The World Health Organization or WHO says that the coronavirus pandemic is "getting worse." The group says the virus can be brought under control.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that over six months after the coronavirus surfaced in Wuhan, China, the “once-in-a-century pandemic” is still accelerating and spreading.
“The virus can be brought under control,” he said in his opening remarks at a member states mission briefing in Geneva, Switzerland. “But in most of the world, the virus is not under control; it’s getting worse.”
Based on the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the new coronavirus, which was initially discovered in Wuhan in late December 2019, reported over 12 million cases worldwide and led to 550,300 deaths so far. According to WHO’s latest situation report, more than half of the world’s cases have come from the Americas.
“The pandemic is still accelerating,” Tedros stressed. “The total number of cases has doubled in the last six weeks.”
Countries that have previously managed an outbreak or contained one implemented essential public health measures such as broad testing for the virus, holding aggressive contact tracing, and isolating individuals who might have been exposed to the virus, Tedros said. He noted that both poor and rich countries have been hit.
“The virus has upended health systems in some of the world’s wealthiest nations, while some countries that have mounted a successful response have been of modest means,” he said.
WHO's statements come days after US President Donald Trump’s administration sent its notice of withdraw from the WHO. This move is a yearlong process that will go through several channels outside of Trump’s control, such as cooperation from Congress and Trump's relection in November.
Trump has repeatedly slammed WHO's global response to the coronavirus pandemic. The US has recorded the largest coronavirus outbreak in the world so far. Meanwhile, many of its allies in Europe and elsewhere have been able to bring daily new coronavirus cases down to a controllable level.
Tedros, having defended the WHO’s response in the past, pointed out that the UN health agency informed countries early about the potential spread of the virus and has assisted in pursuing global research efforts.
However, he admitted that there is room for improvement in the global health system and mentioned that a new panel will assess the global response, including the organization's activities.
“For years, many of us warned that a catastrophic respiratory pandemic was inevitable,” he said. “But still, despite all the warnings, the world was not ready. Our systems were not ready. Our communities were not ready. Our supply chains collapsed. It is time for a very honest reflection.”
The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response will be headed by former prime minister of New Zealand Helen Clark and former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. He noted that the co-chairs will independently pick members of the panel.
“I cannot imagine two more strong-minded, independent leaders to help guide us through this critical learning process,” Tedros said. He added that their appointment was based on broad consultation with member states and experts.
Another proposal of Tedros is a special session of the WHO executive board in September to assess the performance of the panel, which will provide an interim report on its findings in November.
He stresses that the world will still encounter threats from new viruses even if the coronavirus pandemic subsides. He noted that it s important that the global health infrastructure will continue to evolve.
Tedros asks national leaders to unite as they fight the virus and to learn from what different countries, regions, and cities have done to manage the outbreak.
“The virus thrives on division but is thwarted when we unite,” he said. “How is it difficult for humans to unite and fight a common enemy that is killing people indiscriminately? Are we unable to distinguish or identify the common enemy? Can’t we understand that the divisions and the cracks between us are an advantage for the virus?”
