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WHO declares coronavirus outbreak a global emergency
Why is it in news?
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the recent outbreak of novel coronavirus as Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
More in news
- Death toll rises: The death toll in China from the new coronavirus reached 213 on Friday, with overall cases worldwide rising rapidly in an outbreak that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency.
- Impact of the move: The WHO move will trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines to all countries, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence it can beat the “devil” virus.
- What is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)?
(1) The WHO declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when there is "an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease.
(3) All countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread of 2019-nCoVinfection, and to share full data with WHO.
(4) Recent PHEIC: PHEIC was declared in the year 2019 for the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, in 2016 for Zika virus, in 2009 for H1N1 swine flu, and in for 2014 polio and Ebola outbreaks.
Source
The Hindu