speeds of up to 40 miles per hour as their operator applies. the whip antenna commands the jockey to pull on the rains and shouts, encouragement, far built in speaker. it's racing in the 21st century. and it's bringing in the tourists shipping a marcella. i did. we have seen a large number of fi for fans come in here to enjoy the race and we're doing our best to introduce them to our traditions and culture abandon. every year the race changes involves with time, the prices are beyond big. and this is why we have a huge participation from all the countries in the gcc. this compounds stretches for miles and it's home to over 20000 camels. not all of them will be when is over the next fortnight, but there are $28.00 trophies at stake and the top price over a $1000000.00 on a golden sword. restoring al jazeera, i'll show you. ah,

this is al jazeera and these are tom stories. iran security unit tasked with enforcing a strict dress code has been shut down the decision to stop the morality police from operating comes after nearly 3 months of anti government protests. they were sparked by the death while in police custody of 22 year old student mass armine dosage. barry has more from tehran, certainly a development in this ongoing story that began in september after the death of miss armine. and it's very important to note that this wasn't a major announcement made by the attorney general mohammed jeff r, a montessori, who was speaking at an event in the home on saturday evening when he was asked the question about the role of this morality police that's been on the streets of to her on and other cities in her on since 2006, enforcing the countries islamic dress code that is mandatory for all women when

they enter iran took he has reportedly targeted multiple military sites in northern syria, controlled by the launch the kurdish syrian democratic forces. the operation is in response to an explosion in the stumble last month, which tricky blames on curate kurdish forces. demonstrators have reportedly swarmed a government building in the syrian city of the waiter. they are angry because of rising prices in economic hardship. series experienced in fuel shortages in power outages. south africa is private and says he will not resign despite a scandal about stolen money. serial ram a post so was investigated for failing to report the theft of millions of dollars from his farm in 202010000 police and soldiers have sealed off a city in el salvador as part of a national crime thought on criminal gangs. almost 60000 people have been arrested since prison. mabel kelly declared as state of emergency. those are the headlines on al jazeera. i'm fully batty bull coming up next inside. story.

ah, most of the world appears to have moved on from the coven 19 pandemic. while the w h o says dangerous variance could still emerge, but is anyone listening and what are the consequences if we let our guard down, this is inside story. ah hello and welcome to the program. i'm danny navigator. it's been nearly 3 years since covered 19 emerged and triggered a global pandemic. more than 6600000 people have died from the disease. it

disrupted economies around the world, but also led to an unprecedented efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time. well, the number of new infections is now dropped significantly from its peak earlier in the year. the world health organization believes 90 percent of the global population now has some form of immunity, either from infections or vaccines, but its director, general warrens. we should not be complacent. we are much closer to being able to say that the emergency phase of the pandemic is over. but we're not there yet. gaps in surveillance testing, sequencing and vaccination are continuing to crate. the perfect conditions for a new variant of consent to emerge that could cause significant mortality. so the w h o says it's pleased to see china relaxing. it's so called 0 covert policy. it's

the last major economy to maintain strict locked downs and mandatory quarantines. and this is triggered unprecedented protests, even calls for president changing pick to step down cities, including beijing, shanghai, and going to have now ease some of their restrictions. and the w h o wants to increase vaccinations in developing nations. it's believed to 3rd that the world's people have received at least one dose. but that's concentrated in wealthier countries. less than 10 percent of populations in nations like molly below we yemen, and haiti have received a single shot. ah, now lets bring in our guest. joining us from geneva, dr. margaret harris is a spokesman for the world health organization in bristol, the u. k. doctor gabriel scally. a visiting professor of public health at the university of bristol. and in new delhi, we have with us dr. rob malik, who's the chairman and founder of the radix hospital in new delhi. thanks for your

time with us on inside story, dr. margaret harrison geneva. so let's look at what the w h o was saying. the chief has said that we are much closer to being able to say that the emergency phase of the pandemic is over. but we're not there yet. i just wonder if you can elaborate a little bit on that statement and tell us what this practically means. i'm very glad you had that. they were not there yet, because people really sort of focus on it's nearly over. and it's not sadly as we are now going into the 4th year of this pandemic at and, but we're in a much, much better shape. we've got good vaccines, we've got, we understand how to treat the illness. we understand how to increasingly live with the virus. but the biggest mistake we could make is to just dismantle what we've achieved and pretended toll over. we've got to keep doing the work doing the testing and really supporting our hospitals right now. that are under threat from

other things like the many other spiritual viruses that are also circulating. right . i wonder if you can just clarify something for us as well. dr. margaret because the w h o is saying that it estimates that 90 percent of the world population now has some resistance to cobra. but i know that you have said that that's not the case that all countries have 90 percent immunity. so what countries are continents remain still very much valuable? now every country, every continent, actually i was just looking at the numbers, the vaccination, and we still have countries in every region of the world that have not yet vaccinated. 40 percent of their population. and we have very few countries that ever reached the level of vaccination that we'd want to see. so we still got a lot of work to do to vaccinate populations. the other thing that's very important to understand is yes, many, many people have not been infected by this virus,

