WHO urges financial leaders to strengthen global health security
Singapore, Feb 17 (EFE).- The World Health Organization warned on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences were not over and urged financial leaders to strengthen the WHO and boost global health security.
“It’s clear that (…) the world needs a strong and sustainably financed WHO, (…) with its unique mandate, unique technical expertise and unique global legitimacy,” WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.
Tedros was participating via video link in a panel on the sidelines of a G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting taking place in Jakarta on Thursday and Friday.
The director-general said commitment from the financial sector during the pandemic was fundamental for global recovery.
“Any efforts to enhance the governance, systems, and financing of global health security can only succeed if they also enhance WHO’s role,” Tedros said while asking financial leaders to donate $16 billion dollars this year to “fill the existing gap and end the pandemic.”
“Health is an investment, not a cost,” he said.
Tedros said the WHO needs an annual investment of $31 billion dollars to fight epidemics.
The WHO said on Monday that while Covid-19 will never be eradicated, society has a chance to end the global pandemic in 2022.
“We won’t end the virus this year, we won’t ever end the virus. What we can end is the public health emergency,” Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said. EFE
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