With the number of newly reported cases of COVID-19 dropping significantly, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to continue their efforts against the disease that has killed more than six million people to date.

“We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic, we are not there yet, but the end is in sight.” WHO Director-General Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual news conference.

This is the best assessment from the global health organization since it declared a state of international emergency in January 2020 while declaring COVID-19 a pandemic three months later.

The virus, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed an estimated 6.5 million people and infected 606 million, paralyzing the global economy and healthcare systems.

While the rollout of vaccines and treatments has helped prevent deaths and hospitalizations, the Omicron variant that emerged late last year caused severe disease. The UN agency reported that the death toll from COVID-19 last week was the lowest since March 2020.

“If we don’t take this opportunity now, we run the risk of more variants, more deaths, more disruption, and more uncertainty. These policy briefs are an urgent call for governments to take a hard look at their policies, and strengthen them for COVID-19 and future pathogens with pandemic potential,” Mr.  Tedros emphasized.

A WHO spokeswoman stated that the next WHO expert meeting, held in October will decide whether the pandemic still represents a public health emergency of international concern.

AWARENESS: Climate Alert; Scientists detected massive methane leak at Pemex’s offshore platform