End of Covid-19 pandemic is in sight, WHO chief says
- The comment was the most optimistic from the UN health agency since it declared an international emergency over the coronavirus more than 2 years ago
- Covid deaths last week were the lowest since March 2020, the WHO reported, though it warned of future virus waves
The world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, urging nations to keep up their efforts against the virus that has killed over 6 million people.
“We are not there yet. But the end is in sight,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference.
The comment was the most optimistic from the UN agency since it declared Covid-19 an international emergency and started describing the virus as a pandemic in March 2020.
The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed nearly 6.5 million people and infected 606 million, roiling global economies and overwhelming healthcare systems.
The roll-out of vaccines and therapies has helped to stem the severity of disease. Deaths from Covid-19 last week were the lowest since March 2020, the UN agency reported.