Speaking at the weekly press conference at the organization’s Geneva headquarters, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus evaluated the latest situation in the epidemics.
Stating that the weekly Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to decrease, Ghebreyesus said, “We cannot guarantee that this trend will continue. The most dangerous thing is to get the idea that the trend will continue.”
Noting that deaths from Covid-19 have fallen by more than 80 percent since February, Ghebreyesus said, “However, in the last week, one person died from Covid-19 every 44 seconds. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable.”
Stating that the virus has evolved, Ghebreyesus underlined that WHO member countries should continue to fight the epidemic.
DANGEROUS TENDENCIES
Stating that there has been a decrease in monkeypox cases, Ghebreyesus shared the information, “We see a decreasing trend in Europe. There has been a decrease in cases in the Americas region in the last week, but it is difficult to make clear judgments about the situation of the epidemic in this region.”
Ghebreyesus underlined that while monkeypox case reports to WHO from some American countries increased, case reports were insufficient in some countries in the region due to stigmatization and discrimination against those who contracted the virus.
Ghebreyesus, who warned that the downward trend in monkeypox is dangerous, said, “As WHO, we advise all countries not to give up health measures such as testing, research and vaccination in countries where vaccines are available.”