In the sixth episode of the Delivering as One podcast, UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee sits down with Dr. Gauden Galea, Representative in China for the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of World Health Day. Dr. Galea hails from the small island of Malta, a far cry from working in China, a country of 1.4 billion inhabitants. With his capabilities in epidemiology and medicine, the field of public health became a natural move for the physician by training for many reasons, but it was his invitation to the First International Conference on Health Promotion in 1986, resulting in the Ottawa Charter, that marked a turning point in his career. His early career also saw him set up and lead a health promotion department in the Ministry of Health of his home country and become the first Executive Director of what is now the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Malta. His journey with the WHO started nearly 24 years ago, taking him to locations as varied as Suva (Fiji), Manilla (Philippines), Geneva (Switzerland), and Copenhagen (Denmark). Throughout this time, in his differing roles, Dr. Galea solidified his interest in health promotion throughout the life-course and the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These two areas have become a growing priority in the context that China now faces. “I was suddenly switched on to the idea of global development, of global health.” In this episode, Dr. Galea describes the working priorities of the WHO in China, focusing on the areas of technical support in health policy, health systems design and transformation, and advocacy and communications for health, also guided by the Healthy China 2030 Action Plan and the “For the Future” vision for innovation in the WHO Western Pacific Region.  During the conversation, he explains how the WHO in China plays an important role as advocates, conveners, and enablers of support, by collaborating with local and national governments and institutions on people-centred integrated care models in response to the demographic and economic transitions taking place in China as well as reaching out to policymakers and leadership to bring forward best practices in population health and areas including tobacco control, women’s health, mental health, immunization, road safety and more. Together with the Resident Coordinator, the two also discuss challenges in the years ahead, including the need to tackle health disparities between different population groups in China, building universal health coverage while increasing preparedness for future pandemics, sharing these crucial lessons in public health with other parts of the world in South-South Cooperation, as well as the WHO’s work in China to leave no one behind and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the UN system in China. For users in mainland China please click this link  Dr. Gauden Galea Dr. Gauden Galea is a public health physician, currently working as the WHO Representative in China, based in Beijing since April 2018. He has been coordinating the collaboration between WHO and China across all health concerns, with a primary focus on: the COVID-19 response, the review of a decade of health sector reform, advocacy for tobacco and alcohol control, and exploring the digital health landscape of China. On behalf of the Western Pacific Region of WHO, he has been coordinating an effort promoting innovation in public health within the "For the Future" vision of the Region. Dr Galea has worked for WHO since 1998. Before assuming his current post, he worked as Director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Promoting Health through the Life-course, in WHO/Europe. He previously held posts in Suva, Manila, and Geneva as technical officer, regional adviser, and coordinator respectively in areas related to NCDs and Health Promotion. Over the past two decades, he has contributed to the work on developing a national stepwise approach to NCDs, to the development of a process to link the prevention and control of NCDs to health systems, to the compilation of evidence linking NCDs to the global development agenda, to the renewal of life-course approaches to public health in Europe, and to action plans on women’s health and men’s health in Europe. He has a deep interest in computer programming and the applications of data science to public health. Siddharth Chatterjee Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China on 16 January 2021 and is the designated representative of - and reports to - the UN Secretary-General. He presented his letter of credence to the President of China on 14 April 2021. Mr. Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination and peace and security in the United Nations and the Red Cross movement. He has served in many fragile and war-torn countries all over the world. A 3 times TEDx speaker, he is a regular opinion contributor on humanitarian and development issues for a range of journals which includes Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Huffington Post, Forbes, CNN, Al Jazeera, the Guardian and as of late has also published in mainstream Chinese journals. Mr. Chatterjee holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States of America.

