WHY TANZANIA PRESIDENT JOHN MAGUFULI MAY BE RIGHT IN HIS UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO COVID-19 AFTER ALL

-EDITORIAL-

“There comes a Time when One Must take a Position that is neither Safe nor Politic nor Popular but he Must take it because his Conscience tells him it is Right”-Martin Luther King Junior.

Dr. John Pombe Magufuli; the President of Tanzania seems to have exactly taken this Position in his Response to a Virus that has literally brought the entire World to its Knees; Corona Virus Pandemic. President Magufuli who holds a PHD in Chemistry has taken this Position from a Point of Scientific Finding, Rationale and Religious Intervention.

His deepest Conviction to the Position he has taken came early on May when  Samples collected from a Goat, a Pawpaw Fruit and a Bird then sent to a COVID19 Laboratory in Tanzania disguised as Samples from Human Beings Tested Positive for the Corona Virus. Other Samples from a Sheep and another from Engine Oil turned Negative, one from a Jackfruit turned Inconclusive with another one from a Rabbit turning out Indeterminate. This damning Flaw led to the Suspension of the Country’s Head of Laboratory. Further testing of COVID-19  was also suspended and the Country has not given a Status Update since April 29^th when the Country had reported 509 Cases and 21 Deaths.

The President also declared 3 Days of National Prayer on April 17^th .After these 2 Events; President Magufuli declared the defeat of Corona Virus. He called on the People of Tanzania to continue with their Lives as they did before the Outbreak albeit with subtle Vigilance. The President has categorically disregarded and refrained from making some key Responses being made against the Virus across the World like imposing Lockdowns, Border Closures, Curfews, Banning Social Gatherings, encouraging Social distancing and the wearing of Face Masks.

He is actually on record making mockery of the use of Lockdowns and Face Masks .On April he went on record cautioning Tanzanians and the Country’s Ministry of Health against the use of Face masks from Foreign Donors whose Intention behind such Donation they don’t know. He said some of those Face Masks have been found to be laced with the Virus itself. On May he said those Country’s that have imposed Lockdowns will have a Serious Food Shortage Next Year since their People have stopped being Productive. He said such a Time will be an Opportune Moment for Tanzania to help them with Food. In his most recent Address on July 20^th Magufuli reiterated that “Tanzania is safe and that is why none of us here is wearing a Face Mask;Corona Virus has been eliminated”. President Magufuli says Corona Virus is a War like many other Wars across the World.

The Mystery of Corona Virus

As it is; Corona Virus is not just a Pandemic or a global Health Crisis; It is equally a global Mystery and Misery. That up to this moment in time Scientists have not been able to unravel the Origin or Source of the Virus and how it got to Humanity, Its Cure/Treatment is a Reason enough for Anyone to have an Opinion, Inference or take a Position like the one taken by President Magufuli.

That we are in a Time of War and this Virus is a Bioweapon made in a Laboratory as we have all heard in the bitter ongoing Accusations over the Virus Origin and its Laboratory Conspiracies between China where it said to have originated and the USA-now the Worst-hit Country is a Possibility that cannot be ruled out. The Chinese Government is under fire especially from the USA for allegedly covering up the Virus Outbreak and unleashing it to the World.

The sequence of Response right at Get-go to now the Advisory on how it’s contracted and spread, Testing, Precautionary Measures, Mitigation, Medication/Therapeutics and Management of this Disease by the World Health Organization and other Health Regulatory Bodies has been severely Criticized, Questioned and put to to test and Interrogation. An Independent, Impartial and Comprehensive Inquiry on W.H.O.’s International Response to this Pandemic established on May is Underway. The US has officially began the Process of Withdrawing itself from the WHO over how it managed this Outbreak from its Start sometimes at the end of 2019. The Withdrawal of the US from W.H.O is likely to see dire Paralysis if not Collapse of this Global Health Institution; the US is by far its biggest Funder. The US President has repeatedly said the WHO was biased and it thus bungled its Response letting what they had the Power to Contain run out of Control to become what it is Today.

Most recently the Number of Confirmed Cases and Deaths globally has also been questioned. Pundits have said the actual Numbers could be 10 Times high while some Critics have argued that No single Death can be directly attributed to the Virus. Nothing really seems to be Certain about this Pandemic and as such Anything could be Certain about it.

The Fanciful Optimism on the Vaccine’s Way

On April 23th the WHO Director General said that “Our Global Connectedness means the Risk of Re-introduction and Resurgence of COVID-19 will Continue. Ultimately, the development and delivery of a safe and effective Vaccine will be Needed to fully Interrupt Transmission”. As to whether the World will get a Vaccine for this Virus the Answer is Yes. With at least 165 Vaccine Candidates across the World, 27 of them already in various Stages of Clinical Trials; Ultimately the World shall for sure have a Vaccine or even Vaccines for this Virus. Big and Fundamental Questions on possible COVID_19 Vaccine (s) however remain Undetermined. Will a Vaccine really be the Panacea to completely bring this Pandemic to an End? There is no known Vaccine with 100 Efficacy and Effectiveness; Corona Virus Vaccine is highly unlikely to make History as One with such Efficacy. Will we really get a Vaccine that can generate Lifelong Immune Response/Sterilizing Immunity to COVID-19 or will this end up being a Case of Regular Vaccination and Re-Vaccination against the Virus? How safe will such a Vaccine be? the Speed at which the Vaccines are being developed casts huge doubts over their Effectiveness and Safety.

The Mumps Vaccine for instance was developed within a period of 4 Years and it’s the fastest developed and approved Vaccine. That Scientists are determined to develop a Vaccine for nearly 8 Billion People and have it Approved in about 12 Months is a Matter of some great Concern. Throughout History, Development and Approval of Vaccines are known to take up to 15 Years. Again who will be Vaccinated first? the Logistics of Producing, Distributing and Vaccinating 7.8 Billion People are Mind-boggling. What Guarantee is there that this Virus will not have Mutated by the time we have an Approved Vaccine for it ready for distribution?

Another Hurdle in the way of a COVID-19 Vaccine is the heated Politics, Half-Truths, Propaganda and Conspiracy around those who are developing and Funding the development of a Vaccine and this has already started. The ongoing Clinical Trials have faced and are facing Strong Resistance in some Quarters over alleged Conspiracies. A Vaccine for the entire World shall surely be met by intense Interrogation, Debate, Propaganda, Concerns, Conspiracy Theories and Politicization.

On August 3,the W.H.O Director General Dr.Tedros said that a Number of Vaccines are now in phase Three Clinical Trials and that we all hope to have a number of Effective Vaccines that can help prevent People from Infection. He however admitted that there is No Silver Bullet and there might Never be.

