WHO Emergency Committee Convenes to Discuss MERS-CoV Situation

Cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported regularly to the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2012. In order to take an independent expert view of the situation and to be prepared for any further action, should it be required, the director-general of the WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, convened a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on July 9, 2013.

The Emergency Committee is comprised of international experts from a variety of relevant disciplines and all Regions of WHO, their task is to provide expert technical advice to the director-general in accordance with the IHR (2005). The members of the Emergency Committee can be found HERE.

After reviewing data on the current situation provided by the secretariat, and information presented to the committee by officials of several states parties which have, or have had, cases of MERS-CoV, and after further deliberation, the committee considered that additional information was needed in a number of areas.

The committee members felt they needed time for further discussion and consideration, so a second committee meeting will be held on July 17, 2013.