According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, what was the appropriate perspective following the WHO's decision to lift the PHEIC designation?

Answer

That the time was right to transition to managing COVID-19 as an ongoing health threat

Following the lifting of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) designation on May 5, 2023, the Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, explicitly cautioned against viewing the action as confirmation that the virus had disappeared. Instead, he stressed that the appropriate conceptual shift involved transitioning the approach to managing COVID-19 as an established, persistent health threat, drawing a parallel to how seasonal influenza is handled. This management approach focuses on long-term control, reducing severe outcomes, and maintaining baseline surveillance, rather than employing the acute, extraordinary measures required during a declared global health emergency.

According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, what was the appropriate perspective following the WHO's decision to lift the PHEIC designation?
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