The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated on Friday that the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 had increased since early December, at a meeting to decide whether the disease is an international emergency.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also recalled that “the lifting of restrictions in China (to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2) has led to a sharp increase in deaths in the world’s most populous country”.
Speaking at the start of the 14th meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee on Covid-19, the official said the global response to the disease “continues to fail” because many countries still lack “vaccines, treatments and diagnostics (. . .) that are essential to prevent serious illness and save lives” for those in need. not reached
“Next Monday will mark three years since I decided, based on your advice, that the hitherto unknown coronavirus constituted an international public health emergency,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressing members and advisers of the committee led by Dr Didier Housin.
He said he expects the panel to assess and advise him on whether the situation is serious enough to warrant WHO’s highest alert level.
UN dedicated to health The agency’s director-general declared that “the Omicron wave (of the virus variant) Omicron is in much better shape than it was a year ago when the epidemic was at its peak.” More than 70,000 deaths per week are reported to the WHO.
But he pointed out that in October last year, when the committee last met, there were “less than 10,000 deaths per week”, while the WHO had “nearly 40,000 deaths (…) more than half in China”.
“In total, over the past eight weeks, more than 170,000 deaths have been recorded” and “the actual number is certainly higher”.
The committee, comprising 17 members and 11 advisers, is expected to conclude its meeting this Friday and the outcome of the deliberations is expected in the next few days.
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