FRI, JAN 31 2020-theG&BJournal-The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the deadly Coronavirus outbreak a ‘’Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).’’
WHO made the declaration in Geneva Thursday after the second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus 2019 in the People’s Republic of China.
‘’The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries’’ Ghebreyesus said, while speaking to the media Thursday.
‘’Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to other countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill prepared to deal with it.’’
The World health body provided an overview of the situation in other countries noting that there are now 83 cases in 18 countries. Of these, only 7 had no history of travel in China. There has been human-to-human transmission in 3 countries outside China. One of these cases is severe and there have been no deaths,’’ WHO said.
According to WHO, the declaration of a PHEIC should be seen in the spirit of support and appreciation for China, its people, and the actions China has taken on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and, it is to be hoped, with success. WHO said a global coordinated effort is needed to enhance preparedness in other regions of the world that may need additional support for that.
‘’There are still many unknowns, cases have now been reported in five WHO regions in one month, and human-to-human transmission has occurred outside Wuhan and outside China.’’
213 people have so far died in China after contracting the coronavirus and the number of global cases has soared to 9,692. 1,527 of the cases are classified as critical by officials. WHO warned that further international exportation of cases may appear in any country.
‘’Thus, all countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management.’’
The five international airports in Nigeria are already placed on red alert. They are the Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the FCT international airports. The health minister Osagie Ehanire revealed last week moves to set up an inter-multi sectoral committee to scale up surveillance and vigilance around the country.
WHO advised that any detection of 2019-nCoV in an animal (including information about the species, diagnostic tests, and relevant epidemiological information) should be reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as an emerging disease.
‘’ Countries should place particular emphasis on reducing human infection, prevention of secondary transmission and international spread, and contributing to the international response though multi-sectoral communication and collaboration and active participation in increasing knowledge on the virus and the disease, as well as advancing research,’’ WHO advised.
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