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The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced today that a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease is occurring in Wangata health zone, Mbandaka, in Équateur province. The announcement comes as a long, difficult and complex Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is in its final phase, while the country also battles COVID-19 and the world’s largest measles outbreak.

Initial information from the Ministry of Health is that six Ebola cases have so far been detected in Wangata, of which four have died and two are alive and under care. Three of these six cases have been confirmed with laboratory testing. It is likely more people will be identified with the disease as surveillance activities increase.

“This is a reminder that COVID-19 is not the only health threat people face,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Although much of our attention is on the pandemic, WHO is continuing to monitor and respond to many other health emergencies.”

This is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 11th outbreak of Ebola since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976. The city of Mbandaka and its surrounding area were the site of Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 9th Ebola outbreak, which took place from May to July 2018.

“It’s happening at a challenging time, but WHO has worked over the last two years with health authorities, Africa CDC and other partners to strengthen national capacity to respond to outbreaks,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “To reinforce local leadership, WHO plans to send a team to support scaling up the response. Given the proximity of this new outbreak to busy transport routes and vulnerable neighbouring countries we must act quickly.”

WHO is already on the ground in Mbandaka supporting the response to this outbreak, as part of capacity built during the 2018 outbreak. The team supported the collection and testing of samples, and reference to the national laboratory for confirmation. Contact tracing is underway. Work is ongoing to send additional supplies from North Kivu and from Kinshasa to support the government-led response. A further 25 people are expected to arrive in Mbandaka tomorrow. WHO is also working to ensure that essential health services are provided to communities despite these emergency events.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 10th outbreak of Ebola, in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, is in its final stages. On 14 May 2020, the Ministry of Health began the 42-day countdown to the declaration of the end of that outbreak.

New outbreaks of Ebola are expected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo given the existence of the virus in an animal reservoir in many parts of the country.

1 June 2020 – GENEVA – Prevention and treatment services for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have been severely disrupted since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to a WHO survey released today. The survey, which was completed by 155 countries during a 3-week period in May, confirmed that the impact is global, but that low-income countries are most affected.

This situation is of significant concern because people living with NCDs are at higher risk of severe COVID-19-related illness and death.

“The results of this survey confirm what we have been hearing from countries for a number of weeks now,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Many people who need treatment for diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes have not been receiving the health services and medicines they need since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It’s vital that countries find innovative ways to ensure that essential services for NCDs continue, even as they fight COVID-19.”

Service disruptions are widespread

The main finding is that health services have been partially or completely disrupted in many countries. More than half (53%) of the countries surveyed have partially or completely disrupted services for hypertension treatment; 49% for treatment for diabetes and diabetes-related complications; 42% for cancer treatment, and 31% for cardiovascular emergencies.

Rehabilitation services have been disrupted in almost two-thirds (63%) of countries, even though rehabilitation is key to a healthy recovery following severe illness from COVID-19.

Reassignment of staff and postponing of screening

In the majority (94%) of countries responding, ministry of health staff working in the area of NCDs were partially or fully reassigned to support COVID-19.

The postponement of public screening programmes (for example for breast and cervical cancer) was also widespread, reported by more than 50% of countries. This was consistent with initial WHO recommendations to minimize non-urgent facility-based care whilst tackling the pandemic.

But the most common reasons for discontinuing or reducing services were cancellations of planned treatments, a decrease in public transport available and a lack of staff because health workers had been reassigned to support COVID19 services. In one in five countries (20%) reporting disruptions, one of the main reasons for discontinuing services was a shortage of  medicines, diagnostics and other technologies.

Unsurprisingly, there appears to be a correlation between levels of disruption to services for treating NCDs and the evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak in a country.  Services become increasingly disrupted as a country moves from sporadic cases to community transmission of the coronavirus.

Globally, two-thirds of countries reported that they had included NCD services in their national COVID-19 preparedness and response plans; 72% of high-income countries reported inclusion compared to 42% of low-income countries. Services to address cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease were the most frequently included. Dental services, rehabilitation and tobacco cessation activities were not as widely included in response plans according to country reports.

Seventeen percent of countries reporting have started to allocate additional funding from the government budget to include the provision of NCD services in their national COVID-19 plan.

Alternative strategies for continuing care being implemented

Encouraging findings of the survey were that alternative strategies have been established in most countries to support the people at highest risk to continue receiving treatment for NCDs. Among the countries reporting service disruptions, globally 58% of countries are now using telemedicine (advice by telephone or online means) to replace in-person consultations; in low-income countries this figure is 42%. Triaging to determine priorities has also been widely used, in two-thirds of countries reporting.

Also encouraging is that more than 70% of countries reported collecting data on the number of COVID-19 patients who also have an NCD.

”It will be some time before we know the full extent of the impact of disruptions to health care during COVID-19 on people with noncommunicable diseases,” said Dr Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO. “What we know now, however, is that not only are people with NCDs more vulnerable to becoming seriously ill with the virus, but many are unable to access the treatment they need to manage their illnesses. It is very important not only that care for people living with NCDs is included in national response and preparedness plans for COVID-19 -̶  but that innovative ways are found to implement those plans . We must be ready to “build back better”  ̶  strengthening health services so that they are better equipped to prevent, diagnose and provide care for NCDs in the future, in any circumstances.”

Geneva, 29 May 2020 — Thirty countries and multiple international partners and institutions have signed up to support the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) an initiative aimed at making vaccines, tests, treatments and other health technologies to fight COVID-19 accessible to all.

The Pool was first proposed in March by President Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica, who joined WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today at the official launch of the initiative.

“The COVID-19 Technology Access Pool will ensure the latest and best science benefits all of humanity,” said President Alvarado of Costa Rica. “Vaccines, tests, diagnostics, treatments and other key tools in the coronavirus response must be made universally available as global public goods”.

“Global solidarity and collaboration are essential to overcoming COVID-19,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Based on strong science and open collaboration, this information-sharing platform will help provide equitable access to life-saving technologies around the world.”

The COVID-19 (Technology) Access Pool will be voluntary and based on social solidarity. It will provide a one-stop shop for scientific knowledge, data and intellectual property to be shared equitably by the global community.

The aim is to accelerate the discovery of vaccines, medicines and other technologies through open-science research, and to fast-track product development by mobilizing additional manufacturing capacity. This will help ensure faster and more equitable access to existing and new COVID-19 health products.

There are five key elements to the initiative:

·    Public disclosure of gene sequences and data;
·    Transparency around the publication of all clinical trial results;
·    Governments and other funders are encouraged to include clauses in funding agreements with pharmaceutical companies and other innovators about equitable distribution, affordability and the publication of trial data;
·    Licensing any potential treatment, diagnostic, vaccine or other health technology to the Medicines Patent Pool – a United Nations-backed public health body that works to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries.
·    Promotion of open innovation models and technology transfer that increase local manufacturing and supply capacity, including through joining the Open Covid Pledge and the Technology Access Partnership (TAP).

