The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China a global health emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the decision during a press conference in Geneva, following a meeting of the organization’s emergency committee on Thursday. The committee had unanimously recommended designating the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
“The primary reason for this declaration is not due to what is happening in China, but rather the situation in other countries,” Tedros explained. “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to nations with weaker health systems that are ill-equipped to handle such an outbreak. 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 emphasized the importance of global cooperation, highlighting the need to accelerate the development of vaccines and treatments while addressing the spread of misinformation.
This marks the sixth time WHO has declared a PHEIC since the designation was introduced 15 years ago.
