WHO head defends handling of coronavirus pandemic against Trump criticism

[webfact]

WHO head defends handling of coronavirus pandemic against Trump criticism

By Stephanie Nebehay and Emma Farge

 

FILE PHOTO: Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference on the situation of the coronavirus (COVID-2019), in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization gave a strident defence of his agency's handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism and suggestion that Washington could review its funding for the agency.

 

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for unity and a halt to "politicization" of the global health crisis, specifically urging China and the United States to show "honest leadership".

 

Tedros said that he expected U.S. funding to continue with traditional bipartisan support.

 

U.S. contributions to the WHO in 2019 exceeded $400 million, almost double the second largest country donor, according to U.S. figures. The WHO website shows the United States as its top donor, contributing nearly 15% of the budget.

 

"We have kept the world informed about the latest data, information and evidence," Tedros said, noting that Thursday would mark 100 days since China first notified the organization of cases of "pneumonia with unknown cause" on December 31.

 

Tedros, a former foreign minister of Ethiopia, also rejected Trump's suggestion that the WHO was "China-centric", saying: "We are close to every nation, we are colour-blind."

 

The head of the World Health Organization gave a strident defense of his agency's handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism and suggestion that Washington could review its funding for the agency.

 

Earlier, Dr Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to Tedros, also defended the U.N. agency's relationship with China, saying its work with Beijing authorities was important to understand the outbreak.

 

"It was absolutely critical in the early part of this outbreak to have full access to everything possible, to get on the ground and work with the Chinese to understand this," said Aylward, who led a WHO expert mission to China in February.

 

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that now was not the time to assess the global response to the pandemic, calling instead for the international community to focus on working in solidarity to stop the virus.

 

Tedros said his U.N. agency would conduct its usual assessment of its performance after the emergency and draw lessons about its strengths and weaknesses, adding: "We make mistakes like other human beings."

 

He summarised his advice as: "Please, unity at national level, no using COVID for political points. Second, honest solidarity at the global level. And honest leadership from the U.S. and China."

 

"The most powerful should lead the way and please quarantine COVID politics," he added, referring to COVID-19, the highly contagious, sometimes deadly illness caused by the new coronavirus.

 

Tedros said that China and United States should follow the example of the former Soviet Union and the United States who launched a 10-year global campaign in 1967 that eradicated smallpox, a disease then killing 2 million people annually.

 

Tedros rejected "racist slurs" against him, which he said had originated in Taiwan, and disclosed that he had also received a death threat during the crisis.

 

"We are losing people, why would I care about being attacked when people are dying?" he said, noting there were already "60,000 body bags" after more than 1.3 million infections.

 

"We will have many body bags in front of us if we don't behave," he added.

 

(Additional reporting by Michael Shields in Zurich and Michelle Nichols in New York; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Bill Berkrot, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-09

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[JimmyTheMook]

This guy is disgusting filth and glad he got called out.

[twocatsmac]

9 minutes ago, JimmyTheMook said:

This guy is disgusting filth and glad he got called out.

Smoking guns have been found at his and China’s doors. Inevitable investigations will unearth the extent of their guilt.

[ezzra]

"Unity" tell that to the 10's of thousands dead and 1.4 million infected sick with the disease because of your bumbling incompetent handling of the early warning signs: ( from News.com)

A group of World Health Organisation (WHO) doctors voted not to declare a global health emergency for the COVID-19 virus earlier, as cases continued to grow in China.

An investigation by Sky News Australia Discovered the decision of whether or not to implement the health emergency and introduce travel restrictions was put to a vote in late January, but those in favour of the early action were outvoted.

After this vote, WHO released a statement saying the Emergency Committee expressed “divergent views” on whether the virus constituted an international public health emergency.

It wasn’t until a week later on January 30 that an international public health emergency was declared...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by ezzra

[ukrules]

I've said it before on this forum and will say it again : Tedros is an idiot

[TopDeadSenter]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Tedros, a former foreign minister of Ethiopia, also rejected Trump's suggestion that the WHO was "China-centric", saying: "We are close to every nation, we are colour-blind."

'It is pretty much clear he is a shield for Beijing,' said a senior British Cabinet source. 'His comments congratulating China for exemplary handing of the crisis are not borne out by the reality of events.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8187901/Chinas-toxic-lackey-head-stands-accused-putting-lives-risk.html

 

 Looks like Trump won this battle easily. Why do corrupt officials always think they can take on Donald Trump and expect him to be too hamstrung by PC and diplomacy to hit back? They never learn.

[metisdead]

A post with content from an unapproved YouTube source has been removed, the following forum rule applies to YouTube as well:

 

18) Social Media content is not to be used as  source material unless it is from a recognized or approved news media source,  the source of any such material (Twitter, Facebook  etc.) should always be shown.

[JimmyTheMook]

5:45 sec mark 

 

 

[DoctorG]

Surprised to learn this morning that membership costs Australia 9mAUD and that they contribute another 57mAUD as a voluntary contribution.

Nowhere near what the US and other larger countries contribute, but certainly far too much. My federal MP will be receiving an email shortly.

[Crazy Alex]

January 14, 2020: WHO says coronovirus can't be spread by humans.

 

 

WHO just repeated Chinese propaganda without any scrutiny whatsoever. Defund these losers.

[Phuketshrew]

A young English expat teacher living and working in Wuhan was interviewed on BBC World last night. He suffered Covid-19 in November last year and stayed in Wuhan for the duration. The despicable Chinese authorities covered up this pandemic outbreak for months and even gagged early whistle blowers. One of them, a doctor, paid for this with his life. Are we really to believe that the WHO knew nothing about this? Of course they were complicit. The Chinese and these morons should be tried for genocide in the international courts once this is all over.

