Covid-19 Still A Public Health Emergency Of International Concern: WHO

The Word Health Organisation on Monday said that Covid-19 continues to remain a public health emergency of international concern.

Covid still an emergency concern, says WHO

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New Delhi: The World Health Organisation on Monday said that Covid-19 still remains a public health emergency of international concern. The UN body, however, admitted that the virus is 'probably at a transition point' but wants to ensure the navigating 'this transition carefully and mitigate the potential negative consequences'.

The WHO statement was published after the 14th meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, held on Friday, January 27.

It said, "The WHO Director-General concurs with the advice offered by the Committee regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and determines that the event continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)."

The statement said the Committee agreed that COVID-19 remains a dangerous infectious disease with the capacity to cause substantial damage to health and health systems. The Committee discussed whether the continuation of a PHEIC is required to maintain global attention to COVID-19, the potential negative consequences that could arise if the PHEIC was terminated, and how to transition in a safe manner, WHO said.

The Committee, according to the statement, acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic may be approaching an inflexion point as achieving higher levels of population immunity globally, either through infection and/or vaccination, may limit the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on morbidity and mortality.

However, it noted, there is little doubt that this virus will remain a permanently established pathogen in humans and animals for the foreseeable future adding that "long-term public health action is critically needed".

While eliminating this virus from human and animal reservoirs is highly unlikely, mitigation of its devastating impact on morbidity and mortality is achievable and should continue to be a prioritized goal, the statement further read.

The Committee recommended that the WHO should develop a proposal for alternative mechanisms to maintain the global and national focus on COVID-19 after the PHEIC is terminated.

WHO also made some Temporary Recommendations which are as follows:

• Maintain momentum for COVID-19 vaccination to achieve 100% coverage of high-priority groups guided by the evolving SAGE recommendations on the use of booster doses. States Parties should plan for integration of COVID-19 vaccination into part of life-course immunization programmes.
• Improve reporting of SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data to WHO. Better data are needed to: detect, assess, and monitor emerging variants; identify significant changes to COVID-19 epidemiology; and understand the burden of COVID-19 in all regions.
• Increase uptake and ensure long-term availability of medical countermeasures.
• Maintain strong national response capacity and prepare for future events to avoid the occurrence of a panic-neglect cycle.
• Continue working with communities and their leaders to address the infodemic and to effectively implement risk-based public health and social measures (PHSM).
• Continue to adjust any remaining international travel-related measures, based on risk assessment, and to not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as a prerequisite for international travel
• Continue to support research for improved vaccines that reduce transmission and have broad applicability, as well as research to understand the full spectrum, incidence and impact of post COVID-19 condition, and to develop relevant integrated care pathways.