With supportive countries across the globe, C-TAP will serve as a sister initiative to the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and other initiatives to support efforts to fight COVID-19 worldwide.

WHO, Costa Rica and all the co-sponsor countries have also issued a “Solidarity Call to Action” asking relevant stakeholders to join and support the initiative, with recommended actions for key groups, such as governments, research and development funders, researchers, industry and civil society.

WHO and Costa Rica co-hosted today’s launch event, which began with a high-level session addressed by the WHO Director-General and President Alvarado in addition to Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and Aksel Jacobsen, State Secretary, Norway. There were video statements by President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador; President Thomas Esang Remengesau Jr., of Palau; President Lenín Moreno of Ecuador; , Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commis-sioner for Human Rights; Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; and Retno Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs for Indonesia. Leaders from across the UN, academia, industry and civil society joined for a moderated discussion.

To date, the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool is now supported by the following countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Mozambique, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Sudan, The Netherlands, Timor-Leste, Uruguay

Other international organizations, partners and experts have also expressed support to the initiative and others can join them using the website: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/global-research-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/covid-19-technology-access-pool/solidarity-call-to-action/

AstraZeneca is advancing its ongoing response to address the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, collaborating with a number of countries and multilateral organisations to make the University of Oxford’s vaccine widely accessible around the world in an equitable manner.

The Company has concluded the first agreements for at least 400 million doses and has secured total manufacturing capacity for one billion doses so far and will begin first deliveries in September 2020. AstraZeneca aims to conclude further agreements supported by several parallel supply chains, which will expand capacity further over the next months to ensure the delivery of a globally accessible vaccine.

AstraZeneca today received support of more than $1bn from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for the development, production and delivery of the vaccine, starting in the fall. The development programme includes a Phase III clinical trial with 30,000 participants and a paediatric trial.

In addition, the Company is engaging with international organisations such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation (WHO), for the fair allocation and distribution of the vaccine around the world. AstraZeneca is also in discussions with governments around the world to increase access. Furthermore, AstraZeneca is in discussions with the Serum Institute of India and other potential partners to increase production and distribution.

AstraZeneca recently joined forces with the UK Government to support Oxford University’s vaccine and has progressed rapidly in its efforts to expand access around the world. The Company will supply the UK starting in September and is thankful for the Government’s commitment and overall work on vaccines.

Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, said: “This pandemic is a global tragedy and it is a challenge for all of humanity. We need to defeat the virus together or it will continue to inflict huge personal suffering and leave long-lasting economic and social scars in every country around the world. We are so proud to be collaborating with Oxford University to turn their ground-breaking work into a medicine that can be produced on a global scale. We would like to thank the US and UK governments for their substantial support to accelerate the development and production of the vaccine. We will do everything in our power to make this vaccine quickly and widely available.”

AstraZeneca has now finalised its licence agreement with Oxford University for the recombinant adenovirus vaccine. The licensing of the vaccine, formerly ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and now known as AZD1222, follows the recent global development and distribution agreement with the University’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group. AstraZeneca has also agreed to support the establishment of a joint research centre at Oxford University for pandemic preparedness research.

A Phase I/II clinical trial of AZD1222 began last month to assess safety, immunogenicity and efficacy in over 1,000 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 55 years across several trial centres in southern England. Data from the trial is expected shortly which, if positive, would lead to late-stage trials in a number of countries. AstraZeneca recognises that the vaccine may not work but is committed to progressing the clinical program with speed and scaling up manufacturing at risk.

The Company’s comprehensive pandemic response also includes rapid mobilisation of AstraZeneca’s global research efforts to discover novel coronavirus-neutralising antibodies to prevent and treat progression of the COVID-19 disease, with the aim of reaching clinical trials in the next three to five months. Additionally, the Company has quickly moved into testing of new and existing medicines to treat the infection, including CALAVI and ACCORD trials underway for Calquence (acalabrutinib) and DARE-19 trial for Farxiga (dapagliflozin) in COVID-19 patients.

Financial considerations

Today’s announcement is not anticipated to have any significant impact on the Company’s financial guidance for 2020; expenses to progress the vaccine are anticipated to be offset by funding by governments.

AZD1222

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, now known as AZD1222, was developed by Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, working with the Oxford Vaccine Group. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold (adenovirus) virus that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack COVID-19 if it later infects the body.

The recombinant adenovirus vector (ChAdOx1) was chosen to generate a strong immune response from a single dose and it is not replicating, so cannot cause an ongoing infection in the vaccinated individual. Vaccines made from the ChAdOx1 virus have been given to more than 320 people to date and have been shown to be safe and well tolerated, although they can cause temporary side effects such as a temperature, influenza-like symptoms, headache or a sore arm.

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.

Geneva, – Presidents Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica and Sebastián Piñera of Chile joined WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today to announce progress on a technology platform that aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines and other health products against COVID-19. Costa Rica proposed the idea at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and several countries are now backing the proposal.

“Our proposal relies on solidarity,” said President Alvarado of Costa Rica. “It’s a Solidarity call to action to Member States, to academia, to companies, research institutions and cooperation agencies, based on global social responsibility, on a voluntary basis, promoting more global nonexclusive voluntary licensing.”

“We need to unleash the full power of science, without caveats or restrictions, to deliver innovations that are scalable, usable, and benefit everyone, everywhere, at the same time,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Traditional market models will not deliver at the scale needed to cover the entire globe. Solidarity within and between countries and the private sector is essential if we are to overcome these difficult times.”

“Chile, like most countries in the international community, considers that only through international cooperation is it possible to emerge victorious from the crisis caused by COVID-19,” said Ambassador Cristian Streeter, Director of Multilateral Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking on behalf of President Piñera of Chile.

The platform will pool data, knowledge and intellectual property for existing or new COVID-19 health products to deliver ‘global public goods’ for all people and all countries. Through the open sharing of science and data, numerous companies will be able to access the information they need to produce the technologies, thereby scaling up availability worldwide, lowering costs and increasing access.

WHO and Costa Rica will officially launch the platform on 29 May. On that date, a Solidarity Call to Action will be published on WHO’s web site where governments, research and development funders, institutions and companies can express their support.

The solidarity of all of WHO’s Member States will be critical to ensuring the technology platform can be a meaningful tool for equitable access to COVID-19 health products.

MINNETONKA, Minn., and REDMOND, Wash – UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) have joined forces to launch ProtectWell™, an innovative return-to-workplace protocol that enables employers to bring employees back to work in a safer environment. ProtectWell™ helps employees determine they are safe to go to work, co-workers know their colleagues have been screened, and employers feel confident that their workplace is ready to do business. ProtectWell™ incorporates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the latest clinical research to limit the spread of COVID-19 by screening employees for symptoms and establishing guidelines to support the health and safety of the workforce and workplace.

