Screen capture of the WHO’s statement (Source: www.who.int)
 

The WHO statement of the IHR Emergency Committee regarding COVID-19 pandemic>>
https://www.who.int/groups/covid-19-ihr-emergency-committee

The COVID-19 IHR Emergency Committee, organized following the IHR, consists of 30 leaders and experts representing six WHO regions* worldwide. Appointed to a member of the Committee in Jan. 2020 as a sole Korean expert, Dr. Jee has been exchanging her expertise to reinforce the global governance to respond to the pandemic. 

* African Region (AFR), Region of the Americas (AMR), South-East Asian Region (SEAR), European Region (EUR), Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), Western Pacific Region (WPR)

“The COVID-19 IHR Emergency Committee plays a significant role in creating and enhancing coordinated global efforts to overcome the pandemic. Through regular discussions, it provides the WHO Secretariats and the member countries with recommendations that help to identify and address the key challenges,” said Dr. Jee.

Noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere near finished and coordinated international response is highly required, the Emergency Committee discussed key themes including inequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, application of public health and social measures (PHSM), and threats posed by current and future SARS CoV-2 variants of concern. The Emergency Committee emphasized that regional and economic differences affect access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, which leads to diverse needs and strategies identified by countries, but the policy decisions addressing narrow national needs inhibit a harmonized approach to the global response. In this regard, the Committee called for more flexible and predictable funding to support WHO’s leadership role in the global pandemic response. 

The Committee emphasized the importance of using evidence-informed PHSM continuously and recognized the strong likelihood for the emergence and global spread of new and possibly more dangerous variants of concern in addition to the four variants of concern dominating global epidemiology.
 

Here is the summary of the WHO's statement of the 8th Emergency Committee Meeting. 
 

1) Key discussion themes
 

 

1. Continue to work with States Parties to implement PHSM to control transmission.

2. Continue to advocate for equitable vaccine access and distribution. 

3. Expedite the work to establish updated means for documenting COVID-19 status of travelers, including vaccination, history of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and SARS-CoV-2 test results. 

4. Continue to strengthen the global monitoring and assessment framework for SARS CoV-2 variants.

5. Strengthen communication strategies at national, regional and global levels.  

6. States Parties on their uptake and progress made in implementing the Temporary Recommendations.

3) Temporary Recommendations to States Parties 
 

1. Continue to use evidence-informed PHSM based on real time monitoring of the epidemiologic situation and health system capacities. The use of masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and improved ventilation of indoor spaces remains key to reducing transmission of SARS CoV-2. The use of established public health measures in response to individual cases or clusters of cases, including contact tracing, quarantine and isolation, must continue to be adapted to the epidemiological and social context and enforced.  

2. Implement a risk-management approach for mass gathering events by evaluating, mitigating, and communicating risks. 

3. Achieve the WHO call to action to have at least 10% of all countries’ populations vaccinated by September 2021. Noting that many countries have now vaccinated their priority populations, it is recommended that doses should be shared with countries that have limited access before expanding national vaccination programmes into lower risk groups. 

4. Enhance surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and continue to report to WHO to enable rapid identification, tracking, and evaluation of variants and continued monitoring of the pandemic’s evolution.  

5. Improve access to and safe administration of WHO recommended therapeutics, including oxygen, to treat COVID-19. In addition, it is important for States Parties to conduct clinical research on and support access to care for patients suffering from post COVID-19 condition (also known as long COVID). States Parties should also continue research on therapeutics for the prevention of COVID-19 infections where feasible.  

6. Continue a risk-based approach to facilitate international travel and share information with WHO on use of travel measures and their public health rationale.  

7. Do NOT require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel as the only pathway or condition permitting international travel, given limited global access and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. 

8. Recognize all COVID-19 vaccines that have received WHO Emergency Use Listing in the context of international travel. 

9. Address community engagement and communications gaps at national and local levels to reduce COVID-19 transmission, counter misinformation, and improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, where applicable.