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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (AP).
CEO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it would be worse to come from Covid-19 if the world did not unite to resist its spread.
- AFP
- Last update: April 9, 2020 7:58 AM IST
Geneva: On Wednesday, the World Health Organization called for global unity in the fight against the coronavirus, after the stabbing attack by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, in his handling of the pandemic.
As WHO prepares to commemorate 100 days on Thursday since the outbreak was first reported in China, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to accusations that he had been too close to Beijing.
The UN health agency has faced criticism in the past for overreacting and moving too slowly in the fight against epidemics, but it has rarely faced as much scrutiny as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump stepped in on Tuesday accusing the WHO of having “miscalled” him and months too late, while taking money from the United States but favoring China.
The new coronavirus, which first appeared in China in December, has killed more than 80,000 people, while more than 1.4 million people have tested positive.
“The WHO really screwed it up. For some reason, largely funded by the United States, but very focused on China. We’ll take a good look at it,” Trump said on Twitter.
“Fortunately, I rejected his advice to keep our borders open to China from the start. Why did they give us such a flawed recommendation?”
Tedros urged the United States to join China in fighting the disease instead of falling for blame, as it issued a stern defense of the management of the pandemic by the WHO.
“The United States and China should unite and fight this dangerous enemy,” Tedros said at a virtual press conference in Geneva.
“The focus of all political parties should be to save their people. Please do not politicize this virus. If you do not want many more body bags, then refrain from politicizing it,” argued the WHO chief, before adding more. afternoon: “It is like playing with fire.” Citing the death toll and the number of infections, Tedros implored: “For God’s sake … is this not enough?”
The WHO was deemed too alarmist when it faced the H1N1 epidemic in 2009, but five years later it was accused of shuffling when declaring an emergency due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people.
Now, the agency has been accused of delaying the alarm on Covid-19 for fear of offending Beijing, waiting too long to declare the outbreak of a global pandemic, and failing to coordinate a coherent international response.
Tedros has been giving virtual press conferences three times a week in an attempt to be open about how the organization is dealing with the pandemic.
In a very unusual twist on Wednesday, Ethiopia’s former health and foreign affairs minister spoke for the first time about personal attacks directed at him, including racial slurs and a death threat, during the crisis.
“I don’t give a damn,” said Tedros. “I am a very proud black or black person. I don’t care if they even call me black; I am.
“When the entire black community was insulted, when Africa was insulted, then I can’t stand it,” he said, referring to suggestions by two scientists last week about the continent’s suitability as a vaccine testing ground.
On Wednesday night, he retweeted the personal support he received from the African Union and the presidents of South Africa, Nigeria and Rwanda.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also lent his support and said it was not the time to criticize the prompt response to the outbreak.
“Now is the time for unity, for the international community to work in solidarity to stop this virus and its devastating consequences,” he said in a statement.
Tedros may also turn to some high-end celebrity endorsement, such as American superstar Lady Gaga.
He has partnered with the singer to launch a giant coronavirus awareness concert online on April 18 titled “One World: Together at Home,” with music icons like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.
Tedros said it would be worse to come from Covid-19 if the world did not unite to resist its spread. “Let’s fight like hell to suppress and control this virus,” he said. “Otherwise, with the way we’re doing it now, I think we will regret it.”