ProtectWell™ combines UnitedHealth Group’s clinical and data analytics capabilities with Microsoft’s technology leadership to help in the next phases of COVID-19 recovery efforts. The ProtectWell™ app is powered by Microsoft Azure, AI and analytics solutions, and also takes advantage of the Microsoft Healthcare Bot service, which is being used around the world for AI-assisted COVID-19 symptom triaging.

UnitedHealth Group logoThe ProtectWell™ protocol is supported by a smartphone app that allows employers to offer workers a simple screening tool designed for everyday use. The ProtectWell™ app includes an AI-powered health care bot that asks users a series of questions to screen for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. If risk of infection is indicated, employers can direct their employees to a streamlined COVID-19 testing process that enables closed-loop ordering and reporting of test results directly back to employers. Health care information is managed by UnitedHealth Group and employers in accordance with occupational health laws.

In addition, ProtectWell™ includes guidelines and resources to support a safe work environment, including physical distancing, personal hygiene, sanitation and more. Employers can also choose additional custom content specific to their workforce for a personalized experience.

Microsoft logo“As we plan for a safe and careful return to the workplace, employers need clear guidelines to ensure a safe environment and a robust process for employees to screen themselves for COVID-19 symptoms,” said Ken Ehlert, chief scientific officer, UnitedHealth Group. “We are pleased to collaborate with Microsoft to launch ProtectWell™, a simple and effective tool to ensure employers and employees have the information and resources they need to keep themselves, their colleagues and the public safe and healthy.”

Microsoft Executive Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Business, Judson Althoff said: “As businesses begin to reopen, employers will need to monitor and manage their workforce for COVID-19 symptoms to help ensure those at risk of spreading the virus stay home until cleared by medical providers. Microsoft is pleased to join with UnitedHealth Group to launch ProtectWell™, which helps organizations manage the complexity of this undertaking.”

UnitedHealth Group has implemented ProtectWell™ with its own frontline health care workers, is in process of implementing the tool across its business to enable safe return of team members to the workplace, and is making the platform available to all employers in the United States at no charge. Microsoft intends to deploy ProtectWell™ for its U.S.-based employees.

The ProtectWell™ smartphone app is powered by Microsoft Azure, together with its industry-leading security and compliance offerings, and allows employers to better plan, manage resources, care for their employees, and reallocate resources to help safeguard their workforce, workplace and business continuity. UnitedHealth Group will maintain control over protected health care data and will manage opt-in and consent requirements needed from app users. Microsoft will not have access to identifiable information shared via the ProtectWell™ app. De-identified workforce health trends and analytics information will help employers and policymakers make informed occupational and public health decisions.

ProtectWell™ is the latest of many initiatives announced by UnitedHealth Group to combat COVID-19. Other initiatives to date include:

Providing $1.5 billion in direct customer and consumer support through premium credits, cost-sharing waivers and other efforts.
Accelerating payments to providers throughout the crisis, with an initial tranche of nearly $2 billion.
Waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and treatment for U.S. members of UnitedHealthcare plans and simplifying access to care by reducing prior-authorization requirements.
Pioneering self-administered swab procedures to expand COVID-19 testing, reduce needed personal protective equipment and protect health care workers from unnecessary exposure to COVID-19.
Supporting the Mayo Clinic’s groundbreaking research into the therapeutic potential of using plasma from COVID-19 survivors.
Deploying 3,000 “light ventilators” to address critical shortages in the nation’s supply of ventilators.
Significantly expanding access to telehealth and virtual visits and redeploying 10,000 Optum clinicians to expand telehealth capabilities.
Providing a special enrollment period for fully insured customers to allow employees who did not opt in for coverage during the regular enrollment period to secure coverage.
Conducting proactive personal outreach to support seniors and the most vulnerable populations among our members.
Launching a free nationwide emotional support line to manage the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19.
Investing nearly $75 million to help at-risk populations, support communities and protect the health care workforce.
Converting company cafeterias to provide more than 75,000 meals a week for people in need and keep our cafe team at work.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

The World Health Organization and the European Investment Bank will boost cooperation to strengthen public health, supply of essential equipment, training and hygiene investment in countries most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new partnership between the United Nations health agency and the world’s largest international public bank, announced at WHO headquarters in Geneva earlier today, will help increase resilience to reduce the health and social impact of future health emergencies.

“Combining the public health experience of the World Health Organization and the financial expertise of the European Investment Bank will contribute to a more effective response to COVID-19 and other pressing health challenges,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“WHO looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the EIB to improve access to essential supplies including medical equipment and training, and deliver better water, sanitation and hygiene where most needed. New initiatives to improve primary health care in Africa and support the EU Malaria Fund hint at the potential impact of our new partnership,” Dr Tedros concluded.

“The world is facing unprecedented health, social and economic shocks from COVID-19. The European Investment Bank is pleased to join forces with the World Health Organization as a key part of Team Europe’s efforts to address the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EU Bank’s new partnership with the WHO will help communities most at risk by scaling up local medical and public health efforts and better protect people around the world from future pandemics. This new cooperation will enable us to combat malaria, address anti-microbial resistance and enhance public health in Africa more effectively,” said Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank.

Improving local public health efforts to tackle coronavirus
The WHO and the EIB will increase cooperation to help governments in low- and middle-income countries to finance and secure access to essential medical supplies and protective equipment through central procurement.

Building resilient health systems in vulnerable countries across Africa
The WHO and the EIB will reinforce cooperation to support immediate COVID-19 needs and jointly develop targeted financing to enhance health investment and build resilient health systems and primary health care to address public health emergencies as well as accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage.

The partnership will benefit from the EIB’s planned 1.4 billion EUR response to address the health, social and economic impact of COVID-19 in Africa.

This will address immediate needs in the health sector and provide both technical assistance and support for medium-term investment in specialist health infrastructure.

The collaboration envisages rapid identification and fast-track approval of financing for health care, medical equipment and supplies.

The first phase of the collaboration will see public health investment in ten African countries.

Long-term collaboration to overcome market failures in global health
The agreement signed today establishes a close collaboration to overcome market failure and stimulate investments in global health, accelerating progress towards Universal Health Coverage. Increased cooperation between the WHO and the EIB will strengthen the resilience of national public health systems and enhance preparedness of vulnerable countries against future pandemics, thanks to investments in primary care infrastructure, health workers and improved water, sanitation and hygiene.

Future cooperation will strengthen the EIB’s 5.2 billion EUR global response to COVID-19 outside the European Union.

