All graphics credit World Health Organization
# 7315
The 66th annual World Health Assembly is in session this week in Geneva, and delegations from all WHO Member States are meeting to discuss and decide upon ongoing WHO policies, the focus of future work, and budgetary issues.
This year the world faces potential threats from two new emerging viruses; MERS-CoV in the Middle East, and H7N9 in Asia.
Rapid and effective global response to these types of emerging threats can sometimes be complicated by concerns over sovereignty, jurisdiction, national pride, local customs or beliefs, negative economic impacts along with the problems of limited surveillance assets and squabbles over intellectual property rights (see CIDRAP NEWS Limits on use of samples said to delay MERS-CoV efforts).
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Cumbersome Issues that are sure to be on the agenda at this week’s WHA Meeting.
From yesterday’s Daily Notes on the WHA66, we find a presentation on the threat posed by the emerging coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Middle East and a presentation by the Saudi Delegation on their response to the outbreak.
Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005)
Item 15.1 - documents A66/16 and A66/16 Add.1
Before the item was undertaken, delegates requested an update from the WHO Secretariat and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the recent emergence of MERS-CoV (previously known as Novel Coronavirus). The Secretariat and the Saudi Ministry of Health provided background information and a history of the emergence and response to the virus to date. The WHO presentation is attached. The discussion of the item will restart tomorrow.
You’ll want to download both PDFs, but a few excerpts from the WHO presentation follow.
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We should hear more later today on the progress of these meetings.
