The Executive Director of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Ifedayo Adetifa, stated that the threat of the COVID-19 virus continues to exist at both national and global levels. He emphasized that high-risk groups are particularly vulnerable.
COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern, he said this yesterday in a statement when the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Ghebreyesus, made claims on Friday that COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.
Adetifa stated that the declaration aims to enable countries to transition from acute emergency response to the management of COVID-19. This would be achieved by integrating it into medical care for all infectious diseases.
“As transmission continues within communities, the risk of new variants emerging and resulting in surges in case numbers and even deaths remains”. he stated.
He explained that the statement was made after carefully reviewing current evidence. The evidence indicated high population-level immunity from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. It also showed improved knowledge of the virus and management of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Furthermore, it showed a decline in the global burden of the virus. As well as a steady increase in vaccine uptake across countries.
Adetifa said Nigeria had already reduced its COVID-19 response since 2022 in response to local epidemiology. They are therefore focused on encouraging COVID-19 vaccination. He recommended the discretionary use of face masks and other public health safety measures according to personal risk judgments.
He noted as part of its integrated disease surveillance strategy, the NCDC continued to encourage routine COVID-19 testing along with other infectious diseases as might be indicated in healthcare settings as part of clinical care for pandemic flu preparedness.
cc: Daily Trust Ng
