Coronavirus declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
Dr Sharifah Sekalala, Associate Professor in Warwick Law School, comments on the decision to declare 2019-nCoV a Public Health Emergency of International Concern:-
"Yesterday, Dr. Tedros declared 2019-nCoV a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following the legal criteria established in the International Health Regulations.
"Now that a PHEIC has been declared, the WHO should urgently create a Global Action Plan that lives up to the three essential values of the International Health Regulations: public health, human rights, and international trade and travel. Since 2009, the WHO has declared six PHIECS and we now have evidence that increased resources, rapid vaccine development, and protection of human rights, which is critical to community engagement are key to fighting infectious diseases.
"In our focus on nCoV, we should also remember that the DRC is still grappling with the world’s second largest Ebola epidemic on record, with more than 2200 lives lost and 3300 confirmed infections since the outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018. They too will need continued support!"
31 January 2020
- Dr Sekalala was a member of the expert working group which drew up the Nuffield Council on Bioethics report on Research in Global Health Emergencies, published earlier this week.