To improve nations’ capacity to prepare for and respond to another catastrophic pandemic like COVID-19, the World Health Organization unveiled a new project on Wednesday. The newest statistics, according to WHO, indicated a sharp decrease in COVID mortality this year, Entrepreneurng report.
The recommendations offer a coordinated strategy for dealing with any respiratory disease that may threaten or arrive, such as the flu or a variety of coronaviruses that can rapidly change into different types.
As reported by WHO, the new Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats Initiative, or PRET, includes the most contemporary methods and tools for sharing knowledge and taking coordinated action developed during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health emergencies.
At a press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus announced that the organization would unveil its fourth Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SRP) next week, following the release of the first SRP in February 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency.
“This update describes how nations might “transition over two years from an emergency response to long-term, sustained management of COVID-19.”
We find the steady decrease in COVID-19-reported deaths which have fallen by 95% since the year’s beginning to be very encouraging.
Ghebreyesus noted that several nations are experiencing increases and that 14,000 people had died from COVID in the last four weeks.
He said that roughly one in ten infections had led to what is known as “long COVID,” implying that hundreds of millions of individuals will eventually require longer-term treatment.
According to him, the virus is still evolving and is still capable of causing fresh outbreaks of illness and fatalities as seen by the appearance of the new XBB.1.16 variety.
“We remain optimistic that we will be able to end COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern at some point this year.”However, since this virus is persistent, all nations will need to learn how to control it in addition to other infectious diseases.”
The UN health director made fun of the abbreviation for the new PRET program, noting that “prêt” is French for “ready” and was chosen on purpose.
“Pret adopts an integrated approach to pandemic planning by focusing on groups of pathogens and the systems they affect, as opposed to focusing on particular pathogens or diseases.”
He said that pandemics were by definition global phenomena, highlighting the significance of international cooperation. He stated that PRET would first concentrate on respiratory infections, such as influenza, coronaviruses, RSV, and as-yet-unknown pathogens.
But it’s also intended to encourage sectoral cooperation. A pandemic is not merely a health crisis, as COVID-19 showed. It has an impact on a variety of things, including the economy, education, trade, travel, and food supply systems.
“PRET, therefore, will engage as many sectors of human activity as possible, including civil society, religious groups, and young people,” he declared.”
In conclusion, PRET met the need for technical advice and support for advancing and bolstering integrated preparedness and response, as indicated in resolutions of the World Health Assembly.
Source: Punch