have got some immunity created by insight. and then ellen gate, indeed many people have been vaccinated. but it, this particular virus doesn't stimulated long lasting immunity. so you still have to work to ensure that you got the strong immunity in the most vulnerable groups. and that's an area that you just cannot let to take you pedal off the gas on. you could keep on being very vigilant to protect, to most vulnerable groups. all right, dr. gabriel and the u. k. what do you make of the message that's been sent out by the w h o? i think it's a confusing message talking about 90 percent immunity and the way it's been interpreted. ready to that confusion, ivan dated rephrase, that we are learning to live with the virus. i think we should be learning to live without the virus. what we do have are some good vaccines,

which give some immunity for some time. but it's not the immunity phase. so her time, even with the latest faxing, which is the best we've got so far, really good messenger on a virus vaccine. it said significantly, which is why countries are having to give regular boosters. so it's a dangerous message to say that we're nearly through some imaginary could says there aren't as many ambulance sirens at the moment, but there's still large numbers of death. so i sit in the u. k, where there are hundreds of deaths every week attributed to colbert 19 peers on the death certificate in the u. s. the 300 deaths a week, even, even in countries of good immunization records, we still have a problem. i, my big point is that what we're not concentrating on is doing what we need to do to live without the virus. we need to be improving ventilation in all our place has been schools in offices, in social settings,

etc. so that we treat this like the respiratory disease, it is and we avoid all right, dr. margaret, i'll come back to you in a moment and allow you a chance to respond to dr. gabriel, who says the message is confusing, but let me just bring in doctor robin from new delhi to get his take on what the w . busy has been saying and what do you think of the message? a look according to the last and 90 percent of the word population has got some kind of humidity. now that catches some kind of humidity does not that 90 percent of them are new? so they did some kind of community might this is that maybe to be 90 percent of people of some kind of community. but if we see long term, because the immunity after vaccination, also been off after some period of time. so how many will be immune after 6 months from now, or 9 months from now? that is also a question. now having said that, you have come all of this kind of an extraordinary,

unprecedented got those topic situation. but we need to be extremely ridgeland. now under the backdrop of fact that us have witnessed, almost. busy 73000 cases in last 24 hours and you get witness almost 26000 cases. so we are not off the hook. in past also we have 30 forecasting dislikes in some might d s. h is that we need to be extremely cautious about this monster less. tell us your doctor, rousing and your lunch right. tell us what you've seen in india because back in march to w. h. o also said this to help and the emergency, the w h o calls on countries to continue or increase virus surveillance capabilities. would you say that an india and from what you've seen, these surveillance capabilities have, have increased or waned recently? look in india, we are doing surveillance activities to keep what things have happened. we have

vaccinated almost 2200000000. those is our back seems have been given because incredible. in last, before us also, we have tested some better on to let people, although we have detected only 243 cases. but in india also, we need to be extremely eligible. the situation seemed beek infrastructure of over him, so we need to be extra vigilant in, in the old. so, because in past, also we have learned that we have followed the footsteps of the western countries. so the cases can increase. and we need to be extremely cautious and give full specially, but if we can guess the moment we detect the case, we should, you know, isolated the give and i go stop the spread of the latest because it can come in and also maybe right? know that position, but the model or it can it can you know straight. ok, dr. margaret, i bring you in here because dr. gabriel moments ago was saying that we're not doing enough work to learn to live without the virus and pointing out that the message

from w h o, as you heard is confusing. how do you respond to that? well, i'm very glad we're having this discussion because if the message is confusing, it certainly is important that we clarify. in fact, i agree with everything he said, especially about i like this learning til with out it to do everything we can not just to prevent could be causing problems. but the other respiratory infections that we have been far too willing to accept each winter. and indeed, really paying attention to ventilation, really paying attention to how we can protect ourselves and conditions when were crowded together, when there are a lot of referred to viruses, circulating, this is absolutely critical of this. this has not been taken up with the energy and the commitment that it must be taken up with. so i'm really glad that the dr. gabriel is, is emphasizing that. and i would also like to say again as,

as speaker robbie mentioned, we really need to take step up the surveillance testing sequencing in vaccination. they're a big, big gaps and we are very concerned. and this is very much part of the director general message yesterday. we're very concerned that these things will create because it conditions for a new variant of concern. so when you need to take it, i just think of clarity. dr. margaret, are you talking about the w h o or are you saying it is up to the individual countries to do so? oh, it's up to the world all countries. so we have seen many countries, dismantled their surveillance, not doing the testing, and i'm not talking about making everybody do test all the time. but when somebody ill comes in doing the p. c and sending it off to the sequencing so that we as collaboratively the world that of course we w h o coordinate. lot of this work can track what's happening with the variance. we now have 500 sons and daughters of omi called circulating,

