By IDSE News Staff
With COVID-19 hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths declining around the world, the World Health Organization said it is time to transition from health emergency to long-term management, according to the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee, which held a meeting on May 4.
During the deliberation session, committee members highlighted the decreasing trends listed above, adding that the high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2 also were a positive signal that the public health emergency no longer applies. The committee’s position has been evolving over the last several months. However, there are still remaining uncertainties posed by SARS-CoV-2 variants.
During the meeting, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, expressed concern that surveillance reporting to the WHO has declined significantly, that there continues to be inequitable access to lifesaving interventions, and that pandemic fatigue continues to grow. However, he agreed with the advice, saying COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue.
The WHO published a guideline 2023-2025 COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to help countries transition, which outlines important actions for them to consider for five areas:
- collaborative surveillance
- community protection
- safe and scalable care
- access to countermeasures
- emergency coordination
Although the global risk assessment remains, high population-level immunity from infection, vaccination or both; consistent virulence of currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 omicron sub-lineages; and improved clinical case management have contributed to a significant global decline in the weekly number of COVID-19–related deaths, hospitalizations and admissions to ICUs since the beginning of the pandemic. While SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, the currently circulating variants do not appear to be associated with increased severity.
The WHO said 13.3 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally. Of those, 89% of health workers and 82% of adults older than 60 years of age have completed the primary series, although coverage in these priority groups varies in different regions.
The termination of the public health emergency should not affect access to vaccines and diagnostics that have already received an emergency use. COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access will also continue to provide funded doses and delivery support throughout 2023 in line with demand. This continuity can enable a smooth transition from emergency to prequalification of vaccines and diagnostics, according to the WHO.
Because most therapeutics used to treat COVID-19 are repurposed medicines already licensed for other indications, the termination should not affect their regulatory status, the WHO added.
Dr. Tedros recommended that member states sustain the national capacity gains and prepare for future events to avoid the occurrence of a cycle of panic and neglect; look to improve country readiness for future outbreaks; and continue surveillance and update respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness plans, as well as reporting of mortality and morbidity data. States also must restore health programs adversely affected by the pandemic.
COVID-19 vaccinations need to be incorporated into routine vaccination programs, Dr. Tedros said.
