The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the latest outbreak of a new coronavirus in China a Global Health Emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement during a press briefing in Geneva. The organization’s emergency committee convened earlier and unanimously recommended designating the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
“The primary reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries,” Ghebreyesus explained. “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to nations with weaker health systems that are ill-prepared to handle such an outbreak. Let me be clear: this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO remains confident in China’s ability to control the outbreak.”
He emphasized the urgent need for global collaboration, including accelerating vaccine and drug development and combating misinformation about the virus.
The PHEIC designation is a rare step, used only six times since its introduction 15 years ago. It highlights the severity of the situation and calls for international efforts to curb the virus’s spread effectively.
Tedros commended China’s response to the outbreak while urging all nations to remain vigilant and proactive in addressing the global health threat.
