AHF urges WHO to declare coronavirus a pandemic now

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is calling on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic now.

The AHF had last Tuesday issued a statement in which it called the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to declare the current situation a pandemic. Cases have recently risen in Italy, Iran and South Korea and has been recorded for the first time in West Africa, in Nigeria and Mexico has also reported its first case.

Saturday February 29, the US recorded its first COVID-19 death in Washington State, a woman in her 50s.

“WHO must immediately declare COVID-19 a pandemic,” the AHF said in a statement copied to ghanabusinessnews.com.

“Whether it’s WHO declaring the coronavirus a pandemic, or ensuring emergency supplies are readily available globally – the United Nations must step up its actions on the entire outbreak response.

All available assets and proven public health interventions must be rapidly deployed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the frontline responders—because as we’ve seen in past infectious disease outbreaks, like Ebola in West and East Africa—when people and organizations fail to act responsively, thousands of people needlessly die and entire communities and regions are left devastated,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein.

So far, more than 84,000 cases have been recorded worldwide, with more than 2,900 deaths.

In China, cases are decreasing, but many more countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Mexico and Nigeria are reporting new cases.

“When a deadly pathogen is killing thousands of people across dozens of countries on every continent except for Antarctica – it’s a no brainer – this is clearly a pandemic. Our entire focus must now shift to doing all that’s necessary to save lives,” Weinstein added.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi