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COVID no longer global health emergency: WHO
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(From left) World Health Organization (WHO) assistant director-general Hanan Balkhy, WHO chief scientist John Reede, WHO assistant director-general Maria Neira, Chef de Cabinet Catharina Boehme, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO technical lead on Covid-19 Maria Van Kerkhove and WHO assistant director-general Samira Asma, attend a press conference on the World Health Organization's 75th anniversary in Geneva, on April 6, 2023.
(AFP/Fabrice Coffrini).
Usage: 0 (AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)
D
espite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring on Friday that the COVID-19 pandemic no longer constitutes a global health emergency, concerns about an Arcturus-induced caseload spike in countries including Indonesia still linger.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said cases and mortality had been declining for more than a year, with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection.
“Mortality decreasing and pressure on the health system easing. [...] It is therefore with great hope that I declare it over as a global health emergency," Tedros said in a press briefing.
He said the decision was taken after a panel of global health experts met for the 15th time on Thursday to decide if COVID-19 was still an emergency under the WHO's rules, a status that helps maintain international focus on the pandemic.
The United Nations health agency first declared a so-called public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) over the crisis on Jan. 30, 2020. The panel has met every three months since then.
To date, the virus has infected more than 765 million people and caused at least 6.9 million deaths, although according to the WHO the real number of fatalities is closer to 20 million.
Despite the declaration, the virus remains a serious health threat for the public, Tedros stressed.
