WHO declares end of Zika emergency but still needs action

The WHO's Emergency Committee, which declared an international public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in February, said in a statement that they felt that "the Zika virus and associated consequences remain a significant enduring public health challenge requiring intense action but no longer represent a PHEIC."

"We are not downgrading the importance of Zika, by placing this as a longer programme of work, we are sending the message that Zika is here to stay," Dr Peter Salama, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, told a news briefing.