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Health expert: Global health emergency is over but Covid-19 hasn't gone away

Philippines | National

Health expert: Global health emergency is over but Covid-19 hasn't gone away

By Charie Mae F. Abarca

Public health expert Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon stressed the need for continued vigilance against Covid-19 despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) announcement that the global health emergency is now over.

(Kristine Wook / Unsplash)
“I welcome WHO[’s] announcement that Covid pandemic is not a global emergency at this point in time. [T]he global health emergency [is] over, but Covid-19 hasn’t gone away. Precautions are still necessary for many, and we must fix what the pandemic has broken and exposed in our health system and society,” said Leachon on Friday, May 5. For the health expert, preparations towards Covid-19 endemicity should be backed up by solid vaccination and booster programs, continued compliance with minimum public standards, and the appointment of a qualified and permanent health secretary. “Covid-19 will continue to be a health threat in a country with [a] fragile and weak healthcare system. We need to be relentless in our preventive health education,” Leachon furthered. The country continues to log fresh Covid-19 cases. Independent OCTA Research group on Friday said the nationwide positivity rate is at 17.8 percent — a number relatively higher compared to WHO’s recommended 5 percent benchmark.

Related Tags

global health covid-19 pandemic World Health Organization (WHO)

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