Health Emergencies Newsletter

Issue No.23: 11.05.2023

TOP STORY

Statement on the fifteenth meeting of the IHR (2005) Emergency Committee on the COVID-19 pandemic

The WHO Director-General has the pleasure of transmitting the Report of the fifteenth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, held on Thursday 4 May 2023, from 12:00 to 17:00 CET.

During the deliberative session, the Committee members highlighted the decreasing trend in COVID-19 deaths, the decline in COVID-19 related hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions, and the high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2. The Committee’s position has been evolving over the last several months. While acknowledging the remaining uncertainties posted by potential evolution of SARS-CoV-2, they advised that it is time to transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO Director-General concurs with the advice offered by the Committee regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He determines that COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)..

COVID-19

Three Years of COVID-19 - lessons learned and the path forward

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros reflects on the global impact of COVID-19, which has caused severe disruption to health systems, economies, and societies worldwide since it was first detected over three years ago. The video explores the staggering toll of reported deaths and how the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and political fault lines. Despite the hardships, investments, capacities, and lessons learned during this crisis must be leveraged to create meaningful and lasting change.

Q&A on ending COVID19 as a global health emergency with Dr Mike Ryan and Dr Maria Van Kerkhove

In this live Q&A, two WHO experts explain what ending the global emergency for COVID-19 practically means.

From emergency response to long-term COVID-19 disease management: sustaining gains made during the COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its fourth year, surveillance has declined dramatically. While weekly reported cases and deaths are at the lowest level since the pandemic began, millions continue to be infected or re-infected with SARS-CoV-2 and thousands of people are dying each week.

At this pivotal moment, WHO has updated its Strategic Preparedness and Response plan for 2023-2025. The updated two-year strategy builds on the objectives of the 2022 SPRP and supports countries as they are working to transition their critical emergency response activities to longer-term sustained COVID-19 disease prevention, control and management.

WHO's Science in 5: COVID-19 evolving variants and how to stay safe

Why are we seeing rising number of COVID-19 cases in some parts of the world? How is the SARS CoV 2 virus evolving? What do Governments and the public need to do to live with COVID-19 safely? Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explains in Science in 5.

TÜRKIYE & SYRIA EARTHQUAKES

Rebuilding primary health services after the earthquakes: addressing women’s reproductive Health in Türkiye’s Hatay region

In Türkiye’s Hatay province, a region devastated by the massive earthquakes that struck 3 months ago, tents and containers are now home to many displaced people, including pregnant women and new mothers. According to United Nations data, an estimated 2.4 million women of reproductive age were impacted by the earthquakes.

In Hatay, about 14 000 babies are born in a typical month. To respond to this huge need, Dr Serap Şener from the WHO Country Office in Türkiye has been tasked with supporting the Ministry of Health and the local health system to provide primary health-care services, particularly those related to reproductive and women’s health, to earthquake-affected communities.

WHO Foundation Health Emergency Appeal for Türkiye and Syria

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UKRAINE EMERGENCY

Focusing on the state of health in Ukraine with an eye to the future

Ukrainian Minister of Health, Viktor Liashko, made his first official visit to WHO/Europe headquarters on 1 May.

WHO and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine underscored their long-running partnership amid the ongoing war in addressing essential health needs and strengthening the country’s health systems for the future during a wide-ranging, day-long dialogue in Copenhagen today, as Health Minister, Viktor Liashko, made his first official visit to the headquarters of WHO/Europe.

Accompanied by Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister, Serhii Dubrov, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Denmark, Mykhailo Vydoinyk, Minister Liashko met with the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, and the WHO/Europe leadership team, as well as the WHO Representative in Ukraine, Dr Jarno Habicht, to discuss the impacts of the war – including on health services and delivery, the health and care workforce, and health infrastructure – along with how Ukraine’s health reforms are charting a blueprint for the years ahead.

Countries hosting Ukrainian refugees reaffirm their commitment to meeting their health needs

Amid the relentless war in Ukraine – now in its second year, and the refugee diaspora it has resulted in – health ministers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations (UN) agencies came together in Bratislava this month to discuss the challenges, solutions and ways forward for addressing the health needs of Ukrainians who have sought temporary protection from the conflict in neighbouring countries.

The high-level consultation was organized by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic and WHO/Europe. Senior health leaders from Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova and Romania travelled to Bratislava to meet with their Slovak hosts for the ministerial forum and consultation to discuss the lessons learned during the past years’ response to what has been the largest humanitarian emergency in the WHO European Region since the Second World War.

WHO Health Emergency Appeal for Ukraine

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MPOX (MONKEYPOX)

Vigilance needed despite encouraging mpox situation: WHO/Europe launches key considerations for control and elimination

As we approach the 1-year mark since an atypical outbreak of mpox (monkeypox) was declared in the WHO European Region (May 2022), there is much cause for optimism: after a rapid rise and peak of case numbers in mid-July 2022, there has been a sustained reduction in cases ever since.

While the exact reasons behind this encouraging decline have yet to be disentangled, it is likely that a combination of factors have helped us better control disease transmission, including:

improved case detection with associated clinical and public health management;
acquisition of natural and vaccine-derived immunity; and
wider behaviour change among affected communities following public awareness campaigns.

There is much to celebrate in the reduced spread of mpox. However, as Member States transition out of the emergency phase of the outbreak, what will happen next is uncertain.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

WHO launches new initiative to improve pandemic preparedness

To help countries better prepare for future pandemics, WHO launched a new initiative today that provides guidance on integrated planning for responding to any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or coronaviruses.

The new Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats Initiative, or PRET, incorporates the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health emergencies.

The COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies have shown that countries need to be operationally ready to respond to infectious disease threats, with tailored preparedness plans in hand and better coordination and collaboration with other sectors such as agriculture