Scaling up investment to tackle antimicrobial resistance
The two organisations will also cooperate in an initiative to address investment barriers hindering development of new antimicrobial treatment and related diagnostics. Antimicrobial resistance is amongst the most significant global health threats.

The WHO and the EIB are working on a new financing initiative to support development of novel antimicrobials and address the estimated 1 billion EUR needed to provide medium-term solutions to antimicrobial resistance. Other crucial partners have been invited to join this discussion.

Improving the effectiveness of malaria treatment
Under the new agreement the EIB and WHO will support development of the EU Malaria Fund, a new 250 million EUR public-private initiative intended to address market failures holding back more effective malaria treatment.

Strengthening EIB support for healthcare, life science and COVID-19 investment
In recent years the European Investment Bank has provided more than 2 billion EUR annually for health care and life science investment.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIB is currently assessing over 20 projects in the field of vaccine development, diagnostic and treatment, leading to potential investments in the 700 million EUR range. The EIB will also take part in the EU’s rolling pledging effort for the coronavirus global response that is taking place on May 4th.

Background information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 150 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing.

Geneva/New York – International advocacy organization Global Citizen and the World Health Organization today announced the One World: Together At Home — a globally televised and streamed special in support of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. One World: Together At Home will be broadcast live on Saturday, 18 April 2020 at 5:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 a.m. GMT airing on ABC, NBC, ViacomCBS Networks, iHeartMedia and Bell Media networks and platforms in Canada. Internationally, BBC One will run the program on Sunday 19 April 2020. Additional international broadcasters include beIN Media Group, MultiChoice Group and RTE. The virtual broadcast will show unity among all people who are affected by COVID-19 and will also celebrate and support brave healthcare workers doing life-saving work on the front lines.

Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen, said “As we honor and support the heroic efforts of community health workers, ‘One World: Together At Home’ aims to serve as a source of unity and encouragement in the global fight to end COVID-19. Through music, entertainment and impact, the global live-cast will celebrate those who risk their own health to safeguard everyone else’s.”

One World: Together At Home will also be a multi-hour digital broadcast streaming online on multiple global platforms, including: Alibaba, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, LiveXLive, Tencent, Tencent Music Entertainment Group, TIDAL, TuneIn, Twitch, Twitter, Yahoo and YouTube. This digital special will include additional artists and performances from all over the globe as well as unique stories from the world’s healthcare heroes. For information about how to tune in and take action, visit www.globalcitizen.org/togetherathome.

“The World Health Organization is committed to defeating the coronavirus pandemic with science and public health measures, and supporting the health workers who are on the frontlines of the response,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “We may have to be apart physically for a while, but we can still come together virtually to enjoy great music. The ‘One World: Together At Home’ concert represents a powerful show of solidarity against a common threat.”

“The United Nations system is fully mobilized: supporting country responses, placing our supply chains at the world’s disposal and advocating for a global cease-fire. We are proud to join forces with ‘One World: Together At Home’ to help suppress the transmission of the virus, minimize social-economic impacts on the global community and work together now to advance Global Goals for the future,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. “There is no greater case for collective action than our joint response to COVID-19 – we are in this together and we will get through this together.”

Last month in response to the global pandemic, Global Citizen launched an urgent campaign in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, powered by the UN Foundation. Calling on individuals to take action, and asking world leaders and corporations to support the response with sufficient resources, Global Citizens from over 130 countries around the world have taken tens of thousands of actions in support of the response fund.

At this critical moment in history, Global Citizen is also calling on philanthropists to join and support immediate COVID-19 response efforts as part of the organization’s Give While You Live effort. Investors, changemakers and foundation leaders are being urged to actualize their giving and invest quickly in related efforts like stronger health systems and vaccine development.

Over the past three weeks, the Together At Home series has featured performances from artists including, Chris Martin, John Legend, Charlie Puth, Common, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Niall Horan, Steve Aoki, Jennifer Hudson, Miguel, H.E.R., Anthony Hamilton, Rufus Wainwright, Hozier and Julianne Hough, among others in support of WHO and Global Citizen’s campaign.

Commitments from supporters and corporate partners will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO to support and equip frontline healthcare workers around the world, with masks, gowns and other vital equipment, and to local charities that provide food, shelter, and healthcare to those that need it most. These local groups have been verified to ensure that they are helping communities impacted by COVID-19.

For more information about Global Citizen and the campaign to support the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund, please visit globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen.

To learn more about WHO’s response to the pandemic and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, please go to www.who.int/COVID-19 and follow @WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

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About Global Citizen:

Global Citizen is the world’s largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty by 2030. With over 10 million monthly advocates, our voices have the power to drive lasting change around sustainability, equality, and humanity. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards, which can be redeemed for tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. To date, the actions of our community, along with high-level advocacy efforts and work with partners, has resulted in commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over $48 billion, affecting the lives of more than 2.25 billion people by 2030. For more information, visit www.GlobalCitizen.org.

About the World Health Organization:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations’ specialized agency for health. It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its Member States usually through the Ministries of Health. The World Health Organization is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Learn more at www.who.int.

About the United Nations Foundation:
The UN Foundation brings together the ideas, people, and resources the United Nations needs to drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. To support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in its global work on COVID-19, UN Foundation helped launch the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund that has raised more than $100 million in less than two weeks for lifesaving work around the world. Learn more about the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund at www.covid19responsefund.org. Learn more about the UN Foundation at www.unfoundation.org. Follow @unfoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and @United Nations Foundation on Facebook.

WHO calls on industry and governments to increase manufacturing by 40 per cent to meet rising global demand.

The World Health Organization has warned that severe and mounting disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) – caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse – is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

Healthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others.

But shortages are leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously ill-equipped to care for COVID-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons.

“Without secure supply chains, the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real. Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply, ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding. We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, prices have surged. Surgical masks have seen a sixfold increase, N95 respirators have trebled and gowns have doubled.

Supplies can take months to deliver and market manipulation is widespread, with stocks frequently sold to the highest bidder.

WHO has so far shipped nearly half a million sets of personal protective equipment to 47 countries,* but supplies are rapidly depleting.

Based on WHO modelling, an estimated 89 million medical masks are required for the COVID-19 response each month. For examination gloves, that figure goes up to 76 million, while international demand for goggles stands at 1.6 million per month.

Recent WHO guidance calls for the rational and appropriate use of PPE in healthcare settings, and the effective management of supply chains.

WHO is working with governments, industry and the Pandemic Supply Chain Network to boost production and secure allocations for critically affected and at-risk countries.

To meet rising global demand, WHO estimates that industry must increase manufacturing by 40 per cent.

Governments should develop incentives for industry to ramp up production. This includes easing restrictions on the export and distribution of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies.