So will a Corona Virus Vaccine (s) Eliminate Corona Virus?; the Answer is arguably NO. What such a Vaccine (s) will do is to Stop further Escalation of Corona Virus Pandemic; It’s Prevalence, Morbidity, Mortality and Fatality; If this luckily becomes the Case; It can and shall only happen over Time not Immediately as the General Public has been made to believe.

January 27,2021:Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli continued Controversial Approach to Corona Virus Pandemic; this Time on COVID-19 Vaccines already being administered in at least 50 Countries. So far, a total of 10 COVID-19 Vaccines have been Approved for Use by different Regulatory Bodies in different Countries.“Vaccines are dangerous.The Health Ministry should know that not every Vaccine is meaningful to our Nation.Tanzanians must be mindful so that we are not used for Trials of some doubtful Vaccines which can have serious Repercussions on our Health.If the White Man was able to come up with Vaccines;he would have found a Vaccine for AIDS,Tuberculosis,Malaria and Cancer by now.Let us not think that they love us so much;this Country is Rich,Africa is Rich and Everyone is Jealous of our Vast Wealth.We must be very Careful.We have lived for over One Year without the Virus because God is able and Satan will always fail”.

This Warning by President Magufuli came barely 2 Weeks after an Announcement by the African Union Chairperson-President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa who said that a COVID-19 Vaccines Pre-order Programme for all African Union Member States was already Underway.President Ramaphosa said that the African Union has secured a Provisional 270 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses for Africa through its ‘COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT)’ alongside the ‘Africa Medical Supplies Platform-AMSP and the Africa CDC.

Back to Magufuli’s Approach

Why is President Magufuli’s Unconventional hence Controversial Approach to COVID-19 Pandemic likely to Vindicate him Eventually?

Words alone cannot express the Toll and Damage COVID-19 Pandemic has Occasioned on the World’s Economic, Social and Cultural Life. This Pandemic has literally brought the World to its Knees, Subjugating One of the most advanced Human Civilization the World has ever seen.

From afar; President Magufuli’s Approach to COVID-19 seems Ignorant but it’s actually Not. The President and the Country’s Ministry of Health do Acknowledge the Reality of Corona Virus and the Dangers it Poses to the Country and its People. The President is on Record telling his People to continue observing Anti-COVID19 Precautions while his Government continues working to bring the Outbreak under Control. On April and May President Magufuli told the Country that the Plague of COVID-19  is going down though it’s not completely under Control. He talked of decreased Hospitalization and Recoveries. He urged Tanzanians to continue Praying and Observing all the Precautions and Advise from Medical Authorities.

President Magufuli maintains that a Sovereign Country like Tanzania cannot allow itself to be Ruled or Controlled by Corona Virus. He said the Country has had to deal with other Viruses in the Past, they did Overcome them and Corona Virus is no different and Life must go on. He noted that Fear and Anxiety around COVID19 is worse than the Virus itself. He urged Tanzanians not to instill Fear into each other.

BASICALLY: by not declaring a State of Emergency, putting Tanzania and Tanzanians into Lockdown, Closures, Curfews, Cessations of Movement and Businesses, Stringent Restrictions on Socio-Economic and Cultural Life; President Magufuli simply wanted the People of Tanzania to calmly at their own pace; acknowledge the Reality of Corona Virus as any other Disease Outbreak in the past that would probably strike and linger on for a forseeable Future.

His Unconventional yet Composed Approach has helped Tanzania avoid the Devastating Toll and Effects the Virus has had on the Economic, Social and Cultural Life of other Nations who took a Disruptive Dire Emergency kind of Approach to the Outbreak.

Some Social Issues Pundits across the World have argued that the World Overreacted to COVID-19 Outbreak blowing it out of Proportion to the Point of making it a Global Pandemic. Observing all the current Precautions plus those expected to come should the W.H.O declare COVID-19 as an Airborne Disease as per the recent Recommendation from some 239 Global Scientists; It would Literally would mean stopping Life and Living as we know it and that is Unthinkable.

With the Current Projections, Hypothesis and Revelations; That the Virus was already circulating across the World way before the first Case was officially Reported. That the actual Number of Cases in each Country are over 10 Times higher than those Reported or Confirmed. That Millions especially the Young and Healthy Population have probably caught the Virus and beat it without Diagnosis and any form of Treatment. That over Half of Global reported Cases have fully Recovered. That over 80% of reported Deaths are People who had Pre-existing Health Problems or Comorbidity. These among many other Revelations and Emerging Evidence clearly indicate that Corona Virus is a Disease that we should have Calmly learnt to Live with; a Disease that we might eventually learn to live with while protecting our most Vulnerable Demographics or those who are at a Risk of getting a Severe form of this Disease. This without Unnecessarily disrupting Life and Living like we have done; This as we wait and hope for an effective Vaccine and Therapeutics to Combat and  Possibly Eliminate it.

AS TO WHETHER; President Magufuli’s Unconventional Approach to COVID-19 will Successfully Stand the Test of Time with its Costs; It’s a Matter of Wait and See.

AS TO WHETHER; the Disruptive, Stringent Dire Emergency Approach to COVID-19 taken by very many Countries across the World will Prove to have been Prudent with its Costs; It’s also a Matter of Wait and See!.

PRESIDENT JOHN POMBE MAGUFULI’s SUDDEN DEATH

March 17,2021-JOHN POMBE MAGUFULI:Tanzania’s President from November 2015 DIES from what his Vice President and Soon-to-be President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan terms as Heart Disease Complications.President John Pombe Magufuli who was last seen in Public on February 27,2021 Died at the Age of 61 in Mzena Hospital in Dar es Salaam according to VP Samia Suluhu who then Declared 21 Days of National Mourning.
March 19,2021-61-Years old Zanzibari H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan Sworn in as the 6th President of the United Republic of Tanzania after the Sudden Death of her Boss;the 5th President of Tanzania John Pombe Magufuli.H.E Samia Suluhu has been serving under President Magufuli as Vice President since November 2015.Samia Suluhu Now becomes the First Woman President in Tanzania and the East African Community. March 26,2021-President Magufuli buried in a State Funeral attended by 10 African Heads of State among Hundreds of other Dignitaries from across Africa and the World at his Home in Chato.

