Wuhan Institute of Virology in Hubei Province, China
The World Health Organization (WHO) has just called on China to share data and access to better understand how Covid-19 started, five years after the disease spread and then broke out. pandemic, causing disruption globally.
Covid-19 has infected more than 700 million people, killed more than 7 million, devastated economies and overwhelmed the health system.
“We continue to call on China to share data and access to understand the origin of Covid-19. This is an ethical and scientific requirement,” WHO said in a statement.
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“Without transparency, sharing and cooperation between countries, the world cannot prevent and fully prepare for future epidemics and pandemics,” according to the statement.
WHO recalls that on December 31, 2019, its office in China read a media statement from Wuhan health authorities regarding cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city. .
“In the weeks, months and years that followed, Covid-19 shaped our lives and our world,” according to WHO.
“As we celebrate this milestone, let’s take a moment for the lives changed and lost, recognize those who are suffering from Covid-19 and post-Covid-19, express gratitude for to the health workers who have sacrificed so much to care for us and are committed to learning from Covid-19 to build a healthier future,” the UN health agency called.
China did not immediately comment on the announcement, but previously said there was no evidence that Covid-19 originated in the country.
Previously, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the issue of whether the world is better prepared for the next pandemic than Covid-19.
“The answer is yes and no. If the next pandemic happened today, the world would still face some of the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities that allowed Covid-19 to emerge five years ago “, he said at a press conference.
“But the world has also learned the many painful lessons the pandemic has taught us, and has taken important steps to strengthen its defenses against future epidemics and pandemics,” he added.
In December 2021, fearful of the devastation caused by Covid-19, countries decided to begin drafting an agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The 194 WHO member states negotiating the treaty have agreed on most of what should be included, but questions remain about feasibility.
The main problem lies in the fact that Western countries have large pharmaceutical industries, causing poorer countries to worry about being marginalized when a pandemic occurs. The deadline for negotiations is May 2025.
