EWEC China Partnership Network Takes Active Action to Support Responses to COVID-19
Following up from the Every Woman Every Child Roundtable held in late May, we are collecting and showcasing the efforts of our partners and commitment-makers to center women in their COVID-19 recovery effort. Today, a statement from Madame Li Xiaolin, former president of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and member of the EWEC High-Level Steering Group.
The United Nations Every Woman Every Child China Partnership Network（EWECCPN) was established in China with the coordination of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. It is committed to supporting the UN Secretary General’s Every Women Every Child movement to advance the global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being.
During the coronavirus pandemic, EWECCPN members acted rapidly in mobilizing resources and made various efforts including donating medical supplies, providing funds, conducting online consulting and lectures, holding experience sharing video conferences to provide support to women and children in the crisis in China and throughout the world.
When China was hit hard by the virus, the Amity Foundation, one of our members delivered over 60,000 medical kits containing health protection products and sanitary products to front-line female workers, and initiated a Woman’s Day campaign to call for public care and support for the dedication and sacrifice of female medical workers. BYD Company decisively mobilized 3000 technicians to reconstruct its production lines to manufacture urgent medical gear, including masks and disinfectant gel and in a short time becoming the world’s largest mask producer. The company donated a large amount of their products within China and to the world, providing timely support to front-line female workers and volunteers.
EWECCPN and its members Shanghai Manon Business Co. Ltd Dettol China and China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development set up funds to offer financial support to over 5000 female community health workers for their significant contributions for the outbreak control. EWECCPN members—including MEBO International Group, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, China Charities Aid Foundation for Children—and Shanghai Children’s Nutrition Center have raised funds and provided financial support to over 100 hospitals including children’s hospitals and institutions aiding children and adolescents.
China Charities Aid Foundation for Children opened online education classes for children with special needs, provided a helpline for psychological counselling, and online learning programs for children. Shanghai Children’s Nutrition Center invited about 100 doctors to provide information and hold online lectures on maternal and child health, and provide free online clinical treatment. National Center for Women’s and Children’s Health of China CDC put together and disseminated information via Wechat and other Apps about COVID–19 for women, children and adolescents, and provided online training courses for women and children health professionals. The China Red Ribbon Foundation composed musical pieces and songs to pay tribute to doctors and nurses.
Since the outbreak has spread across the world, EWECCPN and its members have done their best to deliver support to countries around the world. Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, The Amity Foundation, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Health, Education & Research Foundation, BYD Company, China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, MEBO International, Beijing Children’s Health Foundation, Xiangya Medicine and Health Foundation of Hunan Province and other members have been actively helping over 30 countries in need in Africa, Asia, Europe and America including Tanzania, the Philippines, Spain and the United States etc. by donating about 5,000,000 pieces of PPE such as medical masks, protective gowns, goggles to women and children and children’s hospitals there.
EWECCPN members held video conferences with over 10 countries including the United States, Italy, Sierra Leone and Zambia to share information and experience. China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation built nearly 200 hand washing sinks in Nepal and supplied more than 3600 food packages for children in Asian and African countries including Ethiopia and Myanmar. To support international efforts to combat COVID-19, EWECCPN will continue to mobilize resources to provide assistance and share China’s experiences.
Viruses know no borders and outbreaks do not distinguish between races. Mankind is a community with shared future. Collective fight against the COVID -19 is of vital importance to the safety and health of each and every one of us in the world. We firmly believe, by standing and working together, we will win the battle against the virus and will continue to make progress in achieving Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.