Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
The much hyped debate over the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in spread of COVID-19 pandemic has a resolution from the member states. They have agreed to set up inquiry into the global response to the pandemic.
The US has been largely stating and objecting to the role of the WHO. The US had also said to stop funding to the body. The resolution, approved without objection by the WHO’s 194-member annual assembly meeting virtually in Geneva, also allows for the inquiry to look into the health body’s own role.
The USA in particular has been highly critical of its response. The EU presented the resolution on behalf of 100 nations.
In the resolution it calls for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international response. This will also in particular focus on the WHO’s timelines pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic. The body has faced criticism that it was late to declare a health emergency.
The US has accused WHO of giving incorrect advises over travel ban, human transmission of the virus and also upon lockdown.
The resolution also calls for the world to ensure “transparent, equitable and timely access” to any treatments or vaccines, and pushes for the WHO to investigate the “source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population”.
As I see no requests for the floor, I take it that there is no objection and the resolution is therefore adopted, declared the assembly’s president, Keva Bain, the Bahamas ambassador.
President Donald Trump had a day before called the organisation a “puppet” of China and suspended funding for the WHO. The US is the largest donor. He has also accused China of trying to cover up the outbreak – something it strongly rejects – and said the WHO had failed to hold Beijing to account.
