Health
WHO Chief warning: “Do not politicize the virus” unless “you want to have more body bags” [Video]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned global leaders on Wednesday, through a virtual press conference, to concentrate on saving lives from the virus instead of using the situation for political gain.
- He noted that resources needed in battling the virus won’t be a problem as long as unity is achieved at the global level — encouraging the nations to work hand in hand.
- President Donald Trump threatened the WHO that he’d consider cutting the US funding to the organization due to its approach to the pandemic.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization issued a warning to world leaders on Wednesday to concentrate their efforts in saving lives and refrain from politicizing the crisis. He spoke through a virtual press conference that came after President Donald Trump threatened the international group that he will suspend the funding given to the health organization.
The director-general advised leaders to focus on protecting lives instead of throwing political assaults which would only end to “more body bags.”
“Please do not politicize this virus… If you want to be exploited and if you want to have many more body bags, then you do it. If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it,” Tedros insisted. “… No need to use COVID to score political points.”
He asserted that nations should work together in fighting the virus which already spread to over 1.4 million people — with around 83,000 fatalities worldwide, based on the tracking by John Hopkins University. The director added that any country, even those with a developed system, would encounter more chaos if there’s no unity.
The director added that resources would not be a problem for the organization as long as there’s global unity. He added that he envisioned the US to contribute to the group as usual and also thanked the country for its “generous support so far.”
Tedros’ announcements came just a day after Trump’s repeated attacks on the WHO, as well as China vis-à-vis their initial actions against the virus. Trump argued that the WHO seemed to be “very biased toward China,” and said that he’d consider cutting the US funding to the group.
America is one of the biggest financers to the international health group worldwide.
In the virtual press conference, Tedros shared that Thursday will mark the 100th day since the WHO was informed about the first cases characterized by a “pneumonia with unknown cause” in China.
In late January, the WHO proclaimed the coronavirus to be a public emergency of international concern. By March 11, the virus scare was declared a pandemic by the UN health organization.
Source: The Hill
