WHO official: COVID pandemic is not over

WHO regional director for Europe saidthat COVID-19 pandemic is not over and that it has shown the necessity of transitioning to digital health platforms at the 72nd session of the WHO regional committee for Europe which is being held in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Hans Kluge, Regional Director (WHO), Europe said "The pandemic itself is not over. Many journalists are asking me 'has the virus now gone?' No, the virus has never gone. It keeps changing, it keeps taking unnecessary lives.The most important is that countries have a strong surveillance system in place so they are able to quickly detect if there will be a new variant."

We know the power of digital health to transform the health care landscape but now after COVID-19, digital is not optional anymore, it's obligatory. But we need frontrunners to show very pragmatic, the way forward."

He pointed to Israel as a leader in the area.Israel's official health care organizations have long been online and the country has steadily increased its digital health capabilities. The country was planning to build an international digital health center to guide other countries transitioning toward online health.