The Guidelines provide an integrated approach to responding to the threat or emergence of any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or other pathogens. Coronaviruses, which has the ability to rapidly transform into different variants.
The new one Preparedness and Resilience Initiative for Emerging Threatsor BEFORE, combines the latest tools and approaches to shared learning and collective action was established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health emergencies, said WHO.
During his regular weekly briefing in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, say next weekThe agency will implement the fourth Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRING) issued by the United Nations health agency, since the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency, in February 2020.
This update outlines how countries can “move from emergency response to long-term, sustainable management of COVID-19,” he said, over a two-year period.
Hundreds of millions of people will need care
“We are excited by the continued decline in the number of reported deaths from COVID-19, down 95% since the beginning of this year.”
However, some countries are seeing an increase, Tedros warned, and in the past four weeks, 14,000 people have died from COVID.
An estimated one in 10 infections, he said, results in what is commonly referred to as “persistent COVID.” “suggestion that hundreds of millions of people will need longer-term care” move forward.
As the emergence of the new variant XBB.1.16 shows, the virus is still mutating and still has the potential to cause new waves of illness and death, Tedros said.
Virus ‘here to stay’
“We remain hopeful that at some point this year we will be able to declare the end of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern. But this virus is still here and all countries will need to learn how to manage it in addition to other infectious diseases.”
The UN’s chief medical officer joked that the acronym for the new PRET initiative was intentional: “prêt” means “ready” in French.
“Rather than focusing on specific pathogens or diseases, PRET takes an integrated approach to pandemic planning, by focusing on the groups of pathogens and the systems they affect.
“First, PRET will focus on respiratory pathogens, including influenza, coronavirus, RSV, and unknown pathogens”, but he added that by definition, pandemics are global events, underscoring the importance of international cooperation.
School, prayer room, town hall
“But it is also designed to foster collaboration between industries. As COVID-19 has demonstrated, the pandemic is more than just a health crisis. It affects economies, education, commerce, tourism, food supply systems, etc..”
Therefore, PRET will engage in as many areas of human activity as possible, including civil society, religious groups and youth.
He said PRET answered the call for technical guidance, support to promote and enhance integrated preparedness and responseas outlined in the resolutions of the World Health Assembly.
