WHO encourages an end to the state of emergency with Covid

WHO has just announced a new strategy against Covid-19, encouraging countries to move from emergency mode to long-term prevention and control.

Guidelines were issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 3, before the meeting whether to declare an end to the global health emergency due to Covid-19. The new strategy is specified for the period 2023-2025. This is the fourth time the organization has announced an epidemic response plan since the first case was reported in China at the end of 2019.

The new strategy will maintain the two goals of the previous plan, launched in 2022, to reduce the circulation of nCoV and to provide treatment to reduce mortality, morbidity and long-term symptoms.

The third new goal is to "assist countries to move from emergency response to long-term, sustainable prevention, control and management of Covid-19," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director.

According to Tedros, the new strategy also emphasizes addressing the persistent Covid-19 situation, which arises in 6% of symptomatic patients.

The main pillars of the strategy are still disease information management, entry points, tourism and international transportation; vaccinate people at high risk; research and develop vaccines suitable to the actual situation.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at a conference on Covid-19 vaccines in Brussels, Belgium in February. Photo: AFP.

Last week, the WHO said the number of deaths from Covid-19 had dropped by 95% since the beginning of the year, but warned the virus was still circulating in the community. Countries need to learn how to manage its non-urgent effects, especially the post-Covid-19 situation.

Mr. Tedros warned that responding to Covid-19 is a long and expensive process. However, the world will pay a greater price if it does not invest in this activity with commitments to science, sustainable health.

"This is why we are calling on countries to maintain sufficient medical capacity, readiness and flexibility to scale up treatment during an increasing epidemic. At the same time, countries need to maintain other essential health services, prepare for the emergence of new strains with increased severity," said Tedros.

Currently, the number of Covid-19 cases has increased again in some countries, especially Southeast Asia , but the number of deaths and hospitalizations has not increased. The countries facing the new sub-variant of Omicron are XBB.1.16 . In Vietnam, the number of Covid cases has also increased again , doctors are monitoring the virulence of circulating nCoV strains.