According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), more than a thousand nurses around the world have succumbed to the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus. The Geneva-based federation branded the situation “catastrophic” and criticised governments for not doing enough to protect front-line healthcare workers amid the pandemic.“As of 14 August, the cumulative number of reported COVID-19 deaths of nurses in 44 countries is 1,097,” the ICN stated in a report.

Despite taking a serious hit from COVID-19 lockdowns, China’s economy has proved resilient. It has not, however, fully bounced back: some activities, especially in the service sector, simply cannot be revived. Yet, unlike most of the world, China seems unlikely to become mired in a long recession, not least because of its rapid digital transformation.

“The baby is dead. We can’t assist you here.” By the time she heard these devastating words, the pregnant Yasmelis Casanova had endured a long and painful journey, passing through multiple COVID-19 checkpoints, to the hospital in Caracas, Venezuela. She bled for hours without treatment.

As the Philippines braces for the gradual reopening of its economy, the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on 2 July, 2020 approved the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 Phase II Action Plan.

According to a study conducted by Singapore-based research company ValueChampion, Indonesia is the second-most dangerous country for women in the Asia Pacific region after India, while the Philippines is the third most dangerous. Singapore is the safest country across the region. The 2019 study also ranked Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia as the 8th, 9th, and 10th safest countries for women, respectively, out of 14 countries in the Asia Pacific.

The coronavirus crisis has brought chaos to nations across the world. Fears and anxiety amplify as the virus is not only a health threat – but is also severely affecting livelihoods, businesses and the economy in general. Governments have imposed drastic measures to contain the COVID-19 virus such as travel restrictions and citywide lockdowns. Although these curbs have proven to be necessary for some countries – they have devastated local industries and businesses.

Since the COVID-19 virus emerged in Wuhan, China late last year, people from various backgrounds have succumbed to the disease. From front liners, politicians, and celebrities to ordinary people – the new coronavirus doesn’t discriminate. To date, over 3.7 million people have been infected with the virus, taking with it more 250,000 lives worldwide. The negative implications of the pandemic on people from all walks of life have been immense.

It has now become evident that the COVID-19 pandemic is much more than just a global problem for the healthcare sector. The pandemic has triggered a chain of events that has affected other sectors and has led to immense issues such as economic and social security. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a morality flaw in our society.

When pandemics strike, world leaders and health responders must adapt quickly to the looming threat. Often the last factor they consider – if it makes their to-do lists at all – is gender. As advocates for the health and rights of girls and women, we’ve heard the excuses time and time again: “Gender isn’t a priority right now,” leaders say. “Maybe when things calm down,” they claim. “It’s not the right time,” they insist.

As of 30 March, Indonesia reported 1,414 COVID-19 cases and a total of 122 related deaths – the highest reported in Southeast Asia. Even at the early stage of the outbreak, there was international scepticism surrounding Indonesia's response and reporting of its COVID-19 cases.In mid-February, Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T. H.