April 6,2021-President Samia Suluhu ordered the formation of a COVID-19 Scientific Experts Taskforce to come up with a New Order on COVID-19 Pandemic in Tanzania.The Taskforce Report brought a New Order in Corona Virus Pandemic in Tanzania;a Sharp Reversal and Opposite of President Magufuli’s Regime Order on the same.Tanzania Rejoins the World in adhering to COVID-19 Pandemic Global Order. JULY 28-2021-Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan receives a Dose of US-made Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine to Officially Launch COVID-19 Vaccination in Tanzania;a Move in Sharp Contrast to the Stance of her former Boss the late President John Pombe Magufuli who had repeatedly declared the Defeat and End of COVID-19 Pandemic in Tanzania with a Vehement Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination Crusade.On July 24,2021;Tanzania received a Donation of 1,058,400 Doses of Single Shot Janssen-Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine from the United States of America barely a Month after joining the Global COVID-19 Vaccines Sharing,Donation and Acquisition Program-COVAX.On June 28,2021;President Samia Suluhu said her Administration has set aside $477 Million or TZS 1.1 Trillion to Import Vaccines among other Pandemic related Interventions.The Country’s Health Minister Dr.Dorothy Gwajima who was advocating Unscientific and Natural Methods/Remedies like Steam Inhalation and local Herbs/Concoctions in combating Corona Virus Pandemic under President Magufuli ‘s Administration has also made an About-turn and is now advocating for COVID-19 Vaccines saying they are Safe,Certified and Effective.She also got a Jab of the J&J Vaccine.

(PHOTOS COURTESY)

CORONA VIRUS Pandemic:World’s Worst Global Health Emergency And Crisis With Untold Devastation.

WITH over Half of the World’s Population now in some form of  #StayAtHome Confinement and Lockdown,With virtually Every Human Being now being Ordered to put on a Face Mask when stepping out of their House. With the Global Airspace virtually Closed and all Local and International Travel halted; a Situation that Economists have said will cost Global Airlines a Loss of over $ 312 Billion.With all Key National and Global Social,Cultural,Economic,Sporting,Educational/Curriculum Events,Causes and Courses halted and some Postponed indefinitely.With Global Oil Prices plummeting to an all-time Low forcing OPEC to drastically cut Production.With the International Monetary Fund-IMF Warning of an impending Global Recession worse than that caused by the 2008 Financial Crisis. With the Global GDP in 2020 set to shrink by 3%; the Worst Decline since the Great Depression of 1930 according to IMF. A View that has been reiterated by United Nations-UN Chief Antonio Guterres who has said that a Global Recession of Record Dimension is a near Certainty. With Sub-saharan Africa headed for a Recession last experienced 25-Years ago according to the World Bank. With Millions already rendered Jobless by the Economic Upheavals caused by this Pandemic. With the UN Labour Force Agency-ILO estimating that this Pandemic might see over 195 Million Fulltime Formal Economy Workers lose their Jobs with a Whopping 1.6 Billion Workers in the Informal Economy or nearly half of the Global Workforce staring at the Loss of their Livelihoods. USA; the World’s largest Economy has already seen over 40 Million People file for Unemployment in just 6 Weeks between March to May 2020;this is the largest and most dramatic unemployment Claims since 1967 when America’s Labour Department started recording unemployment Claims Data. With OXFAM International Warning that this Pandemic might push Half a Billion People to Poverty if Mitigation Measures are not put in Place. #CoronaVirusPandemic is the Worst Global Health Emergency and Crisis as Confirmed by the World Health Organization.In his Words,the World Health Organization Director General Dr.Tedros Adhanom said “The COVID-19 Pandemic is the Worst Global Crisis since the 1940s and the Worst Health Emergency since the 1918 Flu Pandemic a Century ago”.

 The United States of America as the biggest Funder of the ‘World Health Organization’-W.H.O has already Announced a Decision to stop funding the Operations of W.H.O. President Donald Trump has said that the W.H.O ‘Failed in its basic Duty’ ‘called it wrong’ ‘they missed the call’ and gave ‘faulty Recommendation’ especially its Advice on ‘Travel Restrictions’ and as a Result ‘blew it up’. The President said the action of halting US’ Funding to W.H.O will be followed by a Probe on ‘W.H.O’s Role in severely Mismanaging and Covering up the Spread of Corona Virus’. President Trump Allies have accused W.H.O of relying on ‘Faulty Information about COVID-19 from the Chinese Government in the early Days of the Outbreak at its original Epicenter in #Wuhan China thereby misleading the Global Community in terms of averting and mitigating the Effects and Intensity of this Outbreak’. The US is currently the Worst-hit Country in terms of Death Toll and Confirmed Cases of #COVID_19 with over 100 Million People Infected and over 1.1 Million People Dead. China the original Epicenter of this Virus has been Criticized for allegedly hiding the Truth in terms Total People infected with this Virus and the Total Number of People Killed by this Virus. According to the Country’s Official Data; the Total number of Infections remain at 4.9 Million Cases and 101,056 Deaths. When asked by Reporters on April 16,2020 why the US has the highest Number of Infections and Deaths in the World; the US President Donald Trump responded saying, “Do you really believe those Numbers in this vast Country called China?, does Anybody really believe that?, some Countries are in big big Trouble and they’re not reporting the Facts and that’s up to them”- he said. On April 17^th President Trump Tweeted “China has just announced a doubling in the number of their deaths from the Invisible Enemy. It is far higher than that and far higher than the U.S., not even close!”. Critics led by Exiled Chinese Business Tycoon Guo Wengui have claimed without Evidence that China at its Peak of CoronVirus towards the end of February 2020 had already recorded 50,000 Deaths and 1.5 Million Cases.

Well; It is only Prudent Now in Retrospect to Critically look at how this evolved from a ‘Mysterious Pneumonia’ in Wuhan-China to a Deadly and Devastating Global Pandemic that it is Today. The Origin of this Deadly Virus remains Unknown. Up to this point in Time it remains a Matter of heated Debate, Theories, Mysteries and Controversies. Some Scientists say it came from Bats sold in Wuhan Animal Market to Pangolins then to Human Beings. Critics claim that this Virus originated from ‘Wuhan Institute of Virology’ where it was either Accidentally or Deliberately leaked and unleashed on Human Beings. The Governments of China and USA are on record accusing each other of Plotting this Outbreak. On March 12,2020 Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian Tweeted “2/2 CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!”. This was followed by US President Donald Trump who on March 17,2020 Tweeted “The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!”. This was later followed several Tweets where President Trump continued calling this Virus “Chinese Virus”; when asked by Reporters why he calls it Chinese Virus, President Trump said “it comes from China, I want to be accurate”. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also on record calling Corona Virus “Wuhan Virus”.In a Press Conference on April 30,2020;US President claimed without giving details that he had ‘seen Evidence linkig CoronaVirus to a Laboratory in Wuhan-China.When Reporters asked him if he had seen anything giving him a high degree of Confidence that the ‘Wuhan Institute of Virology’ was the origin of the Outbreak he replied “Yes I have”.

