Dr.. Osama Abu Al-Rub
The World Health Organization announced Thursday that the outbreak of the new Corona virus in China is now a public health emergency of international concern. What does this mean?
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanum, announced the decision after the WHO Emergency Committee, an independent expert committee, was meeting amid growing evidence of the virus spreading in nearly 18 countries.
Tidros - at a press conference in Geneva - said that recent weeks had witnessed an unprecedented outbreak and received an unprecedented response. "To be clear, this announcement is not a vote of no confidence in China." "Our biggest concern is the possible transmission of the virus to countries with weak health systems," he added.
In order to know what this announcement means, it is necessary to know what the organization's emergency committee is and its nature.
What is the emergency committee?
The WHO Emergency Committee consists of international experts who provide technical advice to the Director-General of WHO in the context of a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern".
According to the WHO website, the committee provides views on the following:
1- Is the event a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)?
2- Temporary recommendations that should be taken by a country suffering from a public health emergency of international concern, or by other countries; to prevent or limit the spread of the disease internationally, and to avoid its unnecessary impact on international trade and travel.
3- End the state of health emergency.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization makes the final decision on the recommendations of the international emergency based on the advice of the Emergency Committee, information provided by states parties, scientific experts, assessment of risks to human health, the risk of international spread of the disease, and the risk of influencing international travel.
Emergency committees meet at least every three months - to review the epidemiological situation, and to review if the event is still an emergency, and if changes to the recommendations are needed.
What is the definition of an emergency?
"A public health emergency of international concern" is defined in the International Health Regulations (2005) as "an unusual event that poses a public health risk to other countries through the international spread of the disease, and that requires a coordinated international response."
This includes the following definition:
1- A sudden, unusual, unusual, or unexpected health situation.
2- The health event has public health implications outside the national borders of the affected country.
3- The event may require immediate international action.
The declaration of a global emergency leads to recommendations to all countries aimed at preventing or limiting the spread of disease across borders, while avoiding unnecessary interference in trade and travel.
The declaration includes interim recommendations to national health authorities worldwide, which include intensifying monitoring, preparedness and containment procedures.
No limit on trips
Despite the spread of the virus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization stressed that the organization does not recommend limiting flights, commercial exchanges and movement of people, and even opposes any restrictions on flights to China.
The emergency committee said - in a statement - that restrictions on the movement of individuals and goods during the declaration of a health emergency can be "ineffective" and cause disruption in the distribution of aid with "negative repercussions" on the economies of the affected countries.
The total number of new cases of the Coronavirus has reached more than 8,100 cases worldwide, exceeding the number of people infected with the SARS virus 17 years ago. The virus has killed 170 people in China.
To date, the organization has used a public health emergency declaration that raises international concern for rare epidemics that require a strong global response, such as the swine flu (H1N1) in 2009, the Zika virus in 2016, and Ebola fever in West Africa between 2014 and 2016.