Covid-19 Pandemic –
WHO asks China again for information on the origin of the virus
The Organization once again calls on Beijing to share crucial data on the origins of Covid-19, underscoring the urgency of cooperation to avoid future crises.
Published: 12/30/2024, 8:02 p.m.
On December 31, 2019, the Chinese office of the United Nations health agency received a statement from Wuhan health authorities regarding cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city.
AFP
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Five years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday again asked China to share its data and information in order to understand how the pandemic started. “This is a moral and scientific imperative. Without transparency, sharing and cooperation between countries, the world cannot adequately prepare for or prevent future epidemics and pandemics,” WHO said in a statement.
The UN health agency recalled how, on December 31, 2019, its office in China became aware of a statement from health authorities in Wuhan regarding cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city. “In the weeks, months and years that followed, Covid-19 turned our lives and our world upside down,” the agency said.
Painful lessons
Earlier this month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus questioned whether the world was better prepared for a possible next pandemic. “The answer is yes and no,” he said during a press conference.
“If the next pandemic occurred today, the world would still face the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities that allowed Covid-19 to take hold and spread five years ago,” he added, recalling that many painful lessons had been learned during this global crisis.
In December 2021, international negotiations began to reach an agreement on prevention, preparation and response in the event of a new pandemic.
The 194 WHO member states negotiating the treaty have agreed on most of what it should contain, but are stuck on important practical aspects. The deadline for the end of negotiations is currently set for May 2025.
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