WHO Director Declares Covid-19 a Non-Emergency Threat

May 6 , 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a global emergency threat, according to Tewodros Adhanom (PhD), director general of the World Health Organization. The director, however, warned countries not to let their guard down as the pandemic remains a risk to public health. He reiterated that the rate has been subsiding for over a year while the population's immunity has been increasing from the vaccinations, following the Emergency Committee's discussion on the possible menaces of the pandemic. WHO first declared Covid-19 a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in January 2020. According to WHO data, over 765 million cases have been confirmed, with over 13 billion vaccine doses administered worldwide. Ethiopia has put in a disease surveillance program since the outbreak in 2020, while the Ministry of Health ushered in a vaccination campaign for people above 12 years of age a year later. The Ministry deployed over 28,000 vaccinators and more than 6.2 million doses with an ongoing effort nationwide. Mebratu Massebo (PhD), head of the Health Emergency & Covid-19 National Task Force Coordination, disclosed it is considered an emergency in the country despite the global announcement. "The pandemic is regarded as urgent in the country until the national task force Emergency Committee holds a similar discussion to declare otherwise," he told Fortune.