An anxious crowd and deafening silence. People with masks are being called into a clinic cube with an ambiguous sign reading “Immune Deficiency.” This ten-square metre safe house is where people living with HIV meet. As a UN Volunteer Programme Assistant with UNAIDS in China, Weng Huiling shares their stories and fights for their rights. Weng provides strategic information, advocacy and technical support to coordinate stakeholders to deliver comprehensive life-saving HIV service. She focuses on technical and administrative support to programmes and coordinates partners from the Government, private sector and local communities. "I have been devoted to the field of HIV/AIDS for years, and UNAIDS has helped broaden my scope to go beyond medical care. My UN Volunteer assignment allowed me to participate in changing the underlying institutional inequality that burdens people living with HIV," she explains.   "Medical care is no longer the bottleneck in HIV response. What we need is accessible and integrated services, community leadership, an evidence-based approach and eradication of the profound inequality. Ending AIDS is possible, if we work together, like with COVID-19." - Weng Huiling, UN Volunteer Programme Assistant with UNAIDS China In 2021, Weng joined an HIV online prevention intervention study and helped to collect data from key population group discussions and literature reviews. She also used her clinical knowledge to contribute to a cost-effective study on antiretroviral treatment to inform governmental policy prioritization. "I am glad that I could help strategic and technical programme management and participate in discussions on effective, evidence-informed and targeted HIV response," she adds.  "Despite remarkable progress in diagnosis and treatment, people living with HIV are still shackled by discrimination and stigmatization, which can only be overcome by collective inclusiveness. Our goal is to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030." - Weng Huiling With UNAIDS, Weng has been able to tell the untold. During this year’s Zero Discrimination Day campaign in March, she led five poster exhibition tours and over ten hours of group discussion for more than 60 visitors from UN agencies, schools and universities, and community-based organizations.  She also worked on connecting funding opportunities and the Beijing LGBT Centre for a peer group programme on HIV. The programme, which aims to provide People Living with HIV with group consultations and educational programmes, is now being implemented with an estimated 1,000 influenced population. "I was so impressed by the five portraits of people living with HIV. Their stories touched my heart. Our mindset towards people living with HIV, sex education and fragile population needs to be revolutionized." -Rita, a visiting student from Renmin University of China UNAIDS plays a pivotal role in mobilizing China’s political, technical and financial resources through South-South Cooperation and China-Africa Collaboration.  Accordingly, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting in late 2021, Weng organized a virtual dialogue on China-Africa Health Cooperation, jointly hosted by UNAIDS and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She drafted outcome documents that served for FOCAC in November, emphasizing a joint commitment to local production and multilateral cooperation.

Two years have passed since Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique experienced Cyclone Idai, a devastating natural disaster. The cyclone was one of the most severe storms on record in Zimbabwe, with maximum sustained winds of 160 to 180 kilometres per hour.[1] Across Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique the cyclone and subsequent flooding affected an estimated 3 million people, more than half of whom were children.[2] Over 1.5 million girls and boys were left vulnerable to disease and in need of food, clean water and medical care. Since the devastation, communities in Zimbabwe have fought to restore hope and normalise life despite more than 300 people still missing as of March 2021. In December 2019 UNICEF and the China International Development and Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) signed an agreement to provide USD 2 million for humanitarian assistance for people affected by Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe. The contribution was made from the Government of China’s South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF). Earlier in 2019, UNICEF and the Government of China cooperated under the SSCAF framework to provide humanitarian assistance to populations affected by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and Malawi. [1] (Probst and Annuziato, 2019) [2] (UNICEF in Mozambique, 2020) Children left vulnerable in Cyclone Idai aftermath Evernice, aged 9, and her younger sister Tatenda[3] were trying to return home when the deadly waters hit. “We had gone to Granny’s place but could not go back home for about a week because of the flooding,” says Evernice.[4] When the sisters finally made it back, they learned that their parents, and their home, had been swept away in the flooding. Evernice and Tatenda are among the almost 240 children in Kopa - a village in Chipinge, southeastern Zimbabwe - who lost at least one parent. At least 70 children lost both parents. Prudence, from Zimbabwe’s Chimanimani district was 5 years old in 2019. She remembers the cyclone clearly. “When the cyclone started, my mother thought it was a tractor,” she says shyly. “She looked through the door, which used to be here. That is when the water started flooding the house,” Prudence recalls her mother moving her to the safety of a bedroom to avoid the rising water that was entering the home. Her siblings did not survive. “I lost my three siblings Placky, Provide, Proud and our cousin Anesu,” she says as a tear rolls down her right cheek.