The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China a global health emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus made the announcement during a press conference in Geneva.
According to reports, WHO’s emergency committee on the epidemic had met last Thursday and recommended declaring the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The decision was “almost unanimous,” said Didier Houssin, chair of the emergency committee, at the press conference.
“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,” Tedros stated.
“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems that are ill-prepared to handle it. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak.”
Tedros also highlighted recommendations made by the emergency committee to address the outbreak, including speeding up the development of vaccines and drugs and combating the spread of misinformation.
This marks the sixth time WHO has used the label Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) since the designation was introduced 15 years ago.
