After More Than Three Years, COVID-19 is No Longer a Global Health Emergency, Says the World Health Organization, WHO.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to the public health emergency of international concern due to COVID-19. The announcement was made on Friday, over three years after the UN health agency declared its highest level of alert for the virus, which caused widespread lockdowns, economic disruption, and millions of fatalities around the world.
In his statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he accepted the Emergency Committee’s recommendation to end the public health emergency. However, he also noted that the pandemic declared in March 2020 is still ongoing and recent surges in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East highlight the need for continued vigilance.
While COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global health emergency, Tedros emphasized that it remains a significant threat to public health worldwide, with thousands of people still dying from the virus each week. He also stated that he is prepared to call upon experts again if necessary to reevaluate the situation and respond accordingly.
Tedros Reflects on COVID-19’s Impact as WHO Ends Public Health Emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant harm to the global community, shattering businesses and plunging millions into poverty. Despite noting that the pandemic has been on a downward trend for more than a year, with most countries returning to pre-pandemic life, Tedros also warned that the risk of new variants remains.
He went on to reveal that the true death toll from COVID-19 is likely much higher than the officially reported figure of 7 million, with estimates suggesting there may be at least 20 million COVID-19-related deaths.
The WHO’s decision to end the public health emergency comes more than three years after the agency declared the coronavirus to be a global threat. Since then, the virus has caused an estimated 764 million cases worldwide and around 5 billion people have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
While the end of the public health emergency is a sign of progress in the fight against COVID-19, it also means that international collaboration and funding efforts may shift their focus away from the pandemic as it recedes in different regions.