[5] Evernice, Tatenda and Prudence are just three of over 1.5 million children across Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe who needed assistance after Cyclone Idai devastated large swathes of the three countries, sweeping away schools, homes, and loved ones. In Zimbabwe, an estimated 270,000 people, half of whom are children, were affected by the cyclone.[6] The provinces of Manicaland, Masvingo, Midlands and Mashonaland East were the most affected by the cyclone and the subsequent flooding.[7] Before the cyclone, the Chimanimani Rural District Hospital would admit around five patients a day. Tendai Masvaure, a nurse at the hospital, recalls the increasing number of incoming patients in the days following the storm. “On [the night of the storm] we received about 61 casualties who were brought in… The next day there were about 84… On day 3 we actually saw up to 166 casualties.” As the days and weeks went by, new challenges emerged for children and families in Zimbabwe. Floods compromised water and sanitation facilities, leading to diseases to which girls and boys are particularly vulnerable such as typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A. In a village just outside of Chimanimani, a landslide brought about by Cyclone Idai disrupted water spring systems. “It’s going to take many months to get the systems up and running again” said Aidan Cronin, Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at UNICEF in Zimbabwe through a video livestream. He pans the camera towards the mountain side, “You can see the rocks and the boulders came directly down through the community, sweeping away houses.”[8] In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, restoring access to safe water for children and their families was a priority. As the events in Zimbabwe show, during humanitarian emergencies, children are especially vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and trauma. Cyclone Idai, and natural disasters like it, are a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive. [3] Names have been changed to protect identities [4] (Singizi, 2019) [5] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2019a) [6] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020a) [7] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020a) [8] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2019b) Striving to leave no child behind With the support of partners, UNICEF ramped up its response for affected children and families in Zimbabwe to expand access to healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene. UNICEF provided vaccines, life-saving therapeutic food and other necessities to keep children alive. UNICEF also supported the restoration of essential public services, schools, healthcare to lay the groundwork for longer term recovery and development.[9] [9] (UNICEF, 2019)   Rebuilding access to clean water UNICEF/UNICEF Zimbabwe Work being carried out on a borehole, Chipinge District In Zimbabwe, restoring access to water for drinking and hygiene purposes was a top priority. UNICEF rehabilitated and refortified nearly 200 boreholes, providing access to safe drinking water to more than 65,000 people.[10] UNICEF also distributed more than 20,000 hygiene kits that included items like soap and towels for children and adults. [10] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2021)   Treating malnutrition UNICEF/Zimbabwe/2019/Karel Prinsloo A child being treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) after Cyclone Idai. The cyclone worsened food supply and broader economic conditions, with devastating effects on young people in Zimbabwe. UNICEF trained doctors and nurses on how to identify, manage and treat acute malnutrition at outpatient and inpatient care centres. More than a thousand severely malnourished children were treated in the nutrition programme. More than 130,000 mothers and caregivers of children under 2 years old were reached with Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) support and counselling.[11] Hosting support groups was hindered due to COVID-19 lockdown measures, but with improved COVID-19 awareness, support groups were able to meet while taking measures like washing and sanitizing hands, social distancing, and wearing masks. [11] (UNICEF in China, 2020)   Protecting every child UNICEF/UNICEF Zimbabwe Samende Adolescent Mothers Weaving group displaying their talent, their complete woven baskets and those in progress with the Psychosocial Support Officer Miss Diana Mutumhe (right) UNICEF and its partners have supported the deployment of dozens of social workers to bolster social services in cyclone-affected areas in Zimbabwe, reaching nearly 3,000 children with protection services so far. The social workers are focusing on providing psychosocial support to girls and boys who have been separated from their families. UNICEF has also set up child-friendly spaces so that girls and boys can play and learn in an environment that is safe and supervised by professional caregivers. Children affected by the disaster - including separated and unaccompanied children, unregistered children and those who lost their birth certificates – now have access to crucial protection services. “Roughly per day, we can have more than 50 children visiting the centre,” said Sifelani Dzingi Mudimu, a social worker from Childline Zimbabwe. “It is extremely difficult to hear some of the experiences these children have lived through. We are working to set up child-friendly spaces within these camps to make sure that children’s rights are safeguarded and so that they have the means to slowly move past this terrible experience.”