Every day, WHO is providing guidance, supporting secure supply chains, and delivering critical equipment to countries in need.

GENEVA and Washington, D.C. – A new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Solidarity Response Fund will raise money from a wide range of donors to support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to help countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund, the first-of-its-kind, enables private individuals, corporations and institutions anywhere in the world to come together to directly contribute to global response efforts, and has been created by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, together with WHO.

“We are at a critical point in the global response to COVID-19 – we need everyone to get involved in this massive effort to keep the world safe,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We are immensely grateful to the UN Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation for coming forward to help us set up this fund. A lot of people and institutions have been saying they want to contribute to the fight against the novel coronavirus. Now they can.”

The fund launches with major support already lined up, including from Facebook and Google who have instituted a matching scheme for funds raised through their platforms, while individual donors are also supporting the fund through www.COVID19ResponseFund.org.

“We can’t ignore the fact that this is a truly global problem – one that requires truly global solutions,” said Elizabeth Cousens, UN Foundation President and CEO. “The case for global cooperation could not be clearer – communities everywhere are affected, and people want to contribute. This new fund will create space for people everywhere, together, to fight this virus.”

Funds will go towards actions outlined in the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to enable all countries – particularly those most vulnerable and at-risk, and with the weakest health systems – to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 crisis including rapidly detecting cases, stopping transmission of the virus, and caring for those affected.

WHO and its partners are seeking financing for protective equipment for frontline health workers; to equip diagnostic laboratories; improve surveillance and data collection; establish and maintain intensive care units; strengthen supply chains; accelerate research and development of vaccines and therapeutics; and take other critical steps to scale up the public health response to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund is hosted by two foundations, the UN Foundation (registered in the United States) and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation (registered in Switzerland). Both foundations have established relationships with the World Health Organization, allowing for efficient transfer of financial resources to enable COVID-19 response efforts.

Apart from giving online at www.COVID19ResponseFund.org, the UN Foundation can also receive donations via check or wire from around the world by contacting COVID19Fund@unfoundation.org.

All donations made to the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by the law, where applicable (U.S. and Switzerland). Additionally, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation has partnered with Transnational Giving Europe to extend tax benefit to certain additional European countries where applicable.

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About the United Nations Foundation
The UN Foundation brings together the ideas, people, and resources the United Nations needs to drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. Our hallmark is to collaborate for lasting change and innovate to address humanity’s greatest challenges. With an insider’s knowledge and outsider’s flexibility, we stay agile to get things done.

CINCINNATI — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO, has been appointed to the American Heart Association (AHA) CEO Roundtable. McMullen joins more than 40 CEOs who are committed to improving the health and well-being of their employees and communities.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., directly impacting our associates, customers and communities every day,” said McMullen. “I believe that through food education, engagement and innovation, we can change the way Americans think about their heart health and overall well-being. I’m honored to represent The Kroger Co. as a member of the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable, and I am excited to partner with my fellow roundtable members to turn actionable health strategies into results.”
Formed in 2013, the AHA CEO Roundtable is dedicated to implementing evidence-based approaches to workplace health. Together, the leadership collaborative—representing many of the world’s largest and most admired companies—works to design, test, evaluate and scale workplace health initiatives.
“As an influential leader for one of the largest retailers in the U.S., Rodney is a champion of workplace and community health,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “We welcome Rodney to the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable leadership collaborative and look forward to working together on innovative solutions to help employees and communities live longer, healthier lives.”
For the third consecutive year, Kroger Health is offering free heart health screenings to customers throughout American Heart Month. The one-on-one consultations, performed by Kroger Health’s licensed healthcare professionals, provide customers with personalized health and wellness recommendations based on cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and blood glucose results. The free screenings are available at more than 2,000 Kroger Family of Pharmacies locations through Saturday, Feb. 29.
“Our vision is to help people live healthier lives,” said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health. “By offering free heart health screenings this February, we hope to encourage our customers to proactively safeguard their heart health, not only during American Heart Month, but also throughout their lifelong health and wellness journey.”
Since 2017, Kroger’s Family of Pharmacies has provided more than 85,000 free heart health screenings as part of Kroger Health’s mission to simplify the way healthcare is delivered in America. To learn more about heart-healthy tips or to sign up for a free heart health screening, visit www.kroger.com/hearthealth.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About Kroger Health:
Kroger Health is one of America’s leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 200 clinics in 37 states. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners – from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians – help simplify healthcare by providing solutions that combine health, wellness, and nutrition, connecting with customers on an emotional and personal level.

Las Vegas, NV
Today, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) released a unique digital health paper recommending best practices for using wearable technology to manage personal health, including detecting and monitoring cardiovascular biometrics. Presented for the first time during a panel at CES® 2020 – the world’s largest, most influential tech event – this paper provides consumer guidance on understanding devices and managing their personal health data.

“The collaboration between HRS and CTA is timely and important for both consumers and clinicians,” said Dr. Andrea Russo, president, HRS. “Chronic diseases are increasing in prevalence and wearables help people monitor their health to aid in earlier diagnosis and better management of their conditions; furthermore, they provide information to the user that fosters a healthier lifestyle.”

“Digital health is changing lives for the better – providing more personalized care, delivering better outcomes and lowering costs,” said Rene Quashie, VP of digital health, CTA. “Wearable solutions are one of the fastest growing sectors in technology. And as more consumers capture personal health information, a cross industry-created guidance document has never been more important to provide clarity on the potential health and wellness benefits of wearables.”

The CTA/HRS Guidance for Wearable Health Solutions paper includes an overview of the wearables landscape and offers advice for consumers on using wearables. A FAQ section tackles topics including data management, when to call a doctor, sharing data with a health provider, data privacy and security policies.

Developed and reviewed by physicians, patient advocates, technology companies and health care organizations, CTA and HRS created these guidelines to answer common questions for consumers that currently own – or want to own – wearables that capture personal health information. The best practices were presented at the Disruptive Innovations in Health Care conference track at CES.

Dr. Nassir Marrouche, lead author of the paper, added, “in this document we aimed to highlight this new intersection between consumer tech and health. We want people to be aware of what these wearables have to offer, how they can increase knowledge about one’s health, and how clinicians are optimistic about the data wearables can deliver.”

According to recent data, CTA projects total sales of digital health devices in the U.S. – such as smartwatches, fitness trackers and blood pressure monitors – will reach $10 billion in revenue in 2020 (up by 16% over last year).

The Health & Wellness category at CES 2020 will have over 20% more exhibitors and 15% more exhibitor space than CES 2019, with notable exhibitors such as Abbott, Cigna, Humana, Omron Healthcare, Myant, Philips and Procter & Gamble.

To download the CTA/HRS Guidance for Wearable Health Solutions document, visit CTA.tech.

