untitled design

WHO: Member States agree to strengthen the organization

Its members World Health Organization (WHO), at the heart of the battle against Covid-19, they agreed today to strengthen this United Nations body, however the basic parameters of its reform remain to be defined, reports APE.

More than a year after the start of the pandemic that has caused more than 3.5 million deaths worldwide, WTO member states adopted a resolution to strengthen the organization, after a week of consultation.

The resolution was adopted by a committee before its adoption by the plenary on the last day of the 74th World Health Summit and was approved by its Director-General. WHERE Tantros Antanom Gebregesous “One of the most important in the history of the WHO”.

At the core of the summit, the organization’s reform and ability to coordinate its response to global health crises and prevent future epidemics dominated the consultation, as the WHO and the international community failed to prevent the 19-C pandemic. .

During the week, countries were briefed on numerous reports by independent experts revealing WHO failures, but also from countries facing Covid-19 and calling for extensive reforms in the warning and prevention systems.

One of the reports estimated that the pandemic could have been avoided and that the WHO declared very late, at the end of January 2020, a global health emergency, the highest level of alert.

The resolution adopted today, entitled “Strengthening WHO preparedness and response to health emergencies”, was mainly a proposal of the USA and the European Union.

The text emphasizes that preparing for and responding to health crises “is first and foremost the responsibility of governments playing a critical role in this regard”.

But he also stressed the key role that the WHO plays within the United Nations in the face of health crises and notes that the expectations of the international community “generally exceed the real potential” of the organization.

The resolution also sets up a working group to strengthen WHO preparedness and response to health emergencies.

The working group, which is open to all Member States, will be responsible for reviewing the conclusions of various reports and submitting its own recommendations for evaluation at the 75th World Health Summit.

The Health ministers from the 194 WHO member states will also meet from 29 November to decide whether to start negotiations on an international treaty aimed at strengthening defenses against future pandemics.

THE Mike Ryan, WHO Emergency Management Officer, welcomed the decisions, saying at the annual ministerial meeting: “Right now pathogens have the upper hand, appearing more regularly and often tacitly on a planet that is out of balance.”

“We need to turn exactly what exposed us to this pandemic, our connection, we need to turn that into strength,” he said.

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular