…It’s Now A Health Challenge –WHO
By Chioma Umeha
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is no longer an
international public health emergency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has
declared.
But in lifting the nine-month declaration, the
United Nations (UN) agency weekend added that the infection remains a
“significant and enduring public health challenge.”
The infection has been linked to birth defects in
almost 30 countries, including microcephaly, where babies are born with
abnormally small heads and restricted brain development.
A ‘public health emergency of international
concern’ was declared in February this year after outbreaks of the virus in
Brazil.
Dr David Heymann, chair of the Zika emergency
committee, said it “led the world to an urgent and coordinated response”,
during a press conference following a meeting of international experts.
“The response has provided a clear understanding
that Zika virus infection and associated consequences represent a highly significant
and a long-term problem,” he said.
“The committee agreed Zika must now be managed
within the WHO as are other very important infectious diseases and other
threats.”
Dr Pete Salama, executive director of the WHO’s
health emergencies programme, said Zika had spread geographically and there was
an ongoing risk to countries with Aedes mosquitoes, which spread the virus.
Dr Heymann said: “The Zika virus and associated
complications remain a significant and enduring public health challenge,
requiring intense action within WHO, but it no longer represents a public
health emergency of international concern.
“It means the WHO will now consider this a high
priority within its activities and will also establish a technical advisory
group, which will take over the activities that have been done by the emergency
committee.”
Dr Salama added: “The director-general has
accepted the recommendations of the emergency committee and declared an end to
the public health emergency of international concern.”
