WHO Chief warned towards the “politicisation of the pandemic.” (File)
Geneva:
The World Well being Group chief on Thursday rejected as false an allegation by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he owed his place to a take care of China.
Pompeo informed a non-public assembly of MPs on Tuesday that the WHO had turn into a “political” physique, alleging that its selections had been influenced by a deal struck between chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and China that helped him turn into its head, based on quotes within the Occasions and Every day Telegraph.
“When push got here to shove, when it actually mattered most”, individuals died “due to the deal that was made”, he stated.
Requested about Pompeo’s allegations throughout a digital press convention, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated they had been “unfaithful and unacceptable and with none basis for that matter.”
He insisted that the “sole focus… of your complete organisation is on saving lives. WHO won’t be distracted by these feedback and we do not need your complete worldwide neighborhood additionally to be distracted.”
He reiterated his warning that one of many “best threats within the present disaster is the “politicisation of the pandemic”.
Quarantine ‘COVID politics’
Tedros appealed to all nations to work collectively within the combat towards the virus, which has claimed greater than 627,000 lives worldwide because it first emerged in China late final yr.
“COVID-19 doesn’t respect borders, ideologies or political events,” he stated, warning that “politics and partisanship have made issues worse.”
“COVID politics must be quarantined.”
Tedros has for months confronted relentless assaults from US President Donald Trump, who has accused WHO of botching the worldwide coronavirus response and of being a “puppet of China”.
Earlier this month he made good on his menace to start withdrawing the US — historically WHO’s largest donor — from the organisation, whilst it really works to coordinate the worldwide response to the coronavirus disaster.
WHO COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove, who’s an American citizen, additionally pushed again Thursday towards the fees lobbed towards the UN company.
“I’ve by no means be extra proud to be WHO,” she stated.
“I see first hand daily the work that Dr. Tedros does… that our groups do, all around the world,” she stated, insisting your complete organisation was “firmly targeted on saving lives.”
At Thursday’s press convention, Tedros additionally confused the significance of particular person duty within the international bid to halt the unfold of the virus, pointing to a variety of contemporary outbreaks related to nightclubs and social gatherings.
“We’re asking everybody to deal with the selections about the place they go, what they do and who they meet with as life-and-death selections,” he stated.
“It is probably not your life, however your decisions may very well be the distinction between life and demise for somebody you like, or for a whole stranger,” he confused.
“Do not count on another person to maintain you secure. All of us have an element to play in defending ourselves and each other.”
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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