COVID pandemic is no longer an emergency, declares WHO

Source: The post is based on the article “COVID pandemic is no longer an emergency, declares WHO” published in The Hindu on 6th May 2023

What is the News?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a global emergency status – ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ or ‘PHEIC’.

What is the Public Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC)?

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Why is Covid-19 no longer a PHEIC?

For over 12 months, Covid-19 has been on a downward trend with immunity increasing due to the highly effective vaccines developed in record time to fight the disease, and infections. 

Death rates have also decreased and the pressure on once-overwhelmed health systems has eased. This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as it were before COVID-19. 

What are the mistakes made while combating Covid-19?

Many mistakes were made, including a lack of coordination, equity and solidarity, which meant that existing tools and technologies were not best used to combat the virus.

What are the recommendations given by WHO?

– Sustain the national capacity gains and prepare for future events to avoid the occurrence of a cycle of panic and neglect. 

– Integrate COVID-19 vaccination into life course vaccination programmes.

– Bring together information from diverse respiratory pathogen surveillance data sources to allow for comprehensive situational awareness.

– Continue to support research to improve vaccines that reduce transmission and have broad applicability.