Qatar's leadership and competent authorities have been playing an outstanding role in tackling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The country has been scaling up precautionary and preventive measures while ensuring the availability of medical facilities to test, isolate, treat, and manage individuals affected by COVID-19.

In addition to this, through its humanitarian efforts extended toward countries hard-hit by the disease, Qatar has been stressing the importance of global efforts to combat the virus and its impacts.

Yesterday, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocate, Chairperson of Education Above All and Silatech, expressed solidarity and emphasized the need for urgent action to deal with the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19.

Joining prominent leaders in the global advocacy effort, "Rise for All," HH Sheikha Moza said, "Before COVID-19, our world was already contending with other pandemics. They are called poverty, hunger, unemployment, illiteracy, war, conflict."

This pandemic is "exacerbating these current predicaments exponentially," she highlighted, adding that "We cannot turn a blind eye from the long-term consequences that will likely imprint our children and youth."

صاحبة السمو الشيخة موزا بنت ناصر: أعربُ عن تضامني مع باقي قادة العالم لأنني أرى العواقب بعيدة المدى لهذه الأزمة الإنسانية، وإذا لم نتدخّل فإنّ تداعيات هذه الأزمة ستُخلّف نتائج كارثية تعليمياً واقتصادياً على شبابنا
⁧#مرسال_قطر⁩ pic.twitter.com/OjLWOuaRGx

— شبكة مرسال قطر (@Marsalqatar) April 27, 2020

Rise for All supports the UN secretary-General's call to join hands and combine efforts to save lives and protect livelihoods that will be impacted by the socio-economic consequences of the virus. 

The call urges leaders in all countries, across all sectors, to address the humanitarian crisis of the pandemic.

HH Sheikha Moza joined a group of global female leaders from different sectors, convened by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed to mobilize international support and political commitment to "build back better."

"If we do not intervene, the effects of this crisis will have disastrous educational and economic effects on our young people. We will be leading them down a dangerous path of hopelessness and possibly extremism," HH Sheikha Moza said.

Education Above All and Silatech came up with online solutions to offer resources to children and youth affected by the crisis globally. These solutions allow the continuity of education and the accessibility of employment opportunities during this major challenge. 

Urging leaders to be proactive and think beyond the current situation, HH Sheikha Moza said, "Let's not waste this moment in time to merely react to combat COVID-19. Instead of working from fear, we must take this opportunity to narrow the digital gap and bring innovative solutions to our children and youth."

In the @UN #COVID19 response—Women #RiseForAll!
We rise for all who are voiceless facing choiceless choices.
We rise for global solidarity to save lives and protect livelihoods.
We rise to recover better, working together to leave no one behind. https://t.co/VvHbU5AjHT pic.twitter.com/bmK4mD0lFQ

— Amina J Mohammed (@AminaJMohammed) April 27, 2020

The UN Deputy Secretary-General drew attention to women on the frontlines of COVID-19 saying, "It is time for us to rise as women leaders, taking action to conquer the pandemic and come out stronger so as to keep the world on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030."

In addition to HH Sheikha Moza, the President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-founder Melinda Gates, the Prime Minister of Norway and the UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Development Goals Advocate Erna Solberg, the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, the UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Development Goals Advocate Dia Mirza, the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador of Pakistan Muniba Mazari, along with the Executive Directors of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and of UNFPA, Natalia Kanem were among the first ones to join this campaign.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Qatar continue to implement the highest level of monitoring, detection, and management procedures to deal with the virus, and the public has been advised to follow certain measures to safeguard their health.

For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself. 

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Source: QNA

Cover Image Credit: unsdgadvocates.org