COVID-19 Global Emergency Ends as Declared by WHO

After more than three years since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the World Health Organization declared on Friday that it is no longer a global public health emergency.

During a press conference on Friday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency with optimism. However, he made it clear that this does not mean COVID-19 is no longer a global health threat. Tedros added that he would promptly convene experts again to reevaluate the situation if COVID-19 poses a significant danger to the world once more. The Associated Press reported on his statement.

According to the Associated Press, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 7 million people globally since it first began to spread. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, noted that as many as 20 million deaths may have occurred due to the virus. While cases are still rising in some parts of the world, Tedros acknowledged that most countries have returned to some semblance of normalcy, despite political divisions and economic hardships amplified by the pandemic.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that COVID-19 has transformed the world and its people. He expressed concern that some countries would not be adequately prepared for the pandemic, but surprisingly, some of the countries that suffered the most casualties, such as the United States, were considered to be well-prepared. In contrast, Africa only accounted for around 3% of the global death toll, according to the AP.

Along with others, the WHO is currently investigating the origins of the virus. In 2021, the organization released a report that suggested that the virus was most likely transmitted from animals to humans, and dismissed the idea that it was a lab-made virus as “extremely unlikely.” However, the WHO later admitted that some crucial data was still missing, making it impossible to make a definitive determination on the virus’s origin, according to the AP.

According to the AP, a panel commissioned by the WHO criticized China and other nations for not taking swift action to contain the spread of the virus. The panel noted that the WHO had limited financial resources and was restricted in its ability to persuade other countries to act.