We now take an Objective Look at Key Dates, Happenings, Hints and Leads that show Instances where the “World Health Organization-W.H. O” and the Chinese Government dropped the Ball in Opportune Moments when this Virus could have been easily Contained at its Original Epicenter in Wuhan-China. Key Dates and Events that have Characterised this Pandemic. One of the Main Mandate of #WHO as the Chief Director and Coordinator of International Health is to Protect the World from Health Emergencies and Risks through Surveillance, Preparedness and Response.

• According to Government Data seen by “South China Morning Post” the very First Case of a Human Being with what is Today known as #CoronaVirus can be traced back to November 17,2019 in a 55-Years old Chinese Man from Hubei-China. By December 20,2019 the Total Number of Cases had reached 60. On December 27,2019 Zhang Jixian; a Doctor from ‘Hubei Province Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine’ told Chinese Health Authorities that the Disease was caused by a New CoronaVirus.
• According to ‘Lancet’- a Medical Journal Report by Chinese Doctors from Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan; the first Confirmed #COVID19 Case was Recorded on December 1,2019.
• December 30,2019- a 33-Years old Chinese Doctor, Li Wenliang who was working at a Hospital in Wuhan sent a Message to his Colleagues Advising them to wear Protective Clothing while at Work to avoid being infected by a Virus that he said looked like SARS. 4 Days later Dr. Wenliang was accosted by Police, detained and forced to sign a Statement accusing him of making ‘False Comments that severely disturbed the Social Order’; He was forced to Denounce his Warning as an Unfounded Rumour. 8 other People were already in Custody being questioned for allegedly spreading Rumours about the strange Virus in Wuhan. Later on January 30,2020 Dr. Wenliang was diagnosed with Corona Virus after having serious Cough and Fever. 7 Days later the Virus Killed him on February 7,2020. An inflamed Debate and Anger flooded Weibo; Chinese main Social Media criticizing Chinese Government for silencing and punishing an innocent Whistleblower whose Warning if it had been taken seriously would have sparked Action to Contain the Virus and save Thousands of Lives.
• December 31,2019- after noting Cases of Strange “atypical Pneumonia” in Wuhan-China (according to Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center Spokesperson Chuang Jen, ‘atypical Pneumonia’ is what is commonly known as SARS in China); Taiwan’s CDC sent an Inquiry Email to their Chinese Counterparts and W.H. O’s International Health Regulations and Monitoring Framework seeking Information about the Illness in Wuhan and its Possibility of Human-to-Human Transmission as is common with SARS. Chinese CDC did not respond to Taiwan. On the other hand, WHO later acknowledged Receipt of the Taiwan Inquiry; in a Simplistic way WHO replied to Taiwan saying it would relay their Inquiry to its Experts. W.H.O did not make Taiwan’s Inquiry Public; It also did not pass on an Alert or Warning to other Countries as it is required. Under Pressure from China, WHO has To-date refused to admit Taiwan as one of its Member States. China still considers the Self-governing Island of Taiwan as part of its Territory.

When Taiwan Health Experts asked Chinese Authorities to allow them to make an Independent Health Inquest on those who had Contracted the “Pneumonia” in Wuhan and at the Market where this Illness is suspected to have Originated; their request was rejected. Taiwan Government sensed Danger and immediately activated Emergency Response within its Territory by Screening Everyone coming in to Taiwan from Wuhan and Mainland China. This is how #Taiwan has managed to avoid ravaging Corona Virus escalation in its Territory despite being just off mainland China.