[12] [12] (Mupfumira, 2019)   Adapting the response amidst a pandemic UNICEF/UNICEF Zimbabwe Psychosocial Support (PSS) activities with a small group of children in Zimbabwe. COVID-19 lockdowns delayed and, in some cases, prevented frontline health workers from reaching children. [13] In response, child protection partners changed how they worked. Some managed cases using a mobile phone. Social workers used online family tracing, and more staff were recruited for the online reporting of sexual abuse, and psychosocial counselling. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was procured to enable in-person interactions.[14] One of the greatest challenges was continuing Tuberculosis and HIV services during the lockdown. Zimbabwe has one of the worst HIV and Tuberculosis burdens globally, so there was an urgent need to continue essential health prevention and treatment services. [15] UNICEF used awareness campaigns and community meetings to spread information on HIV, prioritizing support for children and adolescents living with HIV.[16] UNICEF also contributed to the restoration of health services in two districts by raising awareness among community-based health workers about HIV and COVID-19.[17] As the lockdown restrictions were removed and personal protection equipment became more readily available, UNICEF continued to identify unaccompanied and separated children, trace and reunify families, and provide protection services and alternative care arrangements for children. [13] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020b) [14] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020c) [15] (Mukwenha et al., 2020) [16] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020d) [17] (UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020e)   The future UNICEF is committed to protecting the most vulnerable children and women, particularly in times of crisis. But globally children are growing up in a world made far more dangerous and uncertain by natural disasters and degraded environments. New challenges call for new solutions and UNICEF works with partners at global and local levels to ensure that children are at the centre of emergency response plans. UNICEF and its partners, including partners in China, will continue to reach the girls and boys who have been affected by Cyclone Idai with life-saving support, despite the challenges of COVID-19.   References China International Development Cooperation Agency, 2019. Director Wang Xiaotao Meets with Executive Director of UNICEF Fore [WWW Document]. URL http://www.cidca.gov.cn/2019-04/26/c_1210119607.htm (accessed 3.31.21). Chinese Embassy in India, 2021. Chinese Ambassador to India H.E. Sun Weidong Publishes Article “Poverty Alleviation:Common Cause, Great Achievements” in Indian Media [WWW Document]. URL https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjb_663304/zwjg_665342/zwbd_665378/t1864647.shtml (accessed 4.1.21). Dellmuth, L.M., Bender, F.A.-M., Jönsson, A.R., Rosvold, E.L., von Uexkull, N., 2021. Humanitarian need drives multilateral disaster aid. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 118, e2018293118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2018293118 Mukwenha, S., Dzinamarira, T., Mugurungi, O., Musuka, G., 2020. Maintaining robust HIV and tuberculosis services in the COVID-19 era: A public health dilemma in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 100, 394–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.1425 Mupfumira, E., 2019. Helping Chimanimani children survive Cyclone Idai trauma [WWW Document]. URL https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/stories/helping-chimanimani-children-survive-cyclone-idai-trauma (accessed 4.1.21). Probst, P., Annuziato, A., 2019. Tropical Cyclone Idai: analysis of the wind, rainfall and storm surge impact. European Commission Joint Research Centre. Singizi, T., 2019. After Cyclone Idai, uncertain futures for children left behind [WWW Document]. URL https://www.unicef.org/stories/after-cyclone-idai-uncertain-futures-children-left-behind (accessed 4.1.21). UNICEF, 2019. Help children affected by Cyclone [WWW Document]. URL https://help.unicef.org/cyclone_lastchance?language=en (accessed 4.1.21). UNICEF in China, 2020. Rebuilding after a natural disaster, during COVID-19 [WWW Document]. URL https://www.unicef.cn/en/stories/rebuilding-after-natural-disaster-during-covid-19 (accessed 4.1.21). UNICEF in Mozambique, 2020. UNICEF and Government of China provide support to Cyclone Idai-affected families in Mozambique [WWW Document]. URL https://www.unicef.org/mozambique/en/press-releases/unicef-and-government-china-provide-support-cyclone-idai-affected-families (accessed 3.31.21). UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020a. UNICEF Zimbabwe distributes teaching and learning materials in 8 Cyclone Idai affected districts [WWW Document]. URL https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/stories/unicef-zimbabwe-distributes-teaching-and-learning-materials-8-cyclone-idai-affected (accessed 4.1.21). UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020b. Q1 2020 Report. UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020c. Q2 2020 Report. UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020d. Q3 2020 Report. UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2020e. Q4 2020 Report. UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2019a. Faces and stories from Cyclone Idai. UNICEF in Zimbabwe, 2019b. Live report by Aidan Cronin.

