Al Jazeera: WHO: Countries on ‘dangerous track’ in COVID-19 pandemic
“The northern hemisphere is facing a crucial moment in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, with too many countries witnessing an exponential increase in coronavirus cases. The stark warning on Friday came as the number of coronavirus cases more than doubled in 10 days across Europe, with several southern European countries reporting their highest daily case numbers this week. … ‘We are at a critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere,’ WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. ‘The next few months are going to be very tough and some countries are on a dangerous track’…” (10/23).

Devex: World Health Summit kicks off amid pandemic
“…The 2020 edition of the gathering — which began virtually on Sunday after plans for a hybrid online and in-person event were scrapped last minute — aims to build an international consensus on a way through the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking stock of the damage the coronavirus has done to global health initiatives, and underscoring the importance of restoring these efforts. … This year’s summit is built around several themes, including the connection between climate change and health, but the overriding goal is achieving, or restoring, the consensus around global health priorities that has been strained by the pandemic…” (10/26).

U.N. News: Science, unity and solidarity, key to defeating COVID: U.N. chief
“Better preparation, listening to the science, and acting together in solidarity are some of the main ways that countries across the world can overcome the on-going COVID-19 crisis, the U.N. chief told the World Health Summit on Sunday. … Protecting the vulnerable is key, and staying away from events that simply spread the virus. Governments need to work with communities everywhere to share reliable information and build trust…” (10/25).

Additional coverage of U.N. leaders’ comments on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate its impacts is available from CIDRAP News, The Telegraph, U.N. News (2), and Washington Post.