Zika No Longer World Health Emergency, WHO Declares

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that Zika, a virus infection caused by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito is no longer a global health emergency. However, the organization also added that the virus related to disastrous birth defects needed a long-term approach.

According to WHO, the dangers from the virus "remain a significant public health challenge requiring intense action." As per the officials on WHO's Emergency Committee, the Zika virus will continue to spread wherever the mosquitoes that carry the virus are still present.

Incidentally, by removing the international emergency designation, WHO has put Zika in the same class as diseases like dengue that are considered risky and need continued research and effort to create more effective vaccines. Incidentally, Zika was declared to be a public health emergency of international concern earlier this year in February. The designation, given by WHO, makes it mandatory for countries to report outbreaks under the international law. Additionally, the declaration was a part of the organization's effort to understand if Zika was related to reports in Brazil of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neurological disorder or microcephaly, a severe birth defect.

That goal has been met according to Dr. David Heymann, chairman of the Zika Emergency Committee who made the statement at a conference call in Geneva, Reuters reported. Heymann further added that "the committee felt that what is best now is a very robust technical response to the virus, and that would require work within WHO."

However, demoting the risk status associated with Zika has not been received well by some public health experts, who fear that the new status could slow down the ongoing research about the virus. Global health law expert Lawrence Gostin from Georgetown University feels that WHO has taken an unwise decision and also added that the international response to the virus has been lethargic.