News & Events
News & Events
Sharing WHO statement on the eleventh meeting of the IHR (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the COVID-19 pandemic
2022-04-21
Sharing WHO statement on the eleventh meeting of the IHR (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the COVID-19 pandemic
The eleventh meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the COVID-19 pandemic took place on Apr 11 via videoconference. IPK CEO Dr. Youngmee Jee participated in the meeting as one of the 18 members of the Emergency Committee, who gathered to evaluate and configure modifications to global pandemic response strategies.
Agendas addressed at the eleventh meeting included ▲ SARS-CoV-2 variants ▲ use and equitable access to antivirals, ▲ vaccine protection and global shifts in the supply and demand for COVID-19 vaccines, ▲ hybrid immunity, ▲ potential future scenarios for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and challenges posed by concurrent health emergencies, and ▲ status of Member States’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the eleventh meeting, the Committee concurred that the COVID-19 pandemic remains a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and issued the following advice to States Parties as Temporary Recommendations under the IHR.
>> WHO’s Official Statement (Click here)
The Committee recognized that the unpredictable evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is compounded by its widespread circulation and intense transmission in humans and a range of animal species and it raised concerns that the inappropriate use of antivirals may lead to the emergence of drug-resistant variants. Acknowledging the national, regional, and global capacities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee concerned that relaxed PHSM and reduced testing of some States Parties impact the global ability to monitor evolution of the virus.
Concerning the inconsistency of global COVID-19 requirements for international travel and the negative impact that inappropriate measures may have on all forms of international travel, the Committee suggested that offering vaccination to high-risk groups of international travelers on arrival could be considered a means to mitigate the risk of severe disease or death due to COVID-19. In particular, the Committee was concerned about the reaction of States Parties in implementing blanket travel bans, which are not effective in suppressing international spread and may discourage transparent and rapid reporting of emerging VOC.
The importance of maintaining PHSM to protect vulnerable populations and the capacity to scale up PHSM according to the epidemiological situations was underlined. The Committee advised States Parties to regularly adjust their response strategies by monitoring their epidemiological situation, assessing their health system capacity, and considering the adherence to and attributable impact of individual and combined PHSM.
In addition, the Committee reinforced the continued need for international cooperation and coordination for surveillance and robust and timely reporting to global systems (such as the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System) to inform national, regional, and global response efforts.
Acknowledging that COVID-19 vaccination is a key tool to reduce morbidity and mortality, the Committee expressed appreciation for WHO and partners’ work to enhance global vaccine supply and distribution. Committee members highlighted the challenges posed by limited vaccination protection, particularly in low-income countries, as well as by waning population-level immunity. As outlined in the SAGE roadmap, vaccination should be prioritized for high-risk groups and services to enhance vaccine uptake States Parties are encouraged to address national and sub-national barriers for vaccine deployment and ensure COVID-19 response measures align with and strengthen immunization activities and primary health.
In addition, the Committee noted the continued importance of WHO’s provision of guidance, training, and tools to support States Parties’ recovery planning process from the COVID-19 pandemic and future respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness planning.
Temporary Recommendations to States Parties
1. NEW: Strengthen national response to the COVID-19 pandemic by updating national preparedness and response plans in line with the priorities and potential scenarios outlined in the 2022 WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP).
* WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-WHE-SPP-2022.1
2. MODIFIED: Achieve WHO’s recommendations of vaccination for at least 70% of all countries’ populations by the start of July 2022. States Parties are requested to support global equitable access to vaccines and to prioritize vaccination of high-risk populations through a primary series and booster schedule. States Parties should continually assess their vaccine coverage and epidemiological situation in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and modify their national responses accordingly.
3. MODIFIED: Continue to use evidence-informed and risk-based PHSM (e.g. wearing masks, staying home when sick, increased hand washing, and improving ventilation of indoor spaces), therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines for COVID-19, and to share response experiences with WHO. State Parties should be prepared to scale up PHSM rapidly in response to changes in the virus and the population immunity, if COVID-19 hospitalizations, intensive care admissions, and fatalities increase and compromise the health system’s capacity.
4. MODIFIED: Take a risk-based approach to mass gathering events by evaluating, mitigating, and communicating risks. Recognizing that there are different drivers and risk tolerance for mass gatherings, it is critical to consider the epidemiological context (including the prevalence of variants of concern and the intensity of transmission), surveillance, contact tracing and testing capacity, as well as adherence to PHSM when conducting this risk assessment and planning events, in line with WHO guidance.
5. MODIFIED: Adjust COVID-19 surveillance to focus on the burden and impact and prepare for sustainable integration with other surveillance systems. States Parties should collect and publicly share indicators to monitor the burden of COVID-19 (e.g. new hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units, and deaths). States Parties should integrate respiratory disease surveillance by leveraging and enhancing the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). States Parties should be encouraged to 1) maintain representative testing strategies; 2) focus on early warning and trend monitoring, such as use of wastewater surveillance; 3) monitor severity in vulnerable groups; and 4) enhance genomic surveillance to detect potential new variants and monitor the evolution of SARS-COV-2.
6. MODIFIED: Ensure availability of essential health, social, and education services. States Parties should enhance access to health, including through the restoration of health services at all levels and strengthening of social systems to cope with the impacts of the pandemic, especially on children and young adults. Within this context, States Parties should maintain educational services by keeping schools fully open with in-person learning. In addition, essential health services, including COVID-19 vaccination, should be provided to migrants and other vulnerable populations as a priority.
7. MODIFIED: Lift international traffic bans and continue to adjust travel measures, based on risk assessments. The failure of travel bans introduced after the detection and reporting of Omicron variant to limit international spread of Omicron demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such measures over time. The implementation of travel measures (such as vaccination, screening, including via testing, isolation/quarantine of travelers) should be based on risk assessments and should avoid placing the financial burden on international travelers, in accordance with Article 40 of the IHR.
8. EXTENDED: Do NOT require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel as the only pathway or condition permitting international travel. States Parties should consider a risk-based approach to the facilitation of international travel.
9. MODIFIED: Address risk communications and community engagement challenges, proactively counter misinformation and disinformation, and include communities in decision making. To re-build trust and address pandemic fatigue, States Parties should explain clearly and transparently changes to their response strategy.
10. MODIFIED: Support timely uptake of WHO recommended therapeutics. Local production and technology transfer should be encouraged and supported as increased production capacity can contribute to global equitable access to therapeutics. States Parties should provide access to COVID-19 treatments for vulnerable populations, particularly immunosuppressed people as this can also reduce the likelihood of new variants’ emergence.
11. MODIFIED: Conduct epidemiological investigations of SARS-CoV-2 transmission at the human-animal interface and targeted surveillance on potential animal hosts and reservoirs. Investigations at the human-animal interface should use a One Health approach and involve all relevant stakeholders, including national veterinary services, wildlife authorities, public health services, and the environment sector. To facilitate international transparency, and in line with international reporting obligations, findings from joint investigations should be reported publicly.