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The World Health Organisation (WHO) is \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d that some countries are not handling the coronavirus pandemic with \u201cthe level of political commitment needed to control it\u201d.<\/p>\nThe World Health Organisation (WHO) is \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d that some countries are not handling the coronavirus pandemic with \u201cthe level of political commitment needed to control it\u201d.<\/p>\n
The director-general of the WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said describing the global Covid-19 outbreak as a pandemic was not a decision that was taken lightly.<\/p>\n
He said the world must \u201cdouble down\u201d and all countries must strike a balance in their approach to this \u201ccontrollable pandemic\u201d.<\/p>\n
Referring to the WHO\u2019s decision to describe the outbreak as a pandemic, he said: \u201cWe have made this assessment for two main reasons: First, because of the speed and scale of transmission.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlmost 125,000 cases have now been reported to WHO, from 118 countries and territories.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past two weeks, the number of cases reported outside China has increased almost 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has almost tripled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second reason is that despite our frequent warnings, we are deeply concerned that some countries are not approaching this threat with the level of political commitment needed to control it.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me be clear: Describing this as a pandemic does not mean that countries should give up. The idea that countries should shift from containment to mitigation is wrong and dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the contrary, we have to double down. This is a controllable pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cCountries that decide to give up on fundamental public health measures may end up with a larger problem, and a heavier burden on the health system that requires more severe measures to control.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll countries must strike a fine balance between protecting health, preventing economic and social disruption, and respecting human rights.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge all countries to take a comprehensive approach tailored to their circumstances \u2013 with containment as the central pillar.\u201d<\/p>\n