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The fifth meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee (EC)
under the International Health Regulations (2005) regarding microcephaly, other neurological disorders and Zika Virus (ZIKV), took place on the 18th November. As a result, the EC determined that whilst ZIKV and associated consequences remain a significant enduring public health challenge requiring intense action, it no longer represented a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as defined under the IHR. Based on this advice, the Director-General has declared the end of the PHEIC.
The PHEIC was declared by the Director-General of WHO in February 2016 on the basis of an extraordinary cluster of microcephaly and other neurological disorders reported in Brazil. This led the world to an urgent and coordinated response, with research subsequently demonstrating a clear link between ZIKV infection and microcephaly. Whilst many aspects of this disease and associated consequences still remain to be understood, the EC felt that a robust longer-term technical mechanism was now required to manage the global response. The committee recommended that this should be escalated into a sustained programme of work with dedicated resources to address the long-term nature of the disease and its associated consequences, similar to the way other infectious disease threats are managed.
Further information on ZIKV and detailed explanation of country risk categories and associated travel advice can be found on the TRAVAX ZIKV Infection page
Further Resources
