WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that India’s Covid-19 situation remains extremely concerning, with a worrying number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continuing to be reported in several states, warning that the pandemic’s second year will be “far more deadly” than the first for the world.
The WHO is responding to the Covid-19 outbreak in India by shipping thousands of oxygen concentrators, tents for mobile field hospitals, masks, and other medical supplies, according to Ghebreyesus.
“India remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths,” he said at the daily media briefing.
“And we thank all the stakeholders who are supporting India,” the WHO Director-General said.
The coronavirus pandemic is sweeping India, with 3,43,144 people testing positive for the virus on Friday, bringing the country’s total caseload to 2,40,46,809. The death toll has risen to 2,62,317 people.
On December 19, India’s Covid-19 tally surpassed 10 million cases, and in less than six months, it had doubled, surpassing the dreadful milestone of 20 million cases on May 4.
“Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Egypt are just a few of the countries dealing with an increase in cases and hospitalizations,” he said, adding that some countries in the Americas continue to have high numbers of cases, with the region accounting for 40% of all Covid-19 deaths last week.
There are also spikes in some countries in Africa. “These countries are in heightened response mode and WHO will continue to provide support in all ways possible,” he said.
Noting that Covid-19 has already cost more than 3.3 million lives across the world, Ghebreyesus said, “We’re on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first.”
He lamented that vaccine supply remains a key challenge and that saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination – not one or the other – is the only way out of the pandemic.
