The disease no longer represents a global health emergency.
The statement represents a major step towards ending the pandemic and comes three years after it first declared its highest level of alert over the virus.
According to officials, the virus’ death rate had dropped from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 on 24 April.
The head of the WHO said at least seven million people died in the pandemic.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the true figure was “likely” closer to 20 million deaths nearly three times the official estimate and he warned that the virus remained a significant threat.
“Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I’ve accepted that advice. It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency,”
He warned the decision to remove the highest level of alert did not mean the danger was over and said the emergency status could be reinstated if the situation changed.
“The worst thing any country can do now is to use this news to let down its guard, dismantle the systems it has built, or send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about,”
Vaccines were one of the major turning points in the pandemic protecting millions of people from serious illness and death.
Many countries like the US and UK have already discussed “living with the virus” and wound down many tests and social mixing rules however in many countries, vaccines have not reached most of those in need.
Meanwhile, the government had said the country will not let its guard down despite the Word Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency.
Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Presidential Advisor on Health, speaking on Citi TV says government will continue to prioritize the health and safety of citizens in the management of the virus.
“We will manage it like any other disease. All that the WHO is saying is that, not that COVID-19 is completely gone so we should be able to manage it as a country. For some months now we have not seen any COVID-19-related deaths and our ICUs have not been over-stressed with hospitalization. But we have to continue with the sensitization so that we don’t lose sight of what is happening. It should become part and parcel of us”,
The World Health Organization first declared the so-called public health emergency of international concern in January 2020.