ZCZC
BFF-36
VIRUS-WHO-US-FAUCI-LEAD
In departure from Trump era, US hails WHO pandemic response
GENEVA, Jan 21, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – In a dramatic about-turn, the new US
administration on Thursday thanked the World Health Organization for leading
the global pandemic response and vowed to remain a member state.
“Under trying circumstances, this organisation has rallied the scientific
and research and development community to accelerate vaccines, therapies and
diagnostics,” top US scientist Anthony Fauci, who has been named President
Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, told a meeting of the WHO’s executive
board.
The WHO, he said, had “relentlessly worked with nations in their fight
against Covid-19.”
His comments marked a clear departure from the harsh criticism dealt to
the WHO by former US president Donald Trump, who had begun withdrawing his
country from the organisation.
But on his first day in office Wednesday, Biden reversed that decision.
In a letter sent to United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, Biden announced
he was retracting Trump’s July 6 notification that the United States intended
to withdraw from the UN health agency in 12 months’ time.
“The United States intends to remain a member of the World Health
Organization,” Biden wrote.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the about-face.
“WHO is a family of nations and we are all glad that the United States is
staying in the family,” he told the executive board meeting.
– US to resume funding –
In his address to the WHO on Thursday, Fauci stressed that Washington —
long the agency’s top donor — was committed to resuming the funding.
“The United States… intends to fulfil its financial obligations to the
organisation,” he said.
He said Washington planned to “work constructively with partners to
strengthen and importantly reform the WHO”.
Fauci stressed that the United States was aware of the towering task ahead
in reining in the pandemic, which in just over a year has claimed more than
two million lives, infected close to 100 million people and eviscerated the
global economy.
“The United States stands ready to work in partnership and solidarity to
support the international Covid-19 response,” he said.
Biden, said Fauci, was also preparing to issue a directive including the
US intent to join the WHO co-led Covax facility, a globally-pooled Covid-19
vaccine procurement and distribution effort aimed at equitable vaccine
access.
Fauci also mentioned an international mission finally under way in China
to help investigate the origins of Covid-19.
Both the WHO and China have met criticism that the mission is taking place
more than a year after the first cases of the virus surfaced in Wuhan.
“We are committed to transparency, including those events surrounding the
early days of the pandemic,” Fauci said.
“It is imperative that we learn and build upon important lessons about how
future pandemic events can be averted,” he said, stressing that “the
international investigation should be robust and clear, and we look forward
to evaluating it.”
BSS/AFP/IJ/1655 hrs