Early last month the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced COVID-19 is no longer considered a global health emergency, but remains a global health threat.
The decision was based on a decline in COVID-19 deaths, hospital admissions, and ICU admissions, as well as high levels of population immunity. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against complacency and emphasized the need to remain vigilant due to the possibility of new variants emerging.
The WHO is transitioning from emergency mode to long-term management of the virus and is establishing a review committee to develop ongoing recommendations for countries.
Vaccination coverage varies worldwide, with lower-income countries lagging behind. Tedros called for reflection on the lessons learned from the pandemic and stressed the importance of global coordination, equity, and solidarity in pandemic preparedness and response.