WHO chief urges US to reconsider funding

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that he hoped the Trump administration would reconsider its suspension of funding, but that his main focus was on ending the pandemic and saving lives.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a Geneva news conference: "I hope the freezing of the funding will be reconsidered and the US will once again support WHO's work and continue to save lives.''

"I hope the US believes that this is an important investment, not just to help others but for the US to stay safe also," Tedros said.

On April 15, Trump announced he was suspending the US contribution of $400 million to WHO. He accused the UN agency of mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus after it emerged in China, and said it must be held accountable.

Dr Mike Ryan, WHO's top emergencies expert, said that it was important to understand the animal origins of the new coronavirus which jumped the species barrier to humans in China late last year, adding: "It can be breached again".

The WHO stands ready to work with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and World Organization for Animal Health to conduct an investigation into the animal origin, and has offered assistance to Chinese government, Ryan said.

Tedros also said that there were "worrying upward trends" in early epidemics in parts of Africa and central and South America, while also warning that opening up global travel needed to be managed carefully.

"Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics and some that were affected early in the pandemic are starting to see a resurgence in cases," he said in a virtual briefing.

"Make no mistake we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time," he added, while noting progress in Western Europe.

REUTERS