The World Health Organization has called for frontline medical workers to be provided with protective equipment to prevent them from being infected with the Novel Coronavirus and potentially spreading it to their patients and families.

Addressing a news briefing marking World Patient Safety Day yesterday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said one of the keys to keeping patients safe is keeping health workers safe.

He said, every day, health workers are not only exposed to infection but also to stress, burnout, stigma, discrimination, and even violence. He said, now more than ever, it is our duty to give health workers the safe working conditions, the training, the pay, and the respect they deserve.

WHO launched a charter on health worker safety, which we invite all countries, hospitals, clinics, and partners to endorse and implement.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that nations need to come together to provide vital treatment to suppress COVID-19 transmission and save lives over the next year. He described the Coronavirus as the number one global security threat facing the world today.

Mr. Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis unlike any in our lifetimes, and so this year's General Assembly session will be unlike any other, too. He said we need a vaccine to be affordable and available to all.