Last update: 04 May 2023, 03:12 IST
Earlier, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the world is in a much better position now than at any time during the pandemic, which has just entered its fourth year. (Photo credit: Reuters)
The final decision, which rests with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, may not be released for several days after this meeting.
The World Health Organization released its new Covid-19 strategy on Wednesday, aimed at helping countries move from emergency mode to a long-term prevention and control strategy.
The publication comes ahead of a meeting of the WHO’s Covid-19 emergency committee to decide whether the pandemic is still serious enough to merit the maximum alert level, which was introduced in January 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
The final decision, which rests with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, may not be released for several days after this meeting.
Meanwhile, the WHO has unveiled its Covid-19 strategic response plan for 2023-2025, the fourth such plan since the first cases were reported in late 2019 in China’s Wuhan region.
The aim is “to help countries move from an emergency response to longer-term prevention, control and management of the COVID-19 disease”, the WHO chief said in the report.
Last week the WHO said Covid-19 deaths had fallen by 95% since the start of the year – but warned the virus was still on the move.
The World Health Organization has said Covid-19 is here to stay and countries should learn to manage its ongoing non-emergency effects, including the post-Covid-19 condition known as Long Covid.
The new strategy will maintain the two objectives of the previous plan, published in 2022; reduce the circulation of Covid and treat the virus to reduce mortality, morbidity and long-term consequences.
But the new plan adds a third objective; “to support countries in their transition from emergency response to longer-term prevention, control and management of COVID-19 disease”.
The WHO statement puts a strong emphasis on combating Long Covid, which appears to occur in 6% of symptomatic cases, according to Tedros.
“That is why we urge countries to maintain sufficient capacity, operational readiness and flexibility to expand during COVID-19 surges, while maintaining other essential health services and preparing for the emergence new variants with increased gravity or capacity,” the agency said. .
Continued research into the virus and its effects is essential, the WHO said.
“The response to COVID-19 has been costly, but the cost will be higher if we fail to leverage these investments with a sustained commitment to science and public health,” Tedros warned.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
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