WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The declaration is WHO’s highest level of alarm – a rallying call to all countries to immediately take notice, and take action.
Countries looked to WHO for guidance on how to confront an unknown virus and WHO answered the call. Within two weeks of first learning of this new disease, WHO published its first set of advice to countries on how to test for the virus, treat patients, keep the public informed and prepare for more cases.
WHO also leveraged well-established scientific relationships and connections to facilitate the rapid development of vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and other tools. The first lab test for COVID-19 was developed just days after scientists shared the genetic sequence, and the first test kits were shipped out to labs around the world within weeks.
Courtesy : World Health Organization (WHO)