The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned countries against lifting restrictions put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus without careful planning, saying this would cause a setback.
"While the virus continues to spread across our region, there has been a slight decrease in the number of cases reported week by week in some countries. Some of these countries have developed an exit strategy and have started lifting restrictions," Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office director, said on Tuesday.
"Without careful planning and in the absence of scaled-up public health and clinical care capacities, this premature lifting of physical distancing measures is likely to lead to an uncontrolled resurgence in COVID19 transmission and an amplified second wave of cases," he added in a virtual press conference.
Many countries around the world, including Egypt, have taken gradual steps to loosen lockdown restrictions in a bid to keep their economies running.
The Geneva-based UN health body said it was working with researchers to accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs for COVID-19.
“More than 80 vaccines are in development globally, including six vaccines in clinical evaluation, and several therapeutics are in clinical trials,” Al-Mandhari said.
The international organisation is committed to sharing developed medicines and vaccines “equitably” with all countries and people, he said, while stressing impartiality.
“As humanitarians, we have no hidden agendas or bias. We abide by our core mandate that health is neutral and ensuring humanitarian access for all people, everywhere."
The fight against the virus is more daunting in some Arab countries.
The emergence of coronavirus could be catastrophic in Yemen, whose healthcare system is fragile, while fighting and shelling in Libya impedes the organisation’s work, Al-Mandhari said.
“Millions of already vulnerable people in these countries are more prone to infectious diseases due to overcrowded living conditions, weakened immunity due to years of food insecurity, and insufficient treatment for other underlying medical conditions.”
"Many of these countries are also politically fragmented, resulting in limited humanitarian access to populations, and challenges in information sharing with WHO in a timely and transparent manner," he noted.
