WHO gives the good news: If all states act this way, this will be the last year of the pandemic

The acute phase of the coronavirus pandemic could end this year if states use all the means at their disposal, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Monday. He told the WHO executive committee that the goal could be achieved if vaccination rates in poor countries were increased and more testing was done.

"If states use all strategies and tools comprehensively, they can end the acute phase of the pandemic this year. "We can end COVID-19 as a global health emergency and we can do that this year."

He told health ministers and officials from 34 countries that the shortage of vaccines had already been overcome and the logistical challenge posed the dosing process to all nations.

However, the head of the WHO has called for caution. He said the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus meant that 100 new cases were reported every three seconds to the WHO, last week. One death is reported every 12 seconds.

"It is dangerous to declare that Omicron will be the last resort and that we are at the end of the war," he said.

According to him, 85 percent of the population in Africa has not received any dose of coronavirus vaccine. If 70 percent of each state's population is vaccinated in the coming months, the virus could be defeated, Tedros added. He said treatments for the virus need to be improved in order to reduce mortality.