Coronavirus not a global emergency who committee
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020. However, the WHO did not declare it a global emergency.
The WHO's International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee, which is composed of independent experts, advises the WHO Director-General on whether a situation constitutes a PHEIC. The committee is responsible for assessing the severity and risk of a public health event and making recommendations to the WHO Director-General.
On January 30, 2020, the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared the outbreak a PHEIC, citing the following reasons:
- The rapid spread of the virus to multiple countries.
- The severity of the disease, including the high mortality rate.
- The lack of immunity in the global population.
- The potential for further international spread.
The PHEIC declaration triggered a range of measures, including enhanced surveillance, contact tracing, and travel restrictions, to help contain the spread of the virus.
It's worth noting that the WHO's Emergency Committee has declared several other public health emergencies of international concern in the past, including:
- The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic
- The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa
- The 2016 Zika virus outbreak
- The 2018 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In each of these cases, the WHO's Emergency Committee assessed the situation and advised the WHO Director-General on whether a PHEIC declaration was warranted.