The UN health agency has declared an international emergency over the deadly Chinese coronavirus. Such measures should lead to better international coordination in the fight against the disease.
“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,” said World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declaring a “public health emergency of international concern.”
“This is not a vote of no confidence in China,” he said, repeatedly stressing that the measure was aimed at helping other countries less capable of dealing with it, and praised the Chinese government for taking swift action to combat the outbreak.
“We must all work together to limit further spread … We can stop the disease together,” said Tedros, who visited China this week to meet with President Xi Jinping.
Tedros also said there was “no reason” for any international travel or trade restrictions, such as flight suspensions, border closures and quarantines for healthy travelers.
Leading airlines including Air France, British Airways and Lufthansa have suspended or restricted flights to China.
The WHO Emergency Committee, an advisory body of international experts, said the evidence showed that restricting the movement of people and goods during public health emergencies “can be ineffective and can waste resources.”
“In addition, restrictions can interrupt necessary assistance and technical support, can disrupt business operations and can negatively impact the economies of countries affected by the emergency,” Tedros said.
But he added that “in certain specific circumstances, measures to restrict the movement of people may be temporarily helpful” – possibly referring to bans in China that have affected millions of people.
The WHO did not declare an emergency last week because the emergency committee was not in agreement on the matter.
More than 8,200 people have been infected with the virus – almost all of them in China – and 171 have died.
WHO said it has also confirmed 82 cases in 18 other countries, including onward transmissions in Germany, Japan, the United States and Viet Nam.
WHO has declared a public health emergency as an international problem only five times since the legislation came into force in 2007 – for swine flu, polio, Zika, and twice for Ebola outbreaks in Africa.
This announcement allows WHO to issue global guidelines for the international community to follow.
Governments, companies and people around the world are already stepping up efforts to contain the disease, which is believed to have originated in a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Sources: Agence France-Presse, Photo: Cheng Min / Xinhua
