Entries by Circle Blue

UNDP Begins Soap-Making Training in Yemen

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The United Nations Development Program is training people in Yemen to make soap, in an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country. The program, funded by the EU, Sida, and the UNDP rapid response facility, helps small, home-based enterprises produce soap. Once the training is completed, each participant is granted $600 to […]

CDC Remediates Buildings After Legionella Bacteria Found

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shut down several buildings it leases in Atlanta due to the detection of Legionella bacteria in the water systems. Legionnaires’ disease, a respiratory illness similar to pneumonia, is contracted by inhaling airborne water droplets contaminated with the bacteria. Stagnant water in unused plumbing systems can incubate the […]

Government Neglect Hurts Hungarian Healthcare When It Is Most Needed

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Government neglect has led to a healthcare system in Hungary that is critically unprepared to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Human Rights Watch. The international organization’s investigation found inadequate conditions and a lack of necessary supplies and equipment. There is little soap, sanitizer, and proper cleaning throughout hospitals and health centers, and a lack […]

UN Project Focuses on Women’s Hygiene in Bangladesh

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Two United Nations agencies are supporting a project that aims to provide women in Bangladesh with sanitary care and reproductive health supplies. The program will cover 12 city corporations and 24 municipalities. The supplies, referred to as “Dignity First” kits, consist of 17 essential hygiene products, including soap, sanitary napkins, and undergarments. The kits have […]

Development Organization Aids 20 Million with Water Access Across Africa

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In rural and urban communities throughout Africa, 20 million people gained access to clean water for the first time, according to an African Development Bank report. Published by the Bank’s evaluation unit, the report assessed the organization’s 400 water and agriculture projects from 2005 to 2016. The assessment highlighted not only the importance of water […]

Thousands of Cholera Cases Could Be Undetected in Yemen

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Thousands of people in Yemen could be dying from cholera that is undiagnosed due to their fear of receiving treatment from the country’s overwhelmed health centers, according to an Oxfam report. Conditions are not likely to improve in the near term. The number of Covid-19 cases is expected to increase in the coming weeks, and […]

Maine City Begins Testing Wastewater for New Coronavirus

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The Portland Water District, along with a lab at Saint Joseph’s College, has begun testing wastewater for inactive SARS-CoV-2 particles to better understand surges in Covid-19 cases. The district, which serves Maine’s largest city, is one of many communities across the nation who are testing wastewater to monitor virus levels. “Evaluating concentrations at the community […]

ICRC Supports Bangladesh Effort to Prevent Covid-19 Outbreaks in Prisons

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The International Committee of the Red Cross said that it is increasing its pandemic assistance to the Bangladesh government agency that oversees jails. The international aid organization has donated tents, disinfection materials, and PPE equipment to the Prison Directorate, and set up hygiene facilities, all in an attempt to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among […]

USAID To Support Handwashing Stations in South Africa

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The United States government contributed $500,000 to UNICEF for the construction of handwashing stations in South Africa, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development last week. The facilities will be implemented in vulnerable communities and informal settlements as an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus. “Hand washing with soap is a simple […]

Monsoon Season Brings South Asian Countries Triple Disaster

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Communities in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal are coping with a triple disaster: flooding, the pandemic, and loss of livelihoods during monsoon season, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned on Wednesday. The monsoon has affected just under 10 million people in the three South Asian countries. Volunteers in the region […]

Overwhelmed by Public Response, UK Government to Double Pandemic Relief Support

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Following an overwhelming response from the British public, the U.K. government will double its support for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Coronavirus Appeal, according to a statement today by the International Development Secretary. The Coronavirus Appeal provides aid to refugees living in overcrowded camps around the world and the U.K. government will match public funding […]