and any one of them could cause major major problems. but we'll only know that if the testing and sequencing is being done right, dr. gabriel. so what does this mean? w h o and dr. margaret is saying that this diminishing vigilance could, could leave the door open to new variance. what do you think this means in terms of countries like the u. k, where you are in terms of adjusting their strategies going forward. while i think civilians is absolutely crucial, we need to know about new variance emerging variance as quickly as we can so that they can be properly studied. and we've been very fortunate, and i think in recent months that we haven't seen any of the virus take any big leaps forward, either in terms of transmit ability or indeed in terms of the effects it produces. but that doesn't mean it can't happen at any time. of course, the only way of really reducing the risk is to reduce the amount of covert that is

being transmitted in countries. and that means continuing to support vaccination programs across the world. but also doing the prevention. we do it, we need to, we need a mixed policy. pvc policy, we need prevention in things like better ventilation and it is things like dr. harris mentioned about perhaps wearing masks in very crowded situation. it is a body box nation, getting those levels up. i one of the characteristics of i rushed vaccination program, which is what we've done. the world has rushed to vaccinate is that often people get left aside and i know i'm looking at the figures in several countries that there is a big, socio demographic. she differences either in terms of the, the uptake between population groups between age groups, stream social status of people being back to live. so we've got to really produce more rhonda, more complete vaccination programs across the world. and then finally,

we do have to have the controls. so we do need that surveillance and we do need action if there are really, really dangerous variance emerge as they could of course, to at any time. right. this is a bit challenging, though, isn't a dr. gabriel, because we see that, for example, in many, many countries now testing and sequencing are declining. they aren't testing is expensive. there's no doubt about it. and many countries are feeding the economic after effects of the pandemic, and seeking to make savings to reduce testing. and what we need in bravo is a more sophisticated approach to doing community surveillance, so that not everyone has to be tested all the time. but we do need to do it. and there are systems in place for, for example, the testing of sewage is to see what barriers are circulating in local areas that can be done on a mass scale. but we do need that control mechanism in place,

and it is a good period for countries around the world to be strengthening their public health systems. there are countries interesting, i'm in the u. k. on the you may really dramatic changes to the detriment of its public health system in the last year or so. and that's unfortunate and we're going in the wrong direction. but we should be strengthening, actively strengthening our public health systems across the world in every country with a particular emphasis on looking after the. ready people who are most vulnerable, dr. robert, you said that indians are heavily vaccinated or perhaps we're at the height of the co pandemic where things stand now in india, in terms of, in terms of vaccines. i read seems sudden we have done good. we have given 22000000 just off that axis even like children are protected and over prediction rate is good. but i do agree that we need to address this problem globally because

we are all globally connected by one gene. so if a horrible insect do with these and vaccination is low in certain countries, you know, is not going to respect international boundaries. because people are doing the intermingling with the other country people and is going on. so we need to get wrinkled in order to get that. so speaking those to learn every day. and one thing which does is that it is not going to distract any kind of international martyrs. so we need to vaccinate and the less active we did in every country country to do that. now, dr. robert, because because at the time and at the height of covert, if anything, the vaccination dry really expose be inequality is an inequities. as dr. gabriel was just saying out of the u. k. yeah, actually, the whole international community should incorporate and help again,

see should look forward to the countries which are little underprivileged and be under the recognition breed as low lenses low. they should send some of the commissioners and supplemental, but they are an effort as it gets concern with these are going on. but definitely not that kind of the z as in the previous months and years. but by and large, we need to be cautious as a professional, i can tell you that the band makes years to come back. so we need to be little more cautious and we need to keep a situation. we need to keep an eye on the situation. and before avalanche of patients again come and their job of the human kind, dr. margaret, the w h l chief earlier this year, i believe it was back in february. he had warned that quote and narrow nationalism and vaccine hoarding by some countries have undermined equity. and created the

ideal conditions for the emergence of the micron variance at the time is the situation any different today. the situations improved a great deal. by the end of last year, we started to get in fact, access to so much supply. we all had more supply than it the supply outstripped the demand. at one point we have been able to accelerate. and norma se, i think, $12500000000.00 is it's not just us w h, this is codecs, has been able to do this and the $12500000000.00 until about countries around the world. so an enormous amount of ex nation has gone on. that as dr. ivy mention, it's inequitable. we still have to do a great deal of work with some countries that it's not now about supply. it may well be that they simply like the funding, the style thing, the infrastructure to get the vaccines to all the people that need them. so we have

