WHO chief to Trump: There’ll be more body bags if you politicise coronavirus crisis
File Photo: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization speaks during a news conference on updates regarding COVID-19 – Copyright Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, file
The World Health Organisation’s chief warned leaders not to politicise the coronavirus pandemic when the world needs to work together.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was reacting to comments made by US President Donald Trump who said he was thinking about cutting funding from the international organisation leading the fight against COVID-19.
Trump accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of being too “China centric”.
At a press conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros issued a plea against politicising the pandemic, equating it to playing with fire.
“Please don’t politicise this virus. It exploits the differences you have at the national level. If you want to be exploited and if you want to have many more body bags, then you do it,” Dr Tedros said in a defensive response to questions about the US president’s comments.
“If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicising it.”
He asked the United States and China to work together and asked for people to “quarantine” politicising the virus.
“We shouldn’t waste time pointing fingers. We need time to unite,” Dr Tedros added.
He also defended the track record of the international health organisation, listing several areas in which the organisation has worked to combat the virus, including building country capacity to prepare and respond, publishing guidance, engaging global doctors, and informing the public about the virus.
“We have been doing everything we can. We will continue to do everything day and night like we have been doing… we want to learn from our mistakes and move forward. But for now, the focus should be on fighting this virus.”
The US funded nearly one-fifth of the World Health Organization’s budget from 2018 to 2019.