The World Health Organization (WHO) head on Sunday warned the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing, despite the decisions of many nations to lift their restrictions aimed at curbing its spread, reported The Economic Times.
Addressing the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “declining testing and sequencing means we are blinding ourselves to the evolution of the virus.”
He expressed concern that almost 1 billion people in lower-income countries still haven’t been vaccinated. He said about 57 countries have vaccinated 70 percent of their populations and almost all of those countries are high-income places.
“We must continue to support all countries to reach 70 percent vaccination coverage as soon as possible, including 100 percent of those aged over 60, 100 percent of health workers, and 100 percent of those with underlying conditions,” said Tedros.
According to the WHO report, COVID-19 cases have declined significantly from the peak of the wave of the Omicron variant of the virus in January. And reported deaths are at their lowest since March 2020.
Tedros, however, reiterated that “it’s not over anywhere until it’s over everywhere”.
As per the report, COVID-19 cases are increasing in almost 70 countries in all regions at a time when testing rates have plummeted, and reported deaths are rising on many continents.
The WHO chief pinpointed that the number of COVID-19 deaths are rising in Africa, the continent with the lowest vaccination coverage.
“The virus has surprised us at every turn, a storm that has torn through communities again and again, and we still can’t predict its path, or its intensity,” Tedros said. “We lower our guard at our peril.”
The WHO head warned that increasing transmission rates mean more deaths, especially among the unvaccinated, and more risk of a new variant emerging.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the COVID-19 pandemic is a staggering reminder of the deep connection between human health and the health of the whole world. He said the pandemic is a moral test that proves humanity is failing due to inequitable access to vaccines and funding.
Guterres praised the WHO for its efforts in leading the global fight against the pandemic.
