India should adopt risk-based approach not blanket bans to contain COVID: WHO India head

India with its diversity in population distribution and geographic spread, the risk-based approach remains the wiser public health practice to counter a pandemic

Blanket approaches such as complete restriction on the movement of people and travel bans can be counterproductive in containing COVID in a country like India, says World Health Organisation’s (WHO) India representative Roderico H Ofrin while advocating target, risk-based strategies to counter the pandemic.

Stressing on the need to protect both lives and livelihoods, he said public health action in India and across the world must be continually guided by evidence from four key questions — how transmissible is the variant, severity of the disease it causes, how well vaccines and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection protect and how common people perceive risk and follow control measures.

“WHO does not recommend a blanket travel ban, nor complete restriction of people’s movement. In many ways, such blanket approaches can be counterproductive. India with its diversity in population distribution and geographic spread, the risk-based approach remains the wiser public health practice to counter a pandemic,” he added.