What is CoViNet?

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About CoViNet

It is a network of global laboratories with expertise in human, animal and environmental coronavirus surveillance.
It will identify and monitor potentially novel coronaviruses that could emerge shortly.
The network will now have animal health and environmental surveillance and timely risk assessment to feed WHO policies and protective measures.
In low- and middle-income countries, CoViNet will support the building of more laboratories to monitor MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance.
Data generated through CoViNet’s efforts will guide the work of WHO’s Technical Advisory Groups on Viral Evolution (TAG-VE) and Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) and others, ensuring global health policies and tools are based on the latest scientific information.
It currently comprises 36 laboratories from 21 countries in all six WHO regions.
Three Indian laboratories namely; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology in Pune, and the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute are part of this network.

Key facts about World Health Organisation

It was established in 1948, is a specialized agency of the United Nations that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health.
The governance structure of the WHO is designed to support the implementation of its mandate and the achievement of its objectives. It includes:
- Membership: It currently has 194 member states.
- World Health Assembly (WHA): The highest decision-making body of WHO and comprises representatives from all member States.
- Secretariat: Responsible for carrying out the policies and programs approved by the WHA.
- Director-General: Director-General heads the WHA and is supported by a senior management team.
- Regional Offices: WHO also has six regional offices: Africa, the Americas, Southeast Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific.

Q1) What is MERS?

It is a viral respiratory disease caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus disease-2019.

Source: WHO launches ‘CoViNet’ — a global laboratory to monitor emerging coronaviruses