By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – Head of the World Health Organization said on Monday he would “welcome constructive dialogue” with the United States Government over the decision made by President Donald Trump to withdraw.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a speech to the organization’s executive board said that .President Donald Trump’s executive order of 20 January is regrettable “and we hope the US will reconsider.”
Tedros said he would welcome the opportunity “to preserve and strengthen the historic relationship between WHO and the US.”
He said WHO had implemented the deepest and most wide-range reforms in its history over the past seven years and pushing back on the rationale laid out in the executive order,.
According to latest WHO figures the US is the biggest donor by far to the agency, accounted for 14 per cent of its $6.9 billion budget.
Tedros said reducing reliance on the US and others who pay the most was a “critical element of our long-term plan to broaden our donor base,” addressing the US complaint that it is paying too much compared to other countries.
He rejected the accusation that WHO had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic:
“From the moment we picked up the first signals of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, we asked for more information, activated our emergency incident management system, alerted the world, convened global experts, and published comprehensive guidance for countries on how to protect their populations and health systems all before the first death from this new disease was reported in China on the 11th of January 2020.”
Tedros addressed the allegation that WHO lacks independence from “inappropriate political influence” by some Member States “WHO is impartial and exists to serve all countries and all people,” he said.
He concluded “Our Member States ask us for many things, and we always try to help as much as we can. But when what they ask is not supported by scientific evidence or is contrary to our mission to support global health, we say no, politely.”
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