W.H.O. Chief Says Pandemic Demonstrated That the World Needs a ‘Stronger, Empowered’ Organization

World Health Organization (W.H.O.) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that the Chinese coronavirus pandemic demonstrated that the world needs a “stronger” and more “empowered” organization.

“The pandemic has demonstrated not only why the world needs W.H.O., but why the world needs a stronger, empowered and sustainably financed W.H.O.,” he said during the 72nd session of the Regional Committee for Africa before thanking Member States for “the historic commitment you made at this year’s World Health Assembly to gradually increase assessed contributions to 50 percent of the base budget over the next decade”:

He also expressed pleasure in seeing reported cases and deaths in the region reaching the lowest levels since the start of the pandemic, despite, he said, the “appalling inequity in access to vaccines” as well as “misinformation and disinformation.”

Ghebreyesus failed to mention that vaccines do not stop the transmission of the virus. Rather, he continued to urge African member states to work toward a goal of vaccinating “100 percent of health workers and 100 percent of people aged over 60.” – READ MORE