Avellon Williams
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO- As both COVID-19 and Mpox reach the end of their most dangerous phase in 2023, the World Health Organization has said it hopes they will no longer be public health emergencies.
/Image, MC/
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tedros AdhanomGhebreyesus, WHO chief, said countries had to respond quickly in case of surprise outbreaks.
According to COVID-19 he said, the weekly death toll is now around a fifth of what it was a year ago.
“Last week, less than 10,000 people lost their lives. That’s still 10,000 too many and there is still a lot that all countries can do to save lives,” he told a press conference.
“But we have come a long way. We are hopeful that at some point next year, we will be able to say that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency.”
During its meeting in January, WHO’s emergency committee, which advises Tedros on public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC) declarations, will discuss what the end of the emergency phase may look like.
“This virus will not go away. It’s here to stay and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other respiratory illnesses,” he said.
“We still face many uncertainties and challenges in 2023. Only one in five people in low-income countries has been vaccinated.
“Access to diagnostics and life-saving treatments for COVID-19 remains unacceptably unaffordable and unequal. The burden of post-Covid-19 condition is only likely to increase and large gaps in surveillance remain.”
A global outbreak of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, caught the world by surprise, Tedros said.
In 110 countries, there have been 82,000 cases and 65 deaths, although the mortality rate remains low.
“Thankfully, the number of weekly reported cases has declined more than 90 percent since I declared a PHEIC in July,” said Tedros.
“If the current trend continues, we’re hopeful that next year we’ll also be able to declare an end to this emergency.”