• January 14,2020-The ‘World Health Organization’ Tweeted; “Preliminary Investigations conducted by the Chinese Authorities have found No Clear Evidence of Human-to-Human Transmission of the Novel #CoronaVirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China”. This Tweet has from that Date to now sparked intense Debate on Why W.H.O published this Information when there was already Preliminary Findings that the new CoronaVirus had the same Characteristics with SARS which has high Human-to-Human Transmission.
• January 20,2020-China via its Health Ministry Confirmed Human-to-Human Transmission of #CoronaVirus in its Guangdong Province. The Total Number of those Confirmed with this Disease had by then reached 258 according China’s State Broadcaster CCTV. The Death Toll in Wuhan had by then risen to 6 according to the City’s Mayor. South Korea, Japan and Thailand had each Confirmed a Case of this Infection in their Countries with all the 3 having arrived to these Countries from Wuhan. These were the very first Cases of this Infection out of China.
• January 31,2020-W.H.O declared Corona Virus  a Global Emergency. “The main Reason for this Declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other Countries”-W.H.O Director General Dr. Adhanom Tedros. This Virus had by this Date spread to 18 other Countries with almost all the Cases being with People arriving from Wuhan-China. Dr. Tedros praised the ‘Extraordinary Measures’ taken by Chinese Authorities in Combating this Virus but said there was no Reason to limit Trade or Travel to China. “Let me be Clear; this Declaration is not a Vote of No Confidence in China”- he said in a Statement. By this Date the Virus had spread to all Provinces in China with 7711 Cases and 170 Deaths.
• February 4,2020- “We reiterate our Call to all Countries Not to impose Restrictions that Unnecessarily Interfere with International Travel and Trade. Such Restrictions can have the Effect of increasing Fear and Stigma with little Public Health Benefit”- W.H.O Director General Dr. Tedros said in a briefing to the United Nations Executive Board in Geneva. The Virus had by then reached 23 Countries with only One Death outside China. The Infections in China had by this Date risen to 17,238 with 361 Deaths.
• February 9,2020- Corona Virus Death Toll in China surpassed that of the 2002-2003 SARS Epidemic. By this Date China had 37,000 Infections and 811 Deaths.
• February 11,2020- W.H.O gave Corona Virus an Official Name. “We now have a Name for the Disease; SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19”- W.H.O DG Dr. Tedros told Reporters at Geneva. By this Date the Deaths in China had surpassed 900 with Infections rising over 40,000.
• March 11,2020- the World Health Organization-W.H.O declared COVID-19 a Global Pandemic. “In the past two Weeks, the Number of Cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold and the Number of affected Countries has Tripled. We have therefore made an Assessment that COVID-19 can be Characterized as a Pandemic”-Dr. Tedros said in an International Press Briefing. By this Date there were more than 118,000 Confirmed Cases in 114 Countries across the World with 4291 People Dead. “This is not just a Public Health Crisis, it’s a Crisis that will touch every Sector; So every Sector and every Individual must be involved in the Fight”- Dr. Tedros added.
• “We know that in some Countries COVID-19 Cases are doubling every 3 to 4 Days. However, while COVID-19 accelerates very Fast, it Decelerates much more Slowly in other Words, the way Down is much Slower than the way Up”-Dr. Tedros said in a Statement on April 13th. (It for example took 3 Months for the first 1 Million People to get infected i.e between January-April 2^nd ;It just took 15 Days for another 1.2 Million People to get Infected that was by April 17^th. It took 3 Months and 10 Days for the first 100,000 People to die from this Virus i.e between January-April 10th; It just took 15 Days for the Death Toll to Double to 200,000 by April 25th.By April 1st over 80,000 New Cases have been Reported Daily)
• April 13,2020- “Our Global Connectedness means the Risk of Re-introduction and Resurgence of #COVID19 will Continue. Ultimately, the development and delivery of a safe and effective Vaccine will be Needed to fully Interrupt Transmission”-Dr.Tedros. According to W.H.O’s April 13,2020 Statement there are already 127 Institutions working with W.H.O in the development of COVID-19 Vaccine.
• April 22,2020-“Make no Mistake:We have a long way to go.This Virus will be with us for a long Time.Most countries are still in the early stages of their Epidemics and some that were affected early in the Pandemic are now starting to see a Resurgence in Cases.People understandably want to get on with their Lives because their Lives and Livelihoods are at stake.That’s what WHO too wants and that’s what we are working for all Day Every day But the World will Not and Cannot go back to the way things were.There Must be a “New Normal”-Dr.Tedros
• April 27,2020-“This Pandemic is far from Over.W.H.O continues to be concerned about the increasing Trends in Africa,Eastern Europe,Latin America and some Asian Countries.As in all Regions,Cases and Deaths are Underreported in Countries within these Regions because of low testing Capacity”-Dr.Tedros
• May 6,2020-“The Risk of returning to Lockdown remains very Real if Countries do not Manage the Transition extremely Carefully”-Dr.Tedros Warning as Countries across the World begin easing #CoronaVirus Restrictions and Confinement Measures especially in Western Europe where the Rate of new Infections and Deaths seem to have Peaked. “As we work on responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic,We must also work harder to prepare for the next one.Now is an Opportunity to lay the Foundation for Resilient Health Systems around the World.That includes Systems to Prepare and Respond to emerging Pathogens.If we Learn anything from COVID_19, it must be that Investing in Health now will Save Lives later. History will Judge all of us not only on whether we got through this Pandemic but also on the Lessons we learned and the Actions we took once it was over”-Dr.Tedros
• May 13,2020-“This Virus may become just another Endemic Virus in our Communities.This Virus may Never go away.HIV has not gone away but we have come to Terms with the Virus.I think it is important that we are realistic;I don’t think Anyone can predict when or if this Disease will disappear.We do have One great Hope;If we do find a highly effective Vaccine that we can distribute to Everyone who needs it in the World we may have a Shot at eliminating this Virus”-WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr.Mike Ryan. In what now seems like a Campaign by W.H.O to mentally prepare the World and Humanity to learn to live with this Disease in what they recently called a “New Normal”;Dr.Ryan noted that even for Diseases that have effective Vaccines like Measles,they still exist amongst Humanity Today. There are more than 1000 Potential Vaccines being developed right now but Experts have underscored the Difficulty of finding One that is effective against CoronaViruses.
• July 7,2020-The World Health Organization acknowledged ’emerging Evidence’ on the Possibility of Airborne Transmission of Corona Virus.”The Possibility of Airborne Transmission in Public Settings especially in very specific Conditions;Crowded,Closed,Poorly Ventilated settings that have been described Cannot be ruled out”-WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead Maria Kerkhove said in a Press Briefing.This was Contrary to her earlier Assertion on March 22,2020 where she categorically Tweeted that “COVID-19 is Not Airborne”. July 7,2020 Acknowledgement was in Response to a “Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal” Open Letter to the WHO by 239 Scientists from 32 Countries outlining Evidence that floating Virus Particles can infect People who breath them in.The Scientists wanted the WHO to acknowledge the Evidence of Potential Transmission of COVID_19 through the Air and Update their Response in the Fight against Corona Virus Pandemic.”It is not a Secret but Agencies seem to be afraid to talk about the Airborne Nature of the Virus.They do not want to talk about Airborne Transmission because it is going to make People afraid.The best Vaccine against Fear is Knowledge and Empowering People to take Care of Themselves”-Professor Donald Milton (a leading Scientist in the Joint Letter to the WHO). The WHO Director General Dr.Tedros in Press Briefing said “the Outbreak is accelerating and We’ve clearly not reached the Peak of the Pandemic.It took 12 Weeks for the World to reach 400,000 Cases;Over the Weekend,there were more than 400,000 Cases across the Globe”.
• August 3,2020-“A Number of Vaccines are now in Phase Three Clinical Trials and we all Hope to have a number of Effective Vaccines that can help Prevent People from Infection. However,there is No Silver Bullet at the moment and there might Never be.For now stopping COVID-19 Outbreaks comes down to the basics of Public Health and Disease Control.Testing,Isolating,Treating Patients,Tracing and Quarantining their Contacts.Inform,Empower and Listen to Communities.Do it all”-Dr.Tedros.
• October 5,2020-Globally;One in 10 People may have already been infected by COVID-19 which translates to 10 Percent of the World Population or over 750 Million People acccording WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr.Mike Ryan.”Our current best Estimates tell us about 10% of the Global Population may have been infected by this Virus.The Problem is there is more than Six Billion People left.Therein lies our problem.What it does mean is that the Vast Majority of the World remains at Risk as the Disease continues to spread”-Dr. Ryan.
• October 12,2020-W.H.O decries the Prospect of getting out of the COVID-19 Crisis through ‘Antibody-based Herd Immunity’ without a Vaccine saying it is Scientifically and Ethically Problematic.”Herd Immunity is achieved by protecting People from a Virus not by exposing them.Never in the History of Public Health has Herd Immunity been used as a Strategy for responding to an Outbreak let alone a Pandemic.Allowing a dangerous Virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply Unethical.It is not an Option.Only about 10% of the global Population has been infected so far with COVID-19 meaning that 90% remain uninfected and vulnerable to both the Short-term Risks as well as a range of emerging Long-term Impacts which are still only emerging”-Dr.Tedros.On the Issue of the Strength and Duration of any acquired Immunity post COVID-19 Recovery;W.H.O Health Emergencies Technical Lead Dr.Maria Kerkhove said “It is unknown how long this Immunity lasts or how strong it will end up being.Letting COVID-19 circulate would lead to unnecessary Infections,Suffering and Death.We are only now starting to really learn about the Long-term Impact on the Heart,on the Brain,on the Lungs,on Mental Health and on People’s ability to recover from COVID-19 Infection.

