Monday, January 6, 2025 - The World Health Organization, WHO, has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China, a global health emergency.
The WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus made the announcement at a
press conference in Geneva.
WHO’s emergency committee on the epidemic had reportedly met last
Thursday and recommended designating the outbreak of the Public Health
Emergency of International Concern, PHEIC.
The decision had been “almost unanimous,” Didier Houssin, chair of the
emergency committee, said at the press conference.
“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is
happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,”
Tedros said at the press conference.
“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to
countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with
it. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China.
On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to
control the outbreak.”
Tedros also outlined recommendations made by the emergency committee to
control the outbreak, including accelerating the development of vaccines and
drugs and combatting the spread of misinformation.
This is the sixth time WHO has used that label, Public Health Emergency
of International Concern, PHEIC. since the designation was
introduced 15 years ago.
0 Comments