WHO believes Europe is in a “unique” position to control the coronavirus pandemic

The director of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe, Hans Kluge, said this Thursday that thanks to the high rate of vaccinated and infected population of coronavirus and the lower lethality of the omicron variant, Europe is in a “unique” situation to control the coronavirus pandemic and has the potential to drive a change in strategy.

Despite the situation in the old continent, Kluge warns that the pandemic is not over yet. Despite WHO warnings, countries like Denmark have already declared an end to the pandemic and all restrictions on containing the virus have been lifted. ” The pandemic is not over, but for the first time we are in a unique situation to control it, “said Hans Kluge at a press conference.

The director of WHO in Europe stressed that last week there were 12 million new infections in the European region covered by WHO. The region comprises 53 countries, several in Central Asia. These figures are the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. He adds that hospital admissions continue to increase, albeit at a lower rate than in intensive care. Coronavirus deaths are stagnating.

Hans Kluge has again denounced the inequity of vaccines. He calls for vaccines to be able to reach every corner of the world in order to end the pandemic. ” We cannot accept vaccine inequity one more day, vaccines must be for everyone, in the most remote corner of our vast Region and beyond, “says the director of the WHO in Europe.

The WHO says that next spring “leaves us with the possibility of a long period of tranquility and a much higher level of defense of the population against any resurgence of transmission”.