[Odysseus123]

36 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Surprised to learn this morning that membership costs Australia 9mAUD and that they contribute another 57mAUD as a voluntary contribution.

Nowhere near what the US and other larger countries contribute, but certainly far too much. My federal MP will be receiving an email shortly.

I am very sure that he is expecting it...

[Mama Noodle]

They’ve been wrong on just about every single announcement they’ve made. Their bad advice was used to guide policy globally and they just took China’s word at it all.  
 

I mean there are TIGERS in the NY zoo that have covid now for crying out loud. 
 

China, WHO, and the UN need a reckoning. 

[thailand49]

Fair enough to criticize the U.S. with your comments now turn around and do the same with China!  Instead of deflecting the criticism from the U.S. now lecture China about not disclosing the data so badly needed to research the Virus as of today they still haven't.

 

Time to investigate the bank accounts of this guy he is a liar and has no business running such an organization. Time for the U.S. to stop funding corruption same for the United Nation. Time to withdraw and start all over!

[DoctorG]

34 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

I am very sure that he is expecting it...

He probably is as it would not be the first time. He is pretty good though and usually responds. Nothing changes but at least he responds.  ????

[Creasy]

You know they’re China’s lackeys when they can’t even say the word ‘Taiwan’

[Peterw42]

W.H.O. is not much different to the weather channel on television. They tell you its raining, how much it rained yesterday and forecast if it will rain tomorrow. all based on the data they have been given. They dont have anything to do with whether you cancel the footy match or move the BBQ indoors. W.H.O doesnt have executive power over Governments, borders, travel or the data they are given.

Like the weather channel, they can give broad generic recommendations, like take an umbrella, 

 

If governments give W.H.O. incorrect information or Governments fail to act on the Information. Thats like blaming the weather channel for your ruined BBQ.

 

W.H.O did not advise trump that "its just the flu", "numbers will soon be zero", "It will disappear like magic etc etc. 

 

[UbonThani]

24 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

W.H.O. is not much different to the weather channel on television. They tell you its raining, how much it rained yesterday and forecast if it will rain tomorrow. all based on the data they have been given. They dont have anything to do with whether you cancel the footy match or move the BBQ indoors. W.H.O doesnt have executive power over Governments, borders, travel or the data they are given.

Like the weather channel, they can give broad generic recommendations, like take an umbrella, 

 

If governments give W.H.O. incorrect information or Governments fail to act on the Information. Thats like blaming the weather channel for your ruined BBQ.

 

W.H.O did not advise trump that "its just the flu", "numbers will soon be zero", "It will disappear like magic etc etc. 

 

No human to human transmission derr

 

They said it wont rain

It flooded

[tearsinrain]

It is so amazing to see people think China is the only one goverment to do this cover up.

By saying amazing, I mean "politically naive".

US has already become the hub of this crisis, and you are still focus on highly biased BBC? 

My uncle just passed away in NY due to the delayed test kit. And there are tons of tragedies like this, will you notice this information? Or you just choose to selectively overlook these news and live in the delusion that certain country should take all the blame? 

[Peterw42]

23 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

No human to human transmission derr

 

They said it wont rain

It flooded

W.H.O. is a scientific body, they correlate, act on, and report real scientific data from real scientific sources. They dont act on facebook posts, opinion, or anything not scientifically proven. (no matter how many are saying otherwise)

The day they had scientific evidence of human to human transmission is the day they made a statement of human to human transmission.

 

If W.H.O made a statement early on that there was no proof of human to human transmission, that means that at the time of the announcement there was no scientific proof of human to human transmission. Thats how science works, you dont make statements without proof.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Peterw42

[johnnybangkok]

Deflectors on full Captain Trump?

[Paul Henry]

Another Trump diversionary tactic to take the focus off him and find another scapegoat to have an argument with. Trump has had three years  to discuss the performance of WHO and withhold monies until an improvement was forthcoming. Again highlighting Trumps administration does nothing on a day to day basis. This is another NATO argument which results in no improvement or major changes. 

[UbonThani]

15 minutes ago, tearsinrain said:

It is so amazing to see people think China is the only one goverment to do this cover up.

By saying amazing, I mean "politically naive".

US has already become the hub of this crisis, and you are still focus on highly biased BBC? 

My uncle just passed away in NY due to the delayed test kit. And there are tons of tragedies like this, will you notice this information? Or you just choose to selectively overlook these news and live in the delusion that certain country should take all the blame? 

99% to blame China. 1% others.

[UbonThani]

14 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

W.H.O. is a scientific body, they correlate, act on, and report real scientific data from real scientific sources. They dont act on facebook posts, opinion, or anything not scientifically proven. (no matter how many are saying otherwise)

The day they had scientific evidence of human to human transmission is the day they made a statement of human to human transmission.

 

 

 

 

Science?  Bad science then. The UN is known for bad science.

[tifino]

2 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

99% to blame China. 1% others.

although it's likely that seeing as WHO and CCP together might title 'blame'

 - they are really applying % gullibility

[Eric Loh]

May took his diversion and deflection bait and look the other way from his lackadaisical handling of the pandemic. He failed his own people. 

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

99% to blame China. 1% others.

For the countries outside China first hit I could to a certain extent agree with you. For the western countries, hit way, way after WHO warnings, no. They were complacent at best.

[UbonThani]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Yes, the term scientific evidence is difficult. 

Half an ounce of common sense reqd really.

 

WHO are idiots. But we knew that before with their dodgy food science.

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, Creasy said:

You know they’re China’s lackeys when they can’t even say the word ‘Taiwan’

Taiwan is not a WHO member. 

[stevenl]

2 minutes ago, UbonThani said:

Half an ounce of common sense reqd really.

 

WHO are idiots. But we knew that before with their dodgy food science.

Thanks for proving the point made.