Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, gave his message and hope in handling the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. He said that his party was optimistic that 2022 could be the end of the pandemic that had enveloped the world for more than two years. In a statement on his LinkenIn account, Tedros admitted that his optimism was not without reason. He said that the world is now increasingly aware of the characteristics of the virus that first appeared in Wuhan.
"With all this learning and capacity, the opportunity to turn this pandemic into good is in our hands," he said
Even so, he also continued to give big warnings in handling the pandemic next year. Tedros said that the uneven distribution of Covid-19 vaccines could be a new disaster that slows down the handling of the pandemic. One example of this is the emergence of the Omicron Variant in the African region where there is still a lack of vaccines. Therefore, he asked the rich countries of the world to be willing to exercise restraint and provide greater access to countries that are still having difficulty in reaching the Covid-19 vaccine.
"That gap has made the opportunity for new variants to emerge more likely, locking us into an ongoing cycle of losses, hardships and restrictions," the Ethiopian said.
"If we end injustice, we end the pandemic, and end the global nightmare we all have. And this is possible," he added.
This statement was issued by Tedros at a time when the world was still experiencing a large spike in Covid-19 infections. In the latest AFP data, the number of new Covid cases worldwide has crossed the 1 million infections per day. The French media data bank said the highest infections occurred in the period 23-29 December 2021. Geographically, the most infections occurred in North America and Europe, which accounted for 85% of total global infections. This increase itself is a new concern for the world. This is because several countries, such as the United States (US) claiming that the Omicron variant has controlled the total number of infections in its territory.
WHO Wants the Pandemic to End Soon, Here's the Scenario
The member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) have concluded their meeting to set strategies for the response and prevention of a global pandemic. The 194 WHO member states unanimously adopted a resolution that launched the process of negotiating and drafting new international instruments on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The instrument is expected to start working in 2024.
"The implementation of this decision is a cause for celebration and hope that we all need," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the close of the three-day meeting.
"Of course, there is still a long way to go. There are still differences of opinion about what can or should be in a new deal. But you have proven to each other and the world that differences can be overcome and similarities can be found."
Meanwhile, Tedros also emphasized that all countries work together and also help each other in ending the pandemic. This is increasingly important because the gap in vaccine distribution is still very high followed by the emergence of the Omicron Variant.
"I have one simple request for all member countries, namely: end this pandemic," Tedros concluded in his speech.
"In just the past week, this virus has shown that it won't just go away. How many more lives and livelihoods it takes is up to us. Ending the pandemic is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice."
Earlier, the WHO warned of a future spike in Covid-19 infections and fears that the increase could have 'severe consequences' in some areas. The Omicron variant is predicted to be the motor of this increase
"Given that this mutation has the potential to be capable of resisting the established immune system, there is a potential for further global spread of omicron," the WHO said in a statement.
WHO also explained that there is still a lot of research that needs to be done on this new variant. Therefore, the Geneva-based agency urges member states to step up surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand variance.
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