WHO Chief Pledges Probe Of Agency’s Coronavirus Response

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses a press conference about the update on COVID-19 at the World Health Orga... FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses a press conference about the update on COVID-19 at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The European Union is calling for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organization’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, “to review experience gained and lessons learned.” (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, File) MORE LESS
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GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization says he will begin an independent evaluation of the U.N. health agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic “at the earliest appropriate moment.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the pledge Monday after an independent oversight advisory body published its first interim report about the U.N. health agency’s response to COVID-19 from January to April.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO’s warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to “reassess” WHO’s role in providing travel advice to countries.

The advisory body’s review and recommendations appeared unlikely to appease the United States administration, which has been scathing in its criticism of WHO — in part over President Donald Trump’s allegation that it had criticized a U.S. travel ban that he ordered on people arriving from China, where the outbreak first appeared late last year.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States — the health agency’s biggest single donor — pending a review of its early response. But the review panel, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the “heat of the response” could hurt WHO’s ability to respond to it.

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Notable Replies

  1. Glad to read it was an independent study.

  2. I’m sure WHO knew that China was giving them 2 billion for virus support when they announced this. Coincidence involved? I’m not saying the fix is in, but I’m saying it’s odd that they both happened at the same time.

  3. They should start their investigation at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…

  4. It has been reported that tRump and his mindless minions PULLED the CDC people on the ground in China out of the country. Those people were the eyes and ears of the administration and the CDC. trump shut down the pandemic team and tossed the playbook into a file cabinet. He was warned by President Obama about the possibility of a viral pandemic before President Obama left office in 2017.

    “Crimson Contagion” basically a table top exercise for pandemics based on military war game strategies revealed the country was not prepared for any health care emergency let alone a global pandemic. The administration was aware of the exercise which ran from last January to August because it is handled by HHS-which is the Federal Government and part of the tRump administration. The simulation’s sobering results — contained in a draft report dated October 2019 that has not previously been reported — drove home just how underfunded, underprepared and uncoordinated the federal government would be for a life-or-death battle with a virus for which no treatment existed.

    "OCTOBER 2019"

    First warning by the intelligence community-NOVEMBER 2019

    Regardless of what the WHO did or didn’t do. Regardless of what the CDC did or didn’t do but remember the CDC were participants of Crimson Contagion so in reality by the tRump people getting that draft in October-they did partial due diligence to the problem. Regardless-tRump ignored the intelligence community and continued to downplay the virus until the death count starting rising. From that point on tRump and his minions have continued to lie to the American people who the majority thinks he’s full of shit and he continues to try and push the blame on others-CHINA, The WHO, CDC, President Obama - he’s looking for any boogeyman, while at the same time putting out rallying calls to white supremacist and other radical right wing domestic terrorist groups to cause distractions which will eventually lead to violence just to cover his incompetence. But those doing harm will be fine people too.

    Trump has blood on his hands and he doesn’t even care because it’s all about him getting re-elected. The American People in his mind are DISPENSABLE.

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