Head of World Health Organization, Dr. John McGovern has stated that he’s ‘confident’ this year of ending Covid.
Tedros Ghebreyesus (Director-General of WHO) stated that this year’s ‘acute’ phase should be completed, provided that countries work in close cooperation and share their vaccines.
On Thursday, Ghebreyesus spoke at a Covid press conference and warned of the potential for an Omicron variant to trigger a tsunami’ in the global health system.
In his New Years Eve message, he made a happier note, highlighting all the tools countries have to make sure that deaths and cases around the globe are a distant memory.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, stated that the “acute” stage of the pandemic must be over by the end of this year provided all countries have access to vaccines and cooperate with each other.
Ghebreyesus stated that if we eliminate inequity we can end the pandemic and the worldwide nightmares we all have lived through. This is possible.
He added: “As the third year of this pandemic approaches, I feel confident that it will be the year it ends. But only if everyone works together.
He also posted on social media that same day, saying the world can return to preCovid norms at the end the year.
He stated, “My first resolution was to work with all government agencies, stakeholder and community communities to end this pandemic.”
“To achieve that goal, all countries must work together in order to attain the global goal of vaccinations reaching 70% of all people by 2022.
We need to create a more global framework that promotes global security in health.
In 2022, the beginning of negotiations among countries to create a global pandemic deal to enhance the governance, funding, systems and tools needed to combat epidemics and pandemics.
He added: “Third, all nations must invest in stronger Primary Health Care, as the foundation for Universal Health Coverage.”
‘I believe that if we can make progress on these goals, we will be gathering again, at the end of 2022, not to mark the end of a third year of pandemic, but to celebrate a return to pre-Covid norms, when we gathered with our families and communities to celebrate together and cherish each other’s company and love.’
However, Omicron is a potential new variant. He warns that countries could continue to “hoard” vaccines and not share them with other nations.
He explained that ‘Narrow nationalisms and vaccination hoarding in some countries has undermined equity and created favorable conditions for Omicron variant’s emergence. And the longer inequality continues, the greater are the chances of the virus evolving in ways which we don’t know or can prevent.
On Thursday, the chief of health struck a prudent tone and claimed Omicron would be leaving to a “tsunami” of cases over the next months.
Ghebreyesus expressed concern that Omicron, which is more transmissible than Delta, could lead to an epidemic of cases.
“This will put enormous pressure on exhausted healthcare workers and threatens to bring down the health system.