l & International News – The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a stark reminder that COVID-19 remains a serious global health threat, urging countries not to become complacent.
As the world approaches the fifth anniversary of the first reported cases of the then-unknown virus on December 31, Dr. Tedros highlighted the staggering toll COVID-19 has taken. While over 7 million deaths have been officially reported to WHO, he noted the actual figure is likely at least three times higher.
“We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense,” Dr. Tedros said. “It still causes acute disease, long COVID, and it still kills. On average this year, around 1,000 COVID-related deaths have been reported to WHO each week—primarily from the few countries still providing data.”
To support ongoing efforts, the WHO has released a new set of updated policy briefs aimed at helping countries reduce illness, deaths, and the long-term impacts of COVID-19. These guidelines emphasize improved monitoring, prevention strategies, and integrating COVID-19 management with other health priorities.
Dr. Tedros acknowledged that while the world might want to move on, the virus remains a formidable challenge. “The world may want to forget COVID-19, but we cannot afford to,” he stressed.