The W.H.O was responding to a Section of Pundits and Sceptics who have been arguing on the other line of Thought;’Antibody-based Herd Immunity’ without a Vaccine.This,by deliberately exposing large Percentage of the Population mostly 60-90% to the Virus.Such exposure is expected to trigger the Body to produce COVID-19 Antibodies to fight off the Virus should one get exposed to it again.Basically;Herd Immunity is achieved when 60-90% of a Population get infected and develop ‘Antibody-based acquired Immunity’ or when 70-90% get Vaccinated against an Infection.

• November 23,2020-“With the latest Positive News from Vaccine trials,the Light at the end of this long,dark Tunnel is growing Brighter.There is now real Hope that Vaccines in combination with other tried and tested Public Health Measures will help to end the #COVID19 Pandemic.The Significance of this Scientific Achievement cannot be Overstated. No Vaccines in History have been developed as rapidly as these.The Scientific Community has set a New Standard for Vaccine Development.Now the International Community must set a New Standard for Access.The urgency with which COVID-19 Vaccines have been Developed Must be Matched by the Same Urgency to Distribute them Fairly.Every Government rightly wants to do everything it can to protect its People But there is now a real risk that the poorest and most Vulnerable will be Trampled in the Stampede for Vaccines.The real Question is Not whether the World can afford to share COVID-19 Vaccines and other tools;It is whether it can afford Not to”-W.H.O DG Dr.Tedros.He was responding to News of Preliminary Results from late Stage Trials of PFIZER, MODERNA and Oxford University-Astrazeneca Vaccine Candidates and Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine which was the first Vaccine to be announced on August.The 4 have Announced their Vaccines to have between 70-95% Efficacy against Corona Virus with Mass Production and Distribution of their Vaccines set to set to begin early on December 2020.They are however yet to Publicly Publish Full Data on the Development of their Vaccines.Russia and UK set to become the first Countries in the World to begin COVID-19 Vaccination in the first Week of December.
• December 21,2020-World Health Organization acknowledged Reports of NEW COVID-19 VIRUS VARIANT detected in Britain,South Africa,Denmark,Netherlands,Australia,Italy,Spain and Belgium as close to 50 Countries Ban Travel from and to Britain/United Kingdom where this Variant is believed to have sprung on September. Several other Countries continue to Ban Travel from and to the UK and South Africa. “Viruses Mutate over Time;that’s Natural and Expected.The UK has reported that this New Variant transmits more easily but there is No Evidence so far that it is more likely to cause severe Disease or Mortality.WHO is working with Scientists to understand how these genetic Changes affect how the Virus behaves.The Bottom line is that we need to Suppress Transmission of all #SARSCOV2 Viruses as quickly as we can.The more we allow it to spread the more Opportunity it has to Change”-WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom in WHO COVID-19 Media Briefing. According to Health Experts;the New CoronaVirus Variant first detected in UK on September is said to have 23 Mutations in its Genetic Code which make it 70% more transmissible than the original Strain.Other Changes in this New Variant have been reported to affect the Testing and Detection of the Virus in some Tests.There is still No Scientific Evidence on this New Variant having any Impact or being Resistant to available and upcoming COVID-19 Vaccines.”We don’t anticipate any Impact on Vaccine and Vaccination but Studies to really evaluate what these Mutations are and what they mean need to be done to make sure we follow the Science.The UK and WHO will Report Information as soon as we learn it”-Dr Maria Kerkhove-(WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead) in WHO Media Briefing.
• December 28,2020-“It appears the Destiny of SARS-CoV-2 is to become Endemic as have Four other Human Coronaviruses and that it will continue to Mutate as it Reproduces in Human Cells especially in areas of more intense Admission.Fortunately,we have Tools to Save Lives and these in combination with good Public Health will Permit us to Learn to Live with Covid-19.”-Professor David Heymann>W.H.O Chair;Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards.”The likely Scenario is the Virus will become another Endemic Virus that will remain somewhat of a Threat but a very low-level Threat in the context of an Effective Global Vaccination Program.The existence of a Vaccine even at high Efficacy is no Guarantee of Eliminating or Eradicating an infectious Disease.That is a very High Bar for us to be able to Get Over.”-W.H.O’s Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr.Mike Ryan.”I don’t believe we have the Evidence on any of the Vaccines to be Confident that it’s going to Prevent People from actually getting the Infection and therefore being able to pass it on.So I think we need to assume that People who have been Vaccinated also need to take the same Precautions.”-W.H.O Chief Scientist Dr.Soumya Swaminathan.
• December 31,2020-World Health Organization gives its very first Validation to a COVID-19 Vaccine.Pfizer-BioNtech;an mRNA Vaccine jointly developed by a US and a German Company becomes the first COVID-19 Vaccine to get Approval from a Global Health Body and Regulator.The W.H.O says the Pfizer-BioNtech Vaccine has “met the must have Criteria for Safety and Efficacy set by W.H.O” and that “its Benefits offset potential Risks”. Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna-(another COVID-19 Vaccine)-are mRNA or Messenger RNA Vaccines.The 2 are New Vaccines made using a New Synthetic mRNA Technology. Messenger RNA Vaccines have Never been Approved for Use on Human Beings for any Disease before. “In Principle;the Beauty of Messenger Technology is that we can directly start to Engineer a Vaccine which completely mimics this New Mutation.We could be able to provide a New Vaccine technically within 6 Weeks”-Professor Ugur Sahin-(MD/CEO and Co-Founder of BioNtech Company)-responding to Concerns about the New COVID-19 Variants.Upon being asked when he thinks Life could possibly return back to Pre-COVID19 Normal, Mr.Sahin said “We need a New Definition of Normal;the Virus will stay with us for the Next 10-Years”.
• Januray 4,2021-Government of United Kingdom expresses deep Concerns on New COVID-19 Variant first identified in South Africa as Scientists from the same Country Cast Doubt on the ability of available COVID-19 Vaccines to Combat the New Variant from South Africa.”I am incredibly Worried about the South African Variant and that is why we took the Action that we did to restrict all Flights from South Africa.This is a very,very Significant Problem and it’s even more of a Problem than the UK Variant”-UK Health Minister Matt Hancock. The UK and South African Variants of COVID-19 are largely Similar in Features and Mutations but the One found in South Africa has a Number of Additional Mutations;Multiple Spike Mutations and Extensive Alterations to a Key Part of the Virus known as Spike Protein.These Alterations make the Virus less Succeptible to the Immune Response triggered by available COVID-19 Vaccines and lead to some Escape from Immune Protection according to Scientists from Reading and Warwick Universities. Vaccine Scientists are currently testing the available Vaccines on the 2 New COVID-19 Variants in a bid to make necessary Modifications to the Vaccines.
