“WHO declares end of Covid-19 pandemic as global health emergency”

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency. This means that the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed 6.9 million lives worldwide, has ended as of Friday (5/5/2023).

The decision to end the Covid-19 pandemic was taken after the WHO Emergency Committee meeting on Thursday (4/5/2023). The committee recommended that WHO declare the end of the Covid-19 global public health emergency which has been going on for more than 3 years.

“Therefore, with great hope, I declare that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as quoted Reuters.

However, Ghebreyesus emphasized that the end of the state of emergency does not mean that Covid is no longer a global health threat.

Covid has been declared a global emergency since 30 January 2020. The global emergency status aims to focus governments around the world on handling the pandemic, as well as encouraging collaboration in the development of vaccines and Covid treatments.

WHO stated that the end of the Covid pandemic condition showed the success of countries around the world, but emphasized that Covid would continue to exist on earth.

“Covid has changed the world, changed us. As it should have happened. If we go back to how it was before Covid, we fail to learn and blame it on future generations,” said Ghebreyesus.

At its peak in January 2021, around 100,000 people were dying every week from Covid. As of April 2023, the number of deaths from Covid is around 3,500 people per week.

WHO has never declared a start or an end to a pandemic. However, the WHO first used the word “pandemic” to describe the Covid outbreak in March 2020.

The United States has declared the end of the Covid pandemic since 2022. Meanwhile, the European Union has declared a Covid emergency since April 2022.

The end of the Covid emergency situation could mean the end of international collaboration, including in terms of funding for Covid response.

(to the)