WHO chief promises review of coronavirus response, China pledges $2 billion
Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience, says Tedros
Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience, says Tedros. PHOTO: REUTERS
GENEVA:
The World Health Organization said on Monday an independent review of the global coronavirus response would begin as soon as possible, and received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China, in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made his promise during a virtual meeting of the WHO’s decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, at which Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his country’s own handling of the crisis.
US President Donald Trump has fiercely questioned the WHO’s performance during the pandemic, withdrawing US funding after accusing it of being too China-centric, and at the same time leading international criticism of China’s lack of transparency in the early stages of the crisis.
Tedros, who has always promised a post-pandemic review, said it would come “at the earliest appropriate moment” and provide recommendations for future preparedness. He received robust backing from the WHO’s independent oversight panel.
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“Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience,” Tedros said, adding that the review must cover “all actors in good faith”.
A resolution drafted by the European Union calling for an independent evaluation of the WHO’s performance appeared to have won consensus backing among the WHO’s 194 states.
In its first report on the WHO’s handling of the pandemic, the seven-member oversight committee said the U.N. agency had “demonstrated leadership and made important progress in its Covid-19 response”.
‘imperfect understanding not unusual’
It backed a review of the response to the pandemic, but said conducting it during the heat of the response “could disrupt WHO’s ability to respond effectively”.
It also said “an imperfect and evolving understanding” is not unusual during the early phase of a novel disease emergence and, in an apparent rejoinder to Trump, said “rising politicization of pandemic response” was hindering the effort to defeat the virus.
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China has previously opposed calls for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus, but Xi signalled that Beijing would be amenable to an impartial evaluation of the global response once the pandemic is brought under control.
“This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO. And the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld,” he told the meeting via video.
Calling the pandemic the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two, Xi said: “All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.”
He pledged $2 billion over the next two years to help deal with Covid-19, especially to help developing countries.
The amount is roughly equivalent to the WHO’s entire annual programme budget for last year, and more than compensates for Trump’s freeze in US payments that had been worth about $400 million a year.
The oversight panel said that, for the next phase of the pandemic, the WHO would need an estimated $1.7 billion by the end of the year, leaving a funding gap of $1.3 billion. This did not appear to take account of China’s pledge.
Vaccines to be available to all
China will also make any Covid-19 vaccines that it develops a public good to help to curb the pandemic, Xi said.
A draft of the EU resolution made no mention of China.
The WHO and most experts say the virus is likely to have emerged in a market selling wildlife in the central city of Wuhan late last year. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this month there was “significant” evidence that it had come from a laboratory in Wuhan, a charge China rejects.
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Diplomats said the United States was unlikely to block a consensus backing the resolution.
But it could “dissociate” itself from sections referring to intellectual property rights for drugs and vaccines, and to continued provision of services for sexual and reproductive health during the pandemic, they said.
The World Health Organization said on Monday an independent review of the global coronavirus response would begin as soon as possible, and received backing and a hefty pledge of funds from China, in the spotlight as the origin of the pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made his promise during a virtual meeting of the WHO’s decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, at which Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his country’s own handling of the crisis.
US President Donald Trump has fiercely questioned the WHO’s performance during the pandemic, withdrawing US funding after accusing it of being too China-centric, and at the same time leading international criticism of China’s lack of transparency in the early stages of the crisis.
Tedros, who has always promised a post-pandemic review, said it would come “at the earliest appropriate moment” and provide recommendations for future preparedness. He received robust backing from the WHO’s independent oversight panel.
Outbreak at Chinese-owned factory shows challenges of easing India's lockdown
“Every country and every organisation must examine its response and learn from its experience,” Tedros said, adding that the review must cover “all actors in good faith”.
A resolution drafted by the European Union calling for an independent evaluation of the WHO’s performance appeared to have won consensus backing among the WHO’s 194 states.
In its first report on the WHO’s handling of the pandemic, the seven-member oversight committee said the U.N. agency had “demonstrated leadership and made important progress in its Covid-19 response”.
‘imperfect understanding not unusual’
It backed a review of the response to the pandemic, but said conducting it during the heat of the response “could disrupt WHO’s ability to respond effectively”.
It also said “an imperfect and evolving understanding” is not unusual during the early phase of a novel disease emergence and, in an apparent rejoinder to Trump, said “rising politicization of pandemic response” was hindering the effort to defeat the virus.
Sindh increases virus testing capacity to 6,550
China has previously opposed calls for a review of the origin and spread of the coronavirus, but Xi signalled that Beijing would be amenable to an impartial evaluation of the global response once the pandemic is brought under control.
“This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO. And the principles of objectivity and fairness need to be upheld,” he told the meeting via video.
Calling the pandemic the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War Two, Xi said: “All along we have acted with openness and transparency and responsibility.”
He pledged $2 billion over the next two years to help deal with Covid-19, especially to help developing countries.
The amount is roughly equivalent to the WHO’s entire annual programme budget for last year, and more than compensates for Trump’s freeze in US payments that had been worth about $400 million a year.
The oversight panel said that, for the next phase of the pandemic, the WHO would need an estimated $1.7 billion by the end of the year, leaving a funding gap of $1.3 billion. This did not appear to take account of China’s pledge.
Vaccines to be available to all
China will also make any Covid-19 vaccines that it develops a public good to help to curb the pandemic, Xi said.
A draft of the EU resolution made no mention of China.
The WHO and most experts say the virus is likely to have emerged in a market selling wildlife in the central city of Wuhan late last year. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this month there was “significant” evidence that it had come from a laboratory in Wuhan, a charge China rejects.
Top court directs provinces to reopen all shopping malls
Diplomats said the United States was unlikely to block a consensus backing the resolution.
But it could “dissociate” itself from sections referring to intellectual property rights for drugs and vaccines, and to continued provision of services for sexual and reproductive health during the pandemic, they said.