The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a global health emergency, a major step towards the end of the pandemic that has killed more than 6.9 million people, disrupted the global economy and ravaged communities.
The global health agency’s emergency committee met on Thursday and recommended the UN organization declare an end to the coronavirus crisis.
“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’ve accepted that advice. It’s therefore with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO’s emergency committee first declared that Covid represented its highest level of alert more than three years ago, on 30 January 2020.
More than three years later, the virus has caused an estimated 764 million cases globally and about five billion people have received at least one dose of vaccine.
The status helps focus international attention on a health threat, as well as bolstering collaboration on vaccines and treatments.
Lifting it is a sign of the progress the world has made in these areas, but Covid-19 is here to stay, the WHO has said, even if it no longer represents an emergency.
The death rate has slowed from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 in the week to 24 April, according to WHO data.
“However, that does not mean Covid-19 is over as a global health threat,” said Mr Ghebreyesus.
Ending the emergency may indicate that international collaboration or financing initiatives are either stopped or change their emphasis ,although many have already adapted as the pandemic faded in various locations,.