Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R. Apr 15, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - As Hong Kong’s premier digital logistics company, GO Logistics and Storage (GOLS: http://www.gols.com.hk) is proud to have supported the “Direct-to-Frontline” Initiative launched by Global Citizen Capital by providing warehousing, fulfilment and delivery services.
According to a recent McKinsey report, COVID-19 is, first and foremost, a global humanitarian challenge. Thousands of health professionals are heroically battling the virus, putting their own lives at risk, and sacrificing time with their family and friends. Governments and industry are working together to understand and address the challenge, support victims and their families and communities, and search for treatments and a vaccine. Companies around the world need to act promptly, and we are glad to have helped play a small role.
In March 2020, "In the days and weeks ahead, we expect to see the number of cases, the number of deaths, and the number of affected countries climb even higher," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director General, on March 8, 2020.
He continued, "Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death."
In response, the team at Global Citizen Capital launched a 30-Day "Direct-to-Frontline" PPE Initiative, connecting PPE to the most at-risk healthcare workers in the United States, Canada, UK and EU given the rise of the following situation:
- Delayed recognition of COVID-19 symptoms and lack of experience in dealing with respiratory pathogens.
- Exposure to large numbers of patients in long shifts with inadequate rest periods.
- Lack of personal protective equipment.
- Lack of measures to prevent the spread in hospitals.
“The new coronavirus disease is attacking societies at their core, claiming lives and people’s livelihoods”, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, pointing out that the potential longer-term effects on the global economy and individual countries are “dire”.
In some countries, 1 in 10 health workers is infected with coronavirus. Evidence from a variety of counties is helping to explain this trend. Measures such as training and support can protect health workers and the wider public from increased rates of infection.
"Coronavirus infections continue to grow and as they do, health workers are getting ill. In some countries up to 10% of health workers are being infected by a coronavirus," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Such infections increase the rate of infection throughout a community and can pull critical health workers out of service. “This is an alarming trend," said the Director General who, along with other agency officials, shared guidance on how to protect health workers at today’s WHO briefing.
Health workers are at risk on two fronts, explained WHO officials. Due to a shortage of personal protective equipment, some are being infected in hospitals. However, others are also being infected outside hospitals, in their homes or communities.
“Health workers have always been, unfortunately, the mine’s canary in epidemic response, particularly in areas that don’t have strong surveillance systems,” said Michael J. Ryan, Chief Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
Understanding that every health system is vulnerable is key to finding any existing gaps and ensuring the protection of both health workers and the public at large.
“GOLS has focused on sustainability and has been amazing in organising its team to come onboard our “Direct-to-Frontline” initiative," said Kenneth Kwok, Founder and CEO of Global Citizen Capital and Better Together Foundation. “In times like this, dedicating their entire fulfilment team to assist is truly remarkable. We thank them on behalf of the hundreds of frontline healthcare workers we have been able to support,” he added.
“When Global Citizen Capital contacted us on this initiative, the only logical answer is an empathetic YES from GOLS and our parent company The MXA Group,” commented Joe Wong, Founder of GOLS and the MXA Group. “We started mobilising resources within 3 hours and our first batch of PPE was delivered within the first 24 hours,” he added. Shipments of PPE were subsequently made to the United States, Canada, UK, EU and other countries of the world.
As of April 2020, “The fundamentals of public health have proven successful to the containment of the COVID-19”, according to Dr. Van Kerkhove. She cited some of these measures, specifically mentioning activating emergency mechanisms, taking it seriously from the start, repurposing government officials to tackle the virus, testing, quarantine, case and contact finding/tracing, mobilizing the population to protect themselves and practicing basic hygiene.
For those wishing to support this initiative or learn about other ongoing projects such as the lung immunity Dynamito Program and the Telomeres Rejuvenation Program 3.0, please visit https://www.globalcitizencap.com/ for more information.
(Nikkei Asian Review)
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