Inside is the small herd of cattle that has changed her life, thanks to a project that employed a ground-breaking partnership between IFAD and UN Women to empower rural women in China. Madam Maa, who belongs to China’s Hui ethnic minority, lives in the eastern part of Qinghai province, on the vast Tibetan Plateau. There are few opportunities to earn a living in this remote, sparsely populated region. Most men emigrate to cities in search of work, leaving behind women and the elderly to care for homes and farms. Much of the productive land lies abandoned. The winters are intensely cold, rain is scant, and climate change is making farming even harder. Ever since her son-in-law died many years ago, Madam Maa has cared for and financially supported her granddaughter, Zhang Yuhan, now 14 years old. Until recently, they lived close to China’s national poverty line, each making do with around US$2 a day. When Madam Maa heard of the QLMAPRP project, an IFAD-supported initiative active in Qinghai, she immediately signed up. Through trainings developed with IFAD’s support, she learned how to keep her cattle healthy and how best to market and sell them. She received high-quality livestock feed and support with building a new shed. And for the first time, she also got the chance to participate in discussions about gender equality. “While training us how to improve our livestock business, they included discussions about the important role of women in rural societies and about women’s right to fair and equal treatment, such as balanced workloads,” she says. “I do think there has been a big change for women in recent years.” Today, thanks to the project, Madam Maa earns 30,000–40,000 yuan (about US$4,800–6,300) a year. Her family secured a stable, long-term source of income, and they were even able to build a comfortable new home. Delivering as one The IFAD-supported Qinghai project got its start in 2015, with the aim of sustainably and equitably reducing poverty and improving rural livelihoods in what was then one of the last remaining pockets of extreme poverty in China. Even though women make up over 80 per cent of the labour force in some rural areas of Qinghai, highly gendered practices in the division of labour were holding women back from earning a fair and reliable income. It was clear that, to sustainably eradicate poverty, something had to be done. Three years into the project, UN Women suggested a collaboration. By bringing together UN Women’s expertise in gender empowerment and IFAD’s investments in rural people, the two organizations could economically empower women, improve their control of assets, and ensure they had a voice in decision-making. It would also allow them to operate more efficiently, working with the same organizations and reaching women in remote areas through local chapters of the Women’s Federation. The collaboration with UN Women sharpened the IFAD project’s pre-existing focus on gender equality and successfully enhanced the awareness of gender-centric issues in the project’s implementation.  This renewed focus was crucial for helping women like Madam Maa access diversified livelihood opportunities, connect to markets, and adapt to climate change. Trading connections  Qinghai has always been a place of craftsmanship and trade. The ancient Silk Road passed through Qinghai, and to this day, the province is home to many ethnic minority communities whose arts are greatly valued. But the region’s remoteness makes it difficult to find markets for the products made here. Ms Huang Lansusishijie, a Tu craftswoman living in Tu Wushi village, creates thangka – intricate embroideries and silk paintings depicting Tibetan Buddhist scenes and deities. They’re time-consuming to produce, but can sell for high prices – if one can find the right buyer. “When I was young I travelled from one Buddhist temple to another with my artworks on my back,” says Ms Huang. Today, she works with a company set up by the Bureau of Culture, in partnership with the IFAD Qinghai project and the UN Women initiative, that connects craftswomen with buyers. The company also helps women with networking and training. “Sales and marketing are now taken care of for us, so we craftswomen can concentrate on our craft,” she says. Partnering for empowerment The support from the IFAD Qinghai project marked a turning point in the lives of countless women like Maa Zenai and Huang Lansusishijie. By the time the project ended in 2020, 69,000 women in 158 villages had taken part. Of those who received entrepreneurship training, an astonishing 75 per cent had established their own businesses: running farm restaurants, marketing handicrafts, providing housekeeping services, operating small shops. Some activities were also made accessible for people living with disabilities, nearly half of whom subsequently found employment. For IFAD and UN Women, the project opened new ways to cooperate and fulfil their respective mandates – rural development on one hand, and women’s empowerment on the other. IFAD has recently embarked upon another project in Hunan province. This one uses gender-transformative approaches in its efforts to address the barriers women face in the eradication of poverty and reduction of inequalities. Ultimately, the project aims to benefit 164,000 women. And, once again, IFAD and UN Women are working together to unleash the potential of rural women to transform their own lives and their communities.