The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) upholds the call of Mr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, to the countries witnessing the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) to suspend studies at schools and events to curb the outbreak of the virus. Last week, ICESCO issued a statement wherein it urged its Member States to take the quickest and most efficient measures to prevent the spread of the virus and substitute face-to-face classes with the teaching alternatives available in each country should educational institutions temporarily shut.

In this regard, ICESCO reiterates its complete willingness to support Member States’ efforts in such a way as to ensure permanent access to education and regularity of teaching process in the best conditions.

ICESCO’s call and initiative to promote scientific research by setting up a prize to reward individuals or group who will find an effective cure or develop vaccine against Coronavirus (COVID 19) received wider media coverage. In China, New China News Agency (Xinhua), China Global Television Network and CNNM published ICESCO’s two statements on the fight against Coronavirus in many languages. The Anadolu Agency published the two news items in Arabic and Turkish. Other news agencies followed suit, including Saudi Press Agency, Elaph and Sabq newspapers in Saudi Arabia, Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC).

For its turn, Sky New Arabia website published the Organization’s statement about the prize. In its report “what teachning alternatives to adopt should schools be closed due to Coronavirus?”, the Qatari Aljazeera Mubasher website mentioned ICESCO’s call to resort to teaching alternatives if schools must shut temporarily because of the virus. The Egyptian DMC Channel, Al Ghad Satellite TV, the state TV channel and the Tunisian channel Nessma have broadcasted the Organization’s initiative.

A large number of electronic news outlets in many countries published news about the call and the initiative. These include Hespress, Al Omk, Al Youm 24, Scoop Press, Nour 24, Al Maghreb Al Yaoum, Kech 24, Nafs, and Le 360 in Morocco; Youm 7, Al Ahram, Sada Al Balad, Shorouk News, Masrawy, Al Dostour, Al Bawaba News, El Fagr, and Sout Alomma in Egypt; and Emarat Al Youm and 24 in the United Arab Emirates.

The call and the initiative were also met with great interest from a number of newspapers, including Akhbar el-Yom in Egypt and Okaz, Al Yaum and Makkah in Saudi Arabia.