Las Vegas, NV
For the second year in a row at CES® in Las Vegas, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® Foundation will host a business pitch contest – sponsored by AARP Innovation Labs – to recognize sports, fitness and related innovations that can provide health solutions to help people stay in the game as they age.

Professional Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana will be the event moderator. AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins, CTA Foundation Executive Director Stephen Ewell, and P&G VP of Innovation Capability Julie Setser will join a panel of industry thought leaders as judges. The contest is on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, at 1 p.m. PT at the startup stage in Eureka Park at the Sands – all CES 2020 attendees are invited to attend and help select the winner.

The eight companies invited to pitch are:

CareWear (Nevada, USA) – This is a wearable, wireless, FDA-registered LED light patches for athletes in all sports. CareWear Light Patches are designed to help reduce pain and accelerate recovery.

Naolu Brain Tech BrainUp (Beijing, China) – A brain-computer interface product KANG is like a gym but for the brain, designed to provide various practical applications such as 20 minutes deep sleep aid, brain and mental state examination, and brain training programs.

Rothem (Kyiv, Ukraine) – Smart bicycle backlight is a device invented to help predict collisions between a bicycle and a vehicle and warns the vehicle driver before the collision happens with a loud sound and flashes of the backlight.

SmartyPans (California, USA) – SmartyPans is a sensor-enabled cookware that automatically computes nutrition information of home cooked meals and allows users to create their own recipes, which are formatted by AI.

Strig (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea) – Strig is a massage tool with micro-current and micro-vibration that is designed to help relieve muscle pain and aid in faster recovery.

Triple W (California, USA) – DFree is a wearable device. Its purpose is to help predict when you need to go to the bathroom. Its sensor uses ultrasound to continuously monitor your bladder and sends notification to your phone when your bladder is almost full so you know when to go.

Yoganotch (New York, USA) – Yoganotch is an AI yoga coach in which people wear a few tiny Notch sensors designed to help them practice yoga more safely and efficiently with real-time personalized feedback on their technique.

Zibrio (Texas, USA) – The Zibrio SmartScale uses a highly sensitive algorithm to help measure a person’s postural stability and fall risk in a 60 second standing test.

“We had an incredible response from companies creating innovative solutions that can help to keep us active as we age,” said Stephen Ewell, executive director of the CTA Foundation, which links seniors and people with disabilities with technologies to enhance their lives. “I look forward to seeing them compete at CES 2020 and selecting a winner but, ultimately, calling attention to innovations in accessibility technology is a win for everyone.”

In the U.S., the connected solutions market for seniors is expected to reach nearly $30 billion by 2022, according to a recent study by CTA.

For more information on the CTA Foundation, this event, and all their CES 2020 activities, visit https://www.cta.tech/Who-We-Are/CTA-Foundation/CES-2020.

SAN FRANCISCO- Fitbit, Inc. (NYSE: FIT) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Google LLC for $7.35 per share in cash, valuing the company at a fully diluted equity value of approximately $2.1 billion.

“More than 12 years ago, we set an audacious company vision – to make everyone in the world healthier. Today, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved towards reaching that goal. We have built a trusted brand that supports more than 28 million active users around the globe who rely on our products to live a healthier, more active life,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit. “Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. With Google’s resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead.”

“Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created terrific products, experiences and a vibrant community of users,” said Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Devices & Services at Google. “We’re looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Fitbit, and bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world.”

Fitbit pioneered the wearables category by delivering innovative, affordable and engaging devices and services. Being “on Fitbit” is not just about the device – it is an immersive experience from the wrist to the app, designed to help users understand and change their behavior to improve their health. Because of this unique approach, Fitbit has sold more than 100 million devices and supports an engaged global community of millions of active users, utilizing data to deliver unique personalized guidance and coaching to its users. Fitbit will continue to remain platform-agnostic across both Android and iOS.

Consumer trust is paramount to Fitbit. Strong privacy and security guidelines have been part of Fitbit’s DNA since day one, and this will not change. Fitbit will continue to put users in control of their data and will remain transparent about the data it collects and why. The company never sells personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.

The transaction is expected to close in 2020, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Fitbit’s stockholders and regulatory approvals.

Qatalyst Partners LLP acted as financial advisor to Fitbit, and Fenwick & West LLP acted as legal advisor.

About Fitbit, Inc. (NYSE: FIT)

Fitbit helps people lead healthier, more active lives by empowering them with data, inspiration and guidance to reach their goals. Fitbit designs products and experiences that track and provide motivation for everyday health and fitness. Fitbit’s diverse line of innovative and popular products include Fitbit Charge 3™, Fitbit Inspire HR™, Fitbit Inspire™ and Fitbit Ace 2™ activity trackers, as well as the Fitbit Ionic™ and Fitbit Versa™ family of smartwatches, Fitbit Flyer™ wireless headphones, and Fitbit Aria family of smart scales. Fitbit products are carried in approximately 39,000 retail stores and in 100+ countries around the globe. Powered by one of the world’s largest databases of activity, exercise and sleep data and Fitbit’s leading health and fitness social network, the Fitbit platform delivers personalized experiences, insights and guidance through leading software and interactive tools, including the Fitbit and Fitbit Coach apps, and Fitbit OS for smartwatches. Fitbit’s paid subscription service, Fitbit Premium, uses your unique data to deliver actionable guidance and coaching in the Fitbit app to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Fitbit Health Solutions develops health and wellness solutions designed to help increase engagement, improve health outcomes, and drive a positive return for employers, health plans and health systems.

MINNETONKA, Minn. —
Many Americans want technology – such as artificial intelligence – to help make health care decisions, and a record number say they have used the internet and mobile apps to comparison shop for care, according to a new UnitedHealthcare survey.

These are some of the findings from the fourth-annual UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey, which examines Americans’ attitudes and opinions about multiple areas of health care, including open enrollment preparedness, technology and transparency trends and health literacy. Key findings include:
More Americans are turning to technology to comparison shop and access care, but few know the cost of prescription medications. A survey-record 37% of respondents said they had used the internet or mobile apps to comparison shop for health care during the past year. Among those, 39% said they changed the facility or care provider (or both) as a result. Yet people would benefit from the wider use of resources that make pharmacy costs more transparent, as just over 10% of respondents who take prescription medications say they “always” know the cost of the drugs before leaving the doctor’s office. Meanwhile, many respondents (39%) said they would likely use telemedicine in the future to access care, a 2 percentage point increase from 2016.

Many are interested in artificial intelligence and voice-activated assistants: Nearly half (45%) of respondents said they would be interested in their physician using artificial intelligence to help with treatment decisions, while 28% said they were uninterested. Among users of voice-activated assistants, 61% said they would be interested in using this type of technology to help evaluate health care information.

