The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new coronavirus outbreak in China a global health emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus made the announcement during a press conference in Geneva. The organization’s emergency committee had met the previous Thursday and recommended declaring the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, stated that the decision was “almost unanimous.”
Tedros emphasized that the declaration was not based on the situation in China alone, but also on concerns about the virus spreading to other countries. “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, which are ill-prepared to deal with it,” he said. “Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”
Tedros also highlighted key recommendations from the emergency committee, including accelerating the development of vaccines and treatments, and addressing the spread of misinformation.
This marks the sixth time the WHO has designated a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) since the label was introduced 15 years ago.
