The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China a global health emergency. This announcement was made by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus at a press conference in Geneva.
The WHO’s emergency committee on the epidemic convened Thursday afternoon and, after deliberation, recommended classifying the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). According to Didier Houssin, the chair of the emergency committee, the decision was “almost unanimous” and was shared at the press briefing.
Tedros emphasized that the main concern behind this declaration is not the situation in China, but rather the developments in other nations. “Our primary concern is the possibility that the virus might spread to countries with vulnerable healthcare infrastructures, which are less equipped to manage such outbreaks,” Tedros explained. He reassured that the declaration was not a reflection of any lack of confidence in China, stating that the WHO maintains full confidence in China’s ability to control the outbreak.
Tedros also outlined the recommendations made by the emergency committee to contain the outbreak, which included fast-tracking the development of vaccines and treatments as well as addressing the spread of false information.
This marks the sixth time in 15 years that the WHO has applied the designation of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