Most people with health benefits say they are prepared for open enrollment, and many want vision and dental coverage options. Three-quarters (75%) of respondents said they are prepared for open enrollment, including 84% of Gen-Xers and 78% of Baby Boomers, but just 69% of Millennials and 44% of Gen-Z. Nearly one in five (19%) said they are unprepared. When it comes to specialty benefits, most respondents (77%) said it was “important” to have vision and dental coverage options during open enrollment.
“Technology continues to reshape nearly every aspect of life, including how people research and access health care,” said Rebecca Madsen, chief consumer officer of UnitedHealthcare. “This survey suggests Americans are increasingly embracing technology as an important resource to improve their health and more effectively navigate the health system, while highlighting the need for further investment in new resources to help enhance the care experience and provide more effective, evidence-based clinical interventions.”
Technology and Transparency Trends
Technology continues to play an increasingly important role in how people research health care options.

More than one-third of respondents (37%) said they have used the internet or mobile apps during the last year to compare the quality and cost of medical services – more than double the 14% in 2012 (according to another UnitedHealthcare study). Millennials (50%) were the most likely to use comparison shopping resources. Among all comparison shoppers, 80% described the process as “very helpful” or “somewhat helpful,” including 39% saying the shopping process prompted them to change the health care provider or facility (or both) for the service.

Meanwhile, few Americans say they know the cost of prescription medications, highlighting the need for greater transparency around drug costs. Among people taking prescriptions, a majority (64%) said they “never” know the cost of the medications before leaving the doctor’s office; 21% said they “sometimes” know this information. Just 11% said they always know the price.

Some Americans are embracing emerging technologies that may influence treatment decisions, with 45% of respondents saying they are interested in their physician using artificial intelligence to help with diagnosis. Among those, 46% were motivated by the potential for a more accurate diagnosis; 31% cited the potential to reduce human error; and 15% hoped for faster treatment decisions. For respondents uninterested in artificial intelligence, they cited a preference for the expertise of a trained health care professional (47%) and a lack of trust in the technology (24%).

Open Enrollment Preparedness and Preferences
When it comes to time spent researching health benefits during open enrollment, 36% of respondents said they devote less than one hour to the process; 27% spent between one and three hours; and 23% said more than three hours. Many affirmed the importance of specialty benefits: 77% of respondents with health benefits said that having vision and dental coverage options is “important” during open enrollment.

Nearly 55% of respondents said they check if their doctors are in-network for the health plan they intend to select. In regard to understanding common health care terms, more than half of respondents successfully defined plan premium (59%) and deductible (53%); however, respondents had a more difficult time defining out-of-pocket maximum (33%) and co-insurance (21%).

When it comes to help with a question or to resolving an issue with their health plan, two-thirds (66%) of respondents preferred speaking directly with a customer service representative; 10% preferred a self-service option through an app or online. For nearly half of respondents (46%), a health care professional, such as a doctor or nurse, is usually the first source of information about specific health symptoms or ailments, followed by the internet or a mobile app for 20% of respondents.

For complete survey results, click here.

About the Survey
The 2019 UnitedHealthcare Consumer Sentiment Survey was conducted Aug. 8-12, 2019, using Engine’s Telephone CARAVAN® survey among a landline and cell phone probability sample of 1,008 U.S. adults 18 and older. The margin of error was plus or minus 3% at the 95% confidence level. Supplemental interviewing, among a probability sample of 1,002 U.S. adults age 18 and older, was conducted Aug. 22-28, 2019.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

CINCINNATI–Even in 2019, period myths, miseducation and stigma are limiting Black women from receiving the information about their bodies, and their periods, they deserve. In fact, a new study by Tampax Radiant found 25 percent of African American women who prefer pads said they prefer them because they were not taught how to use tampons. Moreover, 2 in 5 African American women wish they started using tampons sooner in life and 55 percent said additional information on how to properly use a tampon would be useful.

“Unsafe, uncomfortable, only for sexually active women. After talking with women in the Black community across the country, we saw these are some of the common myths associated with tampons,” said Melissa Suk, Tampax Associate Brand Director, at Procter & Gamble. “We found that 42 percent of Black women want to learn more about their periods from African American media and brands. We knew we needed to drive change, but in the right way – with the support of and knowledge from Black women themselves.”

Answering the call to provide information tailored to the community, Tampax Radiant launched #LiveRadiant – a campaign curated for Black women by Black women – and tapped menstrual advocate CeCe Jones-Davis and OB-GYN Dr. Kiarra King to aid in reversing cultural taboos and reinforce the importance of having the right information while encouraging the community to have open and honest dialogue about periods.

“So many women are scared to speak up about their periods, especially if they’ve been managing menstrual related problems for years,” affirmed Dr. Kiarra King, OB-GYN. “It is shocking to see the number of women who come to my practice and either don’t know how to use tampons, or aren’t considering using tampons because of incorrect information or myths they’ve heard. I’m a huge proponent of educating and empowering women so they know their options.”

Tampax Radiant’s commitment to educating and empowering Black women includes the How to #LiveRadiant Playbook, a digital guide that provides step-by-step information on how to use tampons and dispels common myths about periods and period products in the community so nothing, not even her period, can dim her shine. The playbook comes to life with illustrations by color-obsessed visual artist Jade Purple Brown.

“The only way to break down these barriers is to build awareness of the issue and encourage more Black women to learn, talk, write and share info about periods and women’s bodies. I am proud to partner with Tampax Radiant to do just that,” said CeCe Jones-Davis. Through #LiveRadiant, Tampax Radiant is committed to meeting Black women where they are, both online and in person, with a goal of creating safe spaces that remove the limitations that come with not having the right reproductive information.

For the third year in a row, Tampax Radiant will be heading to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country to provide interactive educational experiences conceptualized and executed by HBCU alumnae. The #LiveRadiant HBCU Tour will be making stops at four HBCU Homecomings, including Florida A&M University (October 5), Texas Southern University (October 12), Clark Atlanta University (October 19), and North Carolina A&T State University (October 26). At each #LiveRadiant HBCU Tour stop, attendees can learn the facts about tampons, ask experts CeCe Jones-Davis and Dr. Kiarra King all the questions they’ve always wanted to know about their body and their period, and pick up a sample of Tampax Radiant. Tampax Radiant will also be extending efforts to 14 additional HBCUs to provide access to period products and tampon education to college students when they need it most.

To learn more about Tampax Radiant and the #LiveRadiant campaign, follow @Tampax on Instagram and Twitter. Tampax Radiant tampons are available in stores across the country and online.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY
MSL conducted 618 interviews of African American women aged 18-35 between August 8-14, 2019 on behalf of Tampax Radiant. The margin of error is +/-3.9% and higher for subgroups.

ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

ATLANTA —
UnitedHealthcare and Optum, the health benefits and services companies of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), are taking action to help people in the Carolinas and Georgia who may be affected by Hurricane Dorian. This is in addition to actions taken earlier to support individuals in Florida.
Support includes assisting health plan participants who may need to make alternate arrangements to access care and early prescription refills, as well as offering a free emotional-support line to help people who might be affected.

Help Finding a Network Care Provider, Early Refills: Plan participants who need help finding a care provider in the UnitedHealthcare network or obtaining early prescription refills can call customer care at the number located on the back of their medical ID cards.

For plan participants who may have misplaced their medical ID cards, call 866-633-2446, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (in the local time zone), Monday through Friday. People enrolled in Medicaid, employer-sponsored and individual health plans (except Medicare) who have a smartphone can download the free Health4Me app, which provides instant access to their ID card, network care providers, their personal health benefits and more. The Health4Me app is available as a free download at the Apple iTunes App Store and the Android Market on Google Play.

Free Help Line: Optum, a leading health and behavioral health services company, is offering a free emotional-support help line.

The toll-free number, 866-342-6892, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for as long as necessary. The service is free of charge and open to anyone. Specially trained Optum mental health specialists help people manage their stress and anxiety so they can continue to address their everyday needs. Callers may also receive referrals to community resources to help them with specific concerns, including financial and legal matters.

Along with the toll-free help line, emotional-support resources and information are available online at www.liveandworkwell.com.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

MADISON, Wis. —
UnitedHealthcare and Optum, the health benefits and services companies of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), are taking action to help people affected by recent flooding across parts of Wisconsin.

Support includes assisting health plan participants who may need to make alternate arrangements to access care and early prescription refills, as well as offering a free emotional-support line to help people who might be affected.

Help Finding a Network Care Provider, Early Refills: Plan participants who need help finding a care provider in the UnitedHealthcare network or obtaining early prescription refills can call customer care at the number located on the back of their medical ID cards.

For plan participants who may have misplaced their medical ID cards, call 866-633-2446, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (in the local time zone), Monday through Friday. People enrolled in Medicaid, employer-sponsored and individual health plans (except Medicare) who have a smartphone can download the free Health4Me app, which provides instant access to their ID card, network care providers, their personal health benefits and more. The Health4Me app is available as a free download at the Apple iTunes App Store and the Android Market on Google Play.

Free Help Line: Optum, a leading health and behavioral health services company, is offering a free emotional-support help line.

The toll-free number, 866-342-6892, will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for as long as necessary. The service is free of charge and open to anyone. Specially trained Optum mental health specialists help people manage their stress and anxiety so they can continue to address their everyday needs. Callers may also receive referrals to community resources to help them with specific concerns, including financial and legal matters.

Along with the toll-free help line, emotional-support resources and information are available online at www.liveandworkwell.com.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. —
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee announced its support of a multiyear project led by the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC) to improve the care of Opioid-Exposed Newborns (OEN) and their mothers with opioid use disorder.

The announcement was made at TIPQC’s annual meeting in Franklin, where a panel of experts behind the initiative spoke about its expected outcomes and impact on the people of Tennessee.

“The impact of the opioid crisis is intensifying every day, requiring the health care system to respond with compassionate care and data-driven solutions,” said Dr. Joel Bradley, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support this project, and for our strong partnership with TIPQC and OptumLabs to collect and share important best practices with care providers.”

The project builds on work previously done by TIPQC to create a standardized and simple-to-implement toolkit for care providers to treat opioid-exposed newborns and their mothers with opioid use disorder. The initiative will bring together teams of care providers from participating delivery hospitals across Tennessee, along with OptumLabs, a collaborative research and innovation center, to support TIPQC in collecting and analyzing data so that findings can be reviewed, discussed and put into practice by care providers participating in the program.

The primary focus of the initiative is to offer a supportive environment for obstetric and newborn care providers to share best practices for treating their patients with opioid exposure, collect and identify patterns of care and ultimately implement evidence-based protocols in a variety of clinical settings. In addition, as most opioid-exposed newborns are born at hospitals without a NICU, the partnership aims to provide clear, simple guidelines so birth centers or hospitals without NICUs can provide care instead of transferring newborns to another facility. Doing so leverages family and community support systems in addition to the local health care system to optimize outcomes for opioid-exposed newborns.

NICU sites participating in the program will review hospital practices including:

prenatal consults;
breastfeeding guidelines and rooming baby and mother together;
screening, scoring and diagnosis of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS);
education of parents and staff;
discharge planning;
treatment protocols; and
working with child welfare.
The State of Tennessee experienced a 70.5 percent increase in drug deaths – from 12.9 to 22 per 100,000 people since 2007, according to the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings. Last year alone, the Tennessee Department of Health reported 881 cases of NAS in the state, and an unknown number of opioid-exposed newborns who were at risk for NAS. Maternal addiction can lead to Low Birth Weight newborns through either premature labor or through Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Opioid exposure in the womb can have far more serious health effects for babies due to NAS, which can cause a high rate of neurological injury, and death due to the impact of opioid withdrawal.

“As health care providers, we’re all looking for ways to improve the care of those we serve,” said Dr. Mike Devoe, state project leader for the initiative and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt neonatologist. “Thanks to support from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee, we’ll be able to advance the integrated care we provide to newborns and their mothers.”

“UnitedHealthcare is collaborating with health care providers in our communities, using data and analytics to promote coordinated efforts and take action based on best practices. Together, we can help make the system work better for everyone, so that quality care can be based on the strongest factors for success,” said Keith Payet, president and CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Tennessee.

UnitedHealthcare serves 1.2 million people in Tennessee with a network of more than 31,000 physicians and other care providers and nearly 140 hospitals statewide.

About TIPQC
Since its inception in 2007, the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC) promotes collaborative statewide inter-institutional projects designed to improve perinatal outcomes for mothers and babies in Tennessee. TIPQC is funded by a grant awarded from the State of Tennessee through TennCare, with federal additional matching funds through the Department of Health (TDH). The mission of TIPQC is to improve health outcomes for mothers and newborns in Tennessee by engaging key stakeholders in a perinatal quality collaborative that will identify opportunities to optimize birth outcomes and implement data-driven provider- and community-based performance improvement initiatives.

About OptumLabs
OptumLabs is a collaborative research and innovation center, dedicated to improving patient care and patient value through data-driven health care research, leading-edge data science and strong partner collaboration. OptumLabs was founded through a partnership between Optum, a leading health services and innovation company, and Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and innovation. AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with membership of more than 37 million individuals, is its Founding Consumer Advocate Organization. Today OptumLabs has more than 25 collaborating organizations, representing stakeholders from across the health system.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com/or follow @UHC on Twitter.