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The comprehensive report examined how the Italian government and healthcare system had reacted after the country became the epicenter of the outbreak in Europe in late February, in light of real-time data and case studies of what worked. and what was not meant to help other countries prepare for the spread of the virus.
The agency withdrew the report a day after it was posted on its website, prompting the official who coordinated the work to appeal directly to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on May 28, and to warn that the report’s disappearance undermines the credibility of the WHO.
He warned that any new attempts at censorship would undermine the agency’s independence and its relations with the donor countries that funded the research.
Francesco Zampon, WHO’s senior field coordinator for Italy and its territories during the pandemic, wrote that dealing with the report could cause “a major scandal, at a sensitive time for the United Nations health agency with the upcoming investigation into Covid-19 “.
In a statement issued Saturday, the World Health Organization said Zampon “has expressed his views to many and they have been approached through the appropriate forces.”
The report, prepared by Zampon and a team of experts and advisers in public health, was published in the World Health Organization on May 13, after obtaining the necessary approvals within the United Nations system, according to internal WHO documents. reviewed by Associated Press.
The agency later said it withdrew the report due to “errors of fact” that it did not mention in detail and denied that it had been subjected to pressure from the Italian government to remove it.
Faced with criticism that withdrawing the report deprived countries of data that could have helped them avoid the fate of Italy, the World Health Organization said on Monday it had offered another “mechanism” to assess responses to the pandemic. However, this was not raised until two months after the report was withdrawn.
Concerns about the missing report have risen in recent weeks, prompting criticism of WHO’s leadership in the global response to the pandemic, prompting the agency to agree to an independent investigation of its performance.
The UN agency has been reluctant to openly criticize major donor countries, even when their policies undermine public health.
During the early stages of the outbreak in January, for example, WHO officials were particularly frustrated at the lack of information to share with China, but publicly praised the country for its transparency.
As the epidemic intensified in Europe, WHO scientists questioned among themselves Britain’s policies, suggesting that it would seek to implement a “herd immunity” policy, but publicly confirmed their support for the government.
The missing report highlighted the degree of preparedness in Italy, as the deadliest disease in Europe was revealed.
In the hard-hit province of Bergamo, prosecutors withheld his case as part of their investigation into what went wrong.
Ironically, the report did not particularly criticize the Italian government, instead praising officials for their efforts, praising at one point their opposition to disturbing statements from “controversial talk show programs.”
The report stated that the Italian Health Ministry had not updated the influenza pandemic preparedness plan since 2006. The report said the 2006 plan was “reaffirmed” in 2016-2017 only without updating it, noting that it was a plan. “theoretical rather than practical”.
“In light of the lack of preparedness for such a flood of critically ill patients, the initial response from hospitals was improvised, chaotic and innovative. It took some time before official guidelines were available,” he added.
The investigative report, broadcast by Italy’s state-run RAI TV, published emails showing that senior WHO official Raniero Guerra, who served as a liaison with the Italian government during the epidemic, told Zampon to “correct” the subject and indicate The Italian preparation plan was “updated” in 2016, even though the 2016 version was identical to the 2006 version.
Guerra was responsible for prevention at the Italian Ministry of Health from 2014 to 2017, when the plan had to be revised. He himself wrote to the Health Minister at the time saying the plan needed to be updated, according to a copy of his 2017 memo shared with the Associated Press.
The World Health Organization had said that the Italian government did not ask it “at any time” to remove the report, which it now says it does not support.
The World Health Organization stated that “the decision to remove the document from the site was made by the WHO Regional Office for Europe due to inaccurate facts.”
Emails seen by the Associated Press indicate that WHO officials were concerned that the report had upset Italians, providing rare information about the UN agency’s decision-making process, which is not subject to requests. freedom of information.
In an email to Zampon on May 13, Guerra indicated that Italy had just made a voluntary donation of 10 million euros ($ 12.3 million) to the World Health Organization, and that negotiations between the World Health Organization Health and Italy to finance the agency’s Venice office were about to start.
“In fact, there are signs of deep anger on the part of Italy and unnecessary resentment against the WHO,” Guerra wrote to Zampon on May 14, the day the report was withdrawn.
A day later, the head of the WHO office in Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, wrote to Zampon that the “main issue” in the dispute was his relationship with the Italian Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, who said he was “extremely disappointed “with the report.
The Italian government, he said, “feels that it is under constant attack by the press and every word can be misinterpreted. Members of the government felt that a friend had run over them.”
Kluge added that he would suggest that Speranza, including Italian health officials, review the report. “We need the Ministry of Health to be happy and sign the funding for the Venice office,” he said.
