Regional Highlights

• All countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, except Turkmenistan, have officially reported COVID-19 cases. Armenia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia are the most affected relative to their population size. Ukraine became officially the most affected country in absolute numbers (making up 26.3 percent of reported cases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia) and ranks eleventh among UNFPA programme countries, globally. 
• UNFPA together with Women Enabled and Special Olympics Eurasia conducted regional consultations on disability and COVID-19 together. These consultations focused on the lived experiences of women, girls,  Gender Non-Conforming (GNC), and youth with disabilities from the region during the COVID-19 crisis, in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
• Prioritising the continuity of SRH services, including the protection of health workforce, UNFPA continues to conduct region-wide interventions with a focus on knowledge management, direct technical support and south-south cooperation between countries of the EECA region.
• UNFPA together with WHO, UNECE, OHCHR and HelpAge International launched a new Joint Programme to support countries in strengthening the rights and dignity of older men and women during the pandemic and beyond through improving health and social care provision and enabling environments across the region.
• In collaboration with the community-led organisation “Red Umbrella” in Turkey, a guidance document was developed for sex workers on how they can protect themselves from COVID-19 in their daily life and work and minimise risks and harms they may face during the pandemic.