The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced yesterday that he has decided to keep the covid-19 pandemic as an international public health emergency, following the recommendation of the emergency committee.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus "concurs with the committee's opinion regarding the ongoing covid-19 pandemic and determines that the event continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern" (PHEIC), the organization said in a statement.

PHEIC is the highest level of alert and applies to "an extraordinary, severe, sudden, unusual or unexpected event" with public health implications beyond the national border of an affected state and which may require immediate international action.

According to the WHO, experts from various countries advising the organization agreed that covid-19 remains a "public health event that continues to negatively and strongly affect the health of the world's population."

"There is still a risk that new variants will exacerbate the ongoing health impact, particularly as winter approaches in the northern hemisphere, and there is still a need for a coordinated international response to address inequities in access to life-saving tools," the Geneva-based organization said.

The WHO points out that while weekly deaths are near the lowest since the pandemic began, the number "remains high compared to other respiratory viruses."

In addition, in its recommendation, the committee considered doubts about the genetic and antigenic characteristics of future SARS-CoV-2 variants, which are largely exacerbated by "current gaps" in global surveillance that make it difficult to identify and assess these changes in a timely manner.

The continuing evolution of the virus that causes covid-19 may "pose challenges for current vaccines and therapies," the WHO warns, stressing that "inequities in access" to vaccination and treatment still remain between countries.

"Overall, the committee felt that the situation remains dynamic and requires frequent reassessments, and that termination of PHEIC, when deemed feasible, should be implemented as safely as possible," the statement said.

Following the decision to keep covid-19 as a PHEIC, the WHO director-general issued a series of temporary recommendations for countries, including strengthening surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, improving, where necessary, capacity to detect and assess emerging variants, and significant changes in the epidemiology of covid-19.

Other recommendations include achieving national vaccination goals, with full protection of risk groups, maintaining a strong national response to the pandemic, updating preparedness and response plans, and adapting individual protection measures to the changing epidemiological context.

The emergency committee for covid-19 held its first meeting on January 22-23, 2020, and days later the WHO director-general declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak an international public health emergency.

This committee, which meets when convened by the WHO Director-General, is charged with recommending whether an outbreak constitutes a public health emergency, proposing temporary measures to prevent and reduce the spread of a disease, and managing the global public health response if necessary.