a specific program working with the countries that have the greatest difficulties to do that, but we do need the international community to keep on supporting that. and dr. gabriel, what are the risks or what's at stake of these inequalities in vaccine access? continue, will mutant strains then continue to emerge? well, what we will see is more rapid spread of anything that may emerge if you have communities where the vaccination rates are low and preventive measures aren't being taken. and that is a problem in any infectious disease, but with cove it, it spread so quickly and so rapidly. and then that will work its way through into the death tool and, and also we haven't mentioned long cold it and long it is such a huge problem. the accumulating numbers of people suffering from long cobit and inequality in vaccination distribution results in inequality in not

in long colbert distribution. and that means more people and more vulnerable communities will suffer those from what you've been from. what you've seen when it comes to long cobra. what impact is that having on societies, if you can, it's a very serious impact. and the number of people who are not able to seek employment has increased very substantially since the pandemic. and that is largely due to long covert under a long waiting times to be seen, a long covert clinics up the government that the health services has set up across the country. but we're still in the early days of learning how to cope with long covert cold with the really dangerous virus and effects all sorts of systems, bodily systems and creates all sorts of problems for people in their futures. and it is affects all ages. even people who haven't suffered badly in the acute phase

of the illness can get very serious law ongoing symptoms. so we shouldn't neglect long covert. dr. margaret, what is the w h o doing in terms of looking at long cove, it in any strategies that are being put forward. but we have a unit been 30 dedicated and working with the experts, including many experts from the u. k. around the world on exactly this on looking at what it is, what areas of health are affected, and of course, what can be done. but it's an stopped gabriel said people who have not been protected by vaccination are even more at risk. this seems to be quite a lot of work suggesting that not being vaccinated could make you more likely to have it. and one of the other things is again, this does. gabriel said, it's not the how to be of the acute illness with cozy was that does not determine whether or not to get long covey so sadly, we've still got people who think it's fine to get coded. it's not find

a good covey, because you don't know what the consequences our own record is. so transmissible, it certainly has changed the game, and many people have been infected. but ideally, if you're vaccinated, where it does seem that this may be giving you some protection from long cove it dr . robin over over in india. i wonder if you can weigh in on this topic of long covert and tell us whether you've seen the impact that a tides on the society in india at this point long. well, they have a short impact on the human mart beginning it is. it is not only in gilbert internationally because the venetian, i can tell you, people are even in suffering from long. some of them are having headaches, backaches, so i got good problems. then they have. now what we call is being forgiving insomnia, sleep disturbances. and moreover, that they have problems with their systems when due to being by many function

systems and long functions so long it is definitely a big problem. and i think every country should have all the linux, not because it acts through the model d and a and b 's from the, from the official one so long. it is a big problem and is the big challenge and it is did in, in your so be even in my hospital their patients were coming up for the, for the long, big, big problems. they got good problems and hard bent traditions and some of them got conduction disorders in the heart so long it is definitely a big challenge, and that is likely to continue because it is a connie. now, what a job over didn't look this in less than 2 weeks, but that's what, as long as it is concerned, it is a busy. is it my last for, for back of months to get there?

so it is a big public health problem and that needs to be address too little. but right now everybody's come. so we need to put a better all sense that big issue to complete research. we should do research on other end, whatever drugs we should do, research on the backseat, that we should also keep it the julian date because this white us can change its genome. and then the vaccines can be appealed. ready to these that seems also, so we need to be extremely care plan. begin to bulk. alright, we'll leave it there. you so much for joining us. dr. margaret harris. dr. gabriel scally and dr. rodney malik, we thank you for joining us. thanks for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com for further discussion. you can go to our facebook page dots, facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. during the conversation on twitter or handle as a j inside story for myself and the whole team here in doha, thanks for watching and bye bye for now. and

a visa was helping other as officially begun. i'm going to head to 3 stadium by the metro. i'm self exhausted to see how easy it is a to celebrate a bone. it feels like a big noise and it's all of them. it covers days. it is hugely important, so not only the visitors, but also those of us who live here. lu sales stadium is where the world cup final is gonna be held. a bmw

and a cloud with west struggle gives birth to true passion where faith is more just where humanity defies. expectations where freedom is always worth fighting. road and untold stories from across asia and the pacific. 101 east. on al jazeera, watching the world cup in 1986 glories technicolor from spain. i've never seen anything like it plays a lot of come from a different planet. and after that, i was all in on the world come reporting from doha, which is now my home. on the very 1st well come in the middle east. it is prevalent . it is a hugely complex and often controversial events and cover. but once

a ball is kicked, the passion and the excitement of photovoltaics on i hello, i'm emily. angry in outdoor high headquarters. these are the top stories on al jazeera, around security unit taft with him forcing a strict dress code has been shut down. the decision to stop the morality police from operating comes after nearly 3 months of anti government protests that was sponsored by the death of martha mimi while in police custody. she was 22 years old dawson jabari has more from tehran, certainly a development.