As World Health Organisation member countries passed a resolution to probe the body’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, Africa will continue to throw its “full weight” behind it for guiding the international response to the pandemic, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.
The president said this on Monday during the WHO’s virtual annual assembly, which also saw other world leaders take to online to commend the UN agency for its untiring efforts to advise its members states on how better to handle the disease since it broke out last December in Wuhan, China.
According to the current African Union Chair, the WHO from the start of the pandemic had been open with all countries, guiding them of what to do to prevent its population from contamination during its frequent briefings.
Unfortunately, he said, the pandemic has devastated the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide, in addition to changing the way societies behave, work and live in Africa as well.
He therefore called for assistance to Africa, which should include debt relief and help with diagnostics, drugs and medical supplies.
“We must ensure that there is equitable access to medical equipment, technologies and best practice to combat Covid-19,” Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, WHO members have caved in to US pressure for a probe of the body’s handling of the pandemic.
Countries that participated in the virtual annual assembly resolved by a consensus to facilitate the “impartial evaluation” of the WHO’s international response to the crisis.
This would involve scrutinizing its reactions to the disease before and after it morphed into a pandemic.
When the European Union brought up the resolution during the assembly, none of the WHO’s 194 member countries objected.
NM/as/APA