WHO boss re-echoes need for unity to conquer COVID-19

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The World Health Organisation (WHO) director general has re-echoed the need for unity and solidarity as the world continues to fight the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

His call was made at the end of the two day World Health Assembly after the better part of the second day was spent with delegates from the United States, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba and Syria using the assembly to address political and territorial disputes.

During his closing remarks in the online meeting that ended on Tuesday, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called all the leaders of the world to put politics aside and bilateral disagreements to fight the deadly disease.

Dr Ghebreyesus called upon world leaders to put aside their differences and unite against their common enemy, COVID-19.

As of today, over 4.7 million people have been infected with the disease with more than 300,000 deaths recorded. Dr Ghebreyesus urged counties to have hope that the high numbers of the disease being reported can be overcome.

During the assembly, members called for independent evaluations on how WHO responded to the pandemic. Dr Ghebreyesus welcomed the calls and said that they carry out an evaluation at the end of the pandemic.

World leaders who attended the assembly virtually for the first time also called for more funding for the UN health agency saying that the organisation cannot do its work without adequate funding.

The President of the Swiss Confederation, Simonetta Myriam Sommaruga, argues that it is unreasonable for member countries to demand so much from WHO when the organization is underfunded. She says that the organization needs sustainable financing to be able to provide its expertise now during the pandemic and after.

“ It is important for the organization to have financial space for maneuvering yet at the moment the organization is funded to the tune of almost 80 percent of its total voluntary contributions. I think we need to ask the question is it reasonable and is it right to demand so much of the organization and yet contribute to it in such a hideous manner,” said Sommaruga.

Similarly, the president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping said that the world needs to provide more political and financial support to the organization during this pandemic.

“At this point, to support the WHO is to support global cooperation and saving of lives as well. We call on the international community to increase political and financial support to WHO so as to mobilize enough resources worldwide to defeat the virus,” he said.

In addition to calling for more funding, world leaders also pledged their full support to the organization, calling for solidarity and the end of political interests as COVID-19 numbers continue to surge.

The World Health Assembly is an annual World Health Organisation event that brings together all the 195 member countries of the organisation. It is held in Geneva, Switzerland.

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