Zika virus is no longer a “global public health emergency,” according to WHO

The World Health Organization announced Friday that Zika virus, linked to serious brain abnormalities in infants , was no longer a “public health emergency of global reach.” ” Zika virus remains a highly important problem in the long term, […] but this is no longer a public health emergency of global reach,” said Dr. David Heymann, chairman of the Emergency Committee of WHO on Zika at a virtual press conference.

“As research has shown the connection between Zika and microcephaly (small brain case leading to a delay of intellectual development, ed), the Emergency Committee considered that a solid technical mechanism in the long term was now required to organize a global response, “WHO said in a statement.

The caution is
“Accordingly, the Emergency Committee estimates that Zika virus and its consequences remain a persistent challenge to public health and significant, requiring intense action, but no longer a public health emergency as defined by the Health Regulations international, “added the document.
“We do not minimize the importance of this virus,” however keen to point out Dr. Peter Salama, Executive Director of the WHO Emergency Health Programme, at the press conference.