The World Health Organization declared on Friday that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
During its 15th meeting on Covid-19, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) deliberated on the pandemic, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus agreed that the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) should be terminated.
“For more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend,”
Tedros made the statement during a news conference on Friday.
“This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19,” Tedros said.
“Yesterday, the emergency committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice.”
Tedros added
How COVID became a Pandemic
In January 2020, the organization announced that the coronavirus outbreak was a public health emergency of international concern, which was followed by its declaration as a pandemic about six weeks later.
By declaring a PHEIC, countries enter into an agreement to adhere to the World Health Organization’s recommendations for handling the emergency. As a result, each country declares its own public health emergency, which holds legal significance. These declarations allow countries to utilize resources and suspend regulations in order to mitigate a crisis.
The United States is set to let its Covid-19 public health emergency end on May 11.
COVID: The Aftermath
As per WHO data, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has surpassed 765 million since the pandemic began, and the fatalities have reached nearly 7 million. Although Europe has recorded the most number of confirmed cases, the Americas have reported the highest number of deaths. Notably, approximately one in six deaths worldwide have occurred in the US.
In December 2022, cases surged to a peak as Omicron spread worldwide, with the Western Pacific region being significantly impacted. Nevertheless, billions of vaccine doses have been administered across the globe, leading to a significant reduction in deaths compared to earlier peaks.
Currently, Covid-19 cases and fatalities have hit their lowest point in three years. However, despite this progress, over 3,500 individuals lost their lives due to the virus during the last week of April, and a significant proportion of the global population remains unvaccinated.
