Published: 11th May, 2023
Context
The World Health Organization that Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that killed at least 7 million people worldwide.
Background
- The novel viral infection came to light after China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases with no known cause from Wuhan on December 31, 2019.
- WHO raised its highest level of alert and termed the infection a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a designation that remained in place for over three years.
When does a health threat become ‘global emergency’?
- The classification of a health threat as a global emergency is meant to warn political authorities that there is an extraordinary event that could constitute a health threat to other countries and requires a coordinated response to contain it.
- WHO's emergency declarations are typically used as an international SOS for countries who need help.
- They can also spur countries to introduce special measures to combat disease or release extra funds.
- WHO is the only agency mandated to coordinate the world’s response to acute health threats.
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Previous global emergencies
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Is Covid not a threat anymore?
- Even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t come to an end, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
- That does not mean Covid-19 is over as a global health threat.
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