• January 18,2021-The ‘Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response’-an Investigative Panel of Experts formed on May 2020 by the World Health Organization’s Member States through the 73^rd World Health Assembly to conduct an Impartial, Independent and Comprehensive Probe on W.H.O.’s Response to Corona Virus Outbreak says China and the W.H.O could have acted faster when COVID-19 first surfaced in the Chinese City of Wuhan on December 2019.In a Report;the Panel says “the Chronology of the early Phase of the Outbreak suggests there was Potential for early Signs to have been acted on more rapidly”.The Report further says “Public Health Measures could have been applied more forcefully by local and national Health Authorities in China on January”.The Panel has also pointed a Finger on the W.H.O for hesitating to convene a W.H.O Emergency Committee Meeting until January 22,2020 and its Reluctance to declare COVID-19 Outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern-PHEIC” until January 30,2020. “It is not clear why the Committee did not meet until the Third Week of January nor is it clear why it was unable to agree on PHEIC Declaration when it was first convened”-the Report says.According to the Panel;”the Global Pandemic Alert System is Not Fit for Purpose”.The Panel’s full Report on their Probe will be officially presented in the next World Health Assembly on May 2021. Its final Report is also  expected to “Provide an Evidence-based Path for the Future,grounded in Lessons of the Present and the Past to ensure Countries and Global Institutions specifically W.H.O effectively address Health Threats.It will do so by providing a fresh Assessment of the Challenges ahead based on Insights and Lessons learnt from the Health Response to COVID-19 as Coordinated by W.H.O as well as previous Health Emergencies”.
• February 5,2021- “Globally;the Number of Vaccinations has now overtaken the Number of Reported Infections.In one Sense that’s Good News and a Remarkable Achievement in such a short Timeframe.Those most at risk of Severe Disease and Death from COVID-19 including Health Workers and Older People Must come first and they must Come First Everywhere.More than Three Quarters of those Vaccinations are in just 10 Countries.Almost 130 Countries with 2.5 Billion People are yet to administer a single Dose.All Governments have an Obligation to protect their own People But once Countries with Vaccines have vaccinated their own Health Workers and older People; the best way to protect the rest of their own Population is to share Vaccines so other Countries can do the same. That’s because the longer it takes to vaccinate those most at Risk everywhere, the more Opportunity we give the Virus to Mutate and evade Vaccines;In other words,unless we Suppress the Virus Everywhere,we could end up back at Square One”-Dr.Tedros in a COVID19 Pandemic Media Briefing. By this Date,the World had reported 105 Million Confirmed COVID-19 Cases.
• February 9,2021-“Our initial Findings suggest that the introduction through an Intermediary Host Species is the most likely Pathway;One that will require more Studies and more specific targeted Research.The Findings suggest that the Laboratory Incidents Hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the Virus to the Human Population”-Part of a Report by the World Health Organization Probe Team investigating the Origin of #SARSCoV2-#COVID19 in #Wuhan City of #China since January 28,2021.Wuhan was the first Epicenter of Corona Virus between December 2019 to around March of 2020.
• February 24,2021-Ghana becomes the first Country in the World to receive Free CoronaVirus Vaccines under the W.H.O-led COVAX Initiative that aims at procuring and supplying COVID-19 Vaccines to 92 Poor and Low Middle-income Countries for Free to ensure that People in those Countries are not left out or behind in COVID-19 Vaccination.600,000 Doses of Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 Vaccine which was approved for Global use by the W.H.O on February 15,2021 have been delivered to Ghana.Led by the W.H.O,GAVI,CEPI and UNICEF;COVAX Initiative was launched on April 2020 to accelerate the development and manufacture of Corona Virus Vaccines and to guarantee Fair and Equitable Access for every Country in the World.191 Countries have joined this Initiative with a Total of $6 Billion already raised to Finance it.COVAX aims to supply 1.3 Billion Donor-procured Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines to the 92 Countries eligible under the GAVI-COVAX AMC Program by the end of 2021.To-date;High income Countries have placed Orders to procure 4.2 Billion Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines while Low Income Countries have only placed Orders for 670 Million Doses according to a Research by ‘DUKE Global Health Innovation Center’.
• May 24,2021-“There’s a growing Disconnect. Some Countries with high Vaccination rates appear to be in the Mindset that the Pandemic is Over while others are experiencing huge waves of Infection. The Pandemic is a long way from over and it Won’t be over Anywhere until it’s over Everywhere. No country should assume it is out of the woods no matter its Vaccination Rate. So far, no Variants have emerged that significantly undermine the Efficacy of Vaccines, Diagnostics or Therapeutics But there is No Guarantee that will remain the Case. This Virus is changing Constantly. Future Changes could render our Tools ineffective and drag us back to Square One. We must be very Clear: the Pandemic is Not Over and it will not be over until and unless Transmission is controlled in every Country. The ongoing Vaccine Crisis is a Scandalous Inequity that is perpetuating the Pandemic. More than 75% of all Vaccines have been administered in just 10 Countries. There is no diplomatic way to say it: a small group of Countries that make and buy the majority of the World’s Vaccines control the Fate of the rest of the World. The number of Doses administered Globally so far would have been Enough to cover all Health Workers and Older People if they had been distributed Equitably. We could have been in a much Better Situation.”-W.H.O DG Dr.Tedros. By May 28,2021: a Total of 170 Million People had been Confirmed as Infected with COVID-19, a Total of 3.5 Million People had been confirmed to have Died from this Virus, a Total of 152 Million People had been confirmed to have Recovered from this Virus. A Total of 1.8 Billion Doses of various COVID-19 Vaccines had been Administered to People across the World.
• September 1,2021-The World Health Organization-W.H.O with Support from Germany Opens a “Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence” in Berlin-Germany. The Hub was officially opened by W.H.O Director General Dr.Tedros Adhanom and German Chancellor H.E Dr.Angela Merkel who was honored to receive  the W.H.O Global Leadership Award in Recognition of her Outstanding Contribution to Global Health. “As you know there have been several Reviews of the Global Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic with Recommendations for Countries and for W.H.O about what we can do to keep the World safer in Future.This Hub is One Response to those Recommendations;filling the Gap in the World’s Defenses”-W.H.O DG Dr.Tedros.This Hub is part of W.H.O’s Health Emergencies Program;a New Collaboration of World Nations and Partners in driving Innovations to increase availability of Key Data,develop state of the art Analytic Tools and predictive Models for Risk Analysis and link Communities of Practice around the World.This Hub will support the Work of Public Health Experts and Policy Makers in all Countries with the Tools needed to forecast,detect and assess Epidemic and Pandemic Risks so they can take rapid Decisions to prevent and Respond to future public Health Emergencies.“Despite Decades of Investment;COVID-19 has revealed the great Gaps that exist in the World’s ability to forecast,detect,assess and respond to Outbreaks that threaten People Worldwide.The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is designed to develop the Data access,analytic Tools and Communities of Practice to fill these very Gaps,promote Collaboration and sharing and protect the World from such Crises in the Future.”- Dr Mike Ryan-W.H.O Health Emergencies Program Director.The Hub will work to:
• Enhance Methods for access to multiple Data Sources vital to generating signals and insights on Disease emergence,evolution and impact.
• Develop state of the art Tools to process,analyze and model Data for Detection, Assessment and Response.
• Provide W.H.O,our Member States and Partners with these Tools to underpin better,faster Decisions on how to address Outbreak signals and Events.
• Connect and catalyze Institutions and Networks developing disease Outbreak Solutions for the Present and Future. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu;currently the Director of Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control, has been appointed to lead the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence.

