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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, said the Covid-19 pandemic is still a public health emergency of international concern, in a WHO statement released on Thursday.
The determination came after the eighth meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee regarding the pandemic, which took place on Wednesday.
“The Committee unanimously agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be an extraordinary event that continues to adversely affect the health of populations around the world, poses a risk of international spread and interference with international traffic, and requires a coordinated international response. As such, the Committee agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PSI) and offered the following advice to the Director-General, ”the WHO statement read.
“The CEO has determined that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to constitute a USPPI. It accepted the Committee’s advice to WHO and issued the Committee’s advice to States Parties as temporary recommendations under the IHR.
Speaking about the committee meeting at a press briefing in Geneva on Thursday, Tedros said that “the committee has expressed concern that the pandemic is being misrepresented as ending while it is far from over. He also warned of the high likelihood of the emergence and global spread of worrisome, perhaps more dangerous, variants that could be even more difficult to control. “
The Committee also “expressed deep concern” about the level of funding for the WHO’s strategic preparedness and response plan for Covid-19, said Tedros, which limits WHO’s ability to coordinate the global response to the pandemic, “especially in terms of the flexibility we have to move at the rate at which this virus is moving.” “
The committee’s advice to WHO included recommendations such as continued collaboration with states parties to implement social public health measures to control transmission; continue to advocate for equitable access and distribution of vaccines; accelerate work to establish means of documenting the Covid-19 status of travelers; continue to strengthen the global framework for monitoring and evaluating variants; strengthen communication strategies at all levels and collect information from States Parties on the adoption and progress of the implementation of temporary recommendations.
The committee’s temporary recommendations to states parties include the continued, evidence-based use of social public health measures; implement a risk management approach for mass gathering events; reach at least 10% of the population of all countries vaccinated by September; strengthening of virus surveillance and notification to WHO; improving access to and administration of WHO recommended therapeutic products; pursue a risk-based approach to facilitate international travel and share information with WHO; no requirement for proof of vaccination for international travel; recognize all vaccines that have received the WHO emergency use list and address gaps in community engagement and communication at national and local levels.
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