Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that all countries must make universal health a priority (File)
Dubai:
Lack of global leadership and unity in fighting the coronavirus is a greater threat than the epidemic itself, the head of the World Health Organization said on Monday, adding that the politicization of the pandemic had worsened.
He did not give details, but WHO has been criticized by some member states, particularly the United States, who say it was too weak, too slow and too “China-centered” to tackle disease.
Other members called for a review of the pandemic, with Australia urging WHO to have more powers to respond more quickly to a health crisis.
“The world desperately needs national unity and global solidarity. The politicization of the pandemic has exacerbated it,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a virtual health forum hosted by the Summit. government conference, an event organized by Dubai.
“… The biggest threat we face today is not the virus itself, it is the lack of global solidarity and global leadership.”
He said parts of international health regulations needed to be tightened up to make them “more suitable for use”.
He did not specify which parts, but only that they needed “coordinated, predictable, transparent, broad and flexible funding” to be fully implemented.
He also said that all countries should make universal health a priority, warning that the world had learned the hard way that strong health systems were “the foundation of global health security and social and economic development”.
The WHO warned on Friday that the pandemic is accelerating, as infections worldwide exceed 8.3 million people with 4.53,834 deaths.
Norwegian Health Minister Bent Hoeie warned that the epidemic was “far from over”.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
