Sep 14, 2022 - Health

WHO chief says end of COVID pandemic "is in sight"

Erin Doherty

Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivers a speech during the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe on September 12, 2022 — WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the end of the pandemic "is in sight," but cautioned that "we are not there yet."

Driving the news: "We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic," Tedros said, noting that the number of deaths from COVID-19 last week was the lowest it's been since March of 2020.

"If we don't take this opportunity now, we run the risk of more variants, more deaths, more disruption and more uncertainty, so let's seize this opportunity," Tedros added.

The big picture: The WHO director-general's remarks are the most optimistic since the United Nations agency declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic in March 2020, Reuters notes.

Tedros urged governments to "take a hard look" at their policies and "strengthen them for COVID-19 and future pathogens with pandemic potential."
"We urge all countries to invest in vaccinating 100% of the most at-risk groups, including health workers and older people," he said and asked countries to "keep testing and sequencing" for COVID-19 virus.

State of play: COVID has killed approximately 6.5 million people and infected more than 609 million, per Johns Hopkins University's online tracker.

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WHO chief says end of COVID pandemic "is in sight"

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