones, indica que, dado que tanto el choque externo como el interno se han intensificado, la región evidenciará una caída del producto interno bruto (PIB) de -9,1% en 2020, con disminuciones de -9,4% en América del Sur, -8,4% en América Central y México y -7,9% para el Caribe excluyendo Guyana, cuyo fuerte crecimiento lleva al total subregional a una contracción menor (de -5,4%).