MAY 5,2022– “New Estimates from the World Health Organization-WHO show that the Full Death Toll associated Directly or Indirectly with the COVID-19 Pandemic (described as “excess Mortality”) between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 Million (range of 13.3 Million to 16.6 Million People). “These sobering Data not only point to the Impact of the Pandemic but also to the Need for all Countries to invest in more Resilient Health Systems that can sustain essential Health Services during Crises including stronger health Information systems,”-Dr Tedros;WHO Director-General.Excess Mortality is calculated as the Difference between the Number of Deaths that have Occurred and the Number that would be Expected in the Absence of the Pandemic based on Data from earlier Years.Excess Mortality includes Deaths associated with COVID-19 directly (due to the Disease) or indirectly (due to the Pandemic’s impact on Health Systems and Society).Deaths linked indirectly to COVID-19 are attributable to other health Conditions for which People were unable to access Prevention and Treatment because Health Systems were Overburdened by the Pandemic. Deaths directly linked to the COVID-19 Pandemic Globally as of May 5,2022 stood at 6.2 Million People according to John Hopkins University Data.

• MAY 5,2023 : END OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

“One Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty-One Days ago, WHO learned of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, China. On the 30th January 2020, on the advice of an Emergency Committee convened under the International Health Regulations, I declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern over the global outbreak of COVID-19: the Highest Level of Alarm under International Law. In the three years since then, COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. Almost 7 Million Deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization-W.H.O.

For more than a year, the pandemic has been on a downward trend, with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection, mortality decreasing and the pressure on health systems easing. For the past year, the Emergency Committee – and WHO – have been analyzing the data carefully and considering when the time would be right to lower the level of alarm.

Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15^th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice. It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency. However, that does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat. What this news means is that it is time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 alongside other infectious diseases.

COVID-19 has left – and continues to leave – deep scars on our world. Those scars must serve as a permanent reminder of the potential for new viruses to emerge, with devastating consequences. As a global community, the suffering we have endured, the painful lessons we have learned, the investments we have made and the capacities we have built must not go to waste. We owe it to those we have lost to leverage those investments; to build on those capacities; to learn those lessons, and to transform that suffering into meaningful and lasting change.

One of the greatest tragedies of COVID-19 is that it didn’t have to be this way. We have the tools and the technologies to prepare for pandemics better, to detect them earlier, to respond to them faster, and to mitigate their impact. But globally, a lack of coordination, a lack of equity and a lack of solidarity meant that those tools were not used as effectively as they could have been. Lives were lost that should not have been. We must promise ourselves and our children and grandchildren that we will never make those mistakes again.”- Dr.Tedros Adhanom-W.H.O Director General in a COVID19 Pandemic Media Briefing on May 5, 2023.

By MAY 2023; over 680 Million People across ALL Countries on Earth have been Confirmed to be INFECTED by this Virus;Over 6.8 MILLION People have been Confirmed DEAD after being Infected by COVID-19 Virus.Over 660 Million People have been Confirmed to have RECOVERED from this Disease Globally.A Total of 13.3 Billion Doses of various COVID-19 Vaccines had been Administered to People across the World.

Among the Most Affected Countries in Terms of Infections and Death Toll are:

1. USA-103 Million+ Infected with 1.1 Million+ Dead
2. Brazil-34.5 Million+ Infected with 685,121+ Dead
3. Mexico-7 Million+ Infected with 329,767+ Dead
4. India-44.5 Million+ Infected with 528,250+ Dead
5. UK-23.7 Million+ Infected with 206,752+ Dead
6. Italy-22.1 Million+ Infected with 176,404+ Dead
7. France-35 Million+ Infected with 155,651+ Dead
8. Russia-19.9 Million+ Infected with 377,921+ Dead
9. Iran-7.5 Million+ Infected with 144,243+ Dead
10. Colombia-6.3 Million+ Infected with 141,708+ Dead
11. Argentina-9.6 Million+ Infected with 129,830+ Dead
12. Peru-4.1Million+ Infected with 216,202+ Dead
13. Indonesia-6.4 Million+ Infected with 157,849+ Dead
14. Germany-32.6 Million+ Infected with 148,728+ Dead
15. Ukraine-5.3 Million+ Infected with 116,691+ Dead
16. Poland-6.2 Million+ Infected with 117,316+ Dead
17. Spain-13.3 Million+ Infected with 113,279+ Dead

AFRICA as whole; highly Criticized for Underreporting and Undertesting this Virus has Now Recorded 12.2 Million+ Cases and 256,000+ Deaths.
As at Now,the most affected African Countries in terms of Confirmed Cases and Death Toll are:

1. South Africa-4 Million+ Infected with 102,219+ Dead
2. Egypt-515,000+ Infected with 24.7K+ Dead
3. Morocco-1.2 Million+ Infected with 16.2K+ Dead
4. Tunisia-1.1 Million+ Infected with 29.2K+ Dead
5. Algeria-270,000+ Infected with 6.8K+ Dead
6. Nigeria-264,000+ Infected with 3.1K+ Dead
7. Libya-506,000+ Infected with 6.4K+ Dead
8. Kenya-338,000+ Infected with 5.6K+ Dead
9. Ethiopia-493,000+ Infected with 7.5K+ Dead
10. Sudan-63,000+ Infected with 4.9K+ Dead
11. Zimbabwe-256,000+ Infected with 5.5K+ Dead
12. Zambia-333,000+ Infected with 4K+ Dead
13. Namibia-169,000+ Infected with 4K+ Dead
14. Uganda-169,000+ Infected with 3.6K+ Dead
15. Malawi-87,000+Infected with 2.6K+ Dead
16. Mozambique-230,000+ Infected with 2.2K+ Dead
17. Botswana-326,000+ Infected with 2.7K Dead.

(Image Courtesy-BMBF)