Ex-PM to co-chair review of WHO
Former prime minister Helen Clark has warned the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is nowhere in sight.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appointed Clark to cochair an independent panel, reviewing its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the response by governments.
She and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will look at how the outbreak happened and how it can be prevented in the future.
Speaking to RNZ, Clark said it woud be a challenging task, because the pandemic is still unfolding.
“We’re nowhere near through the end of this.
“Some people say we may not see any widely available vaccine for at least 2½ years, it may then not be fully efficacious, it may not stop us getting it, it may mean it mitigates symptoms.
“So this is a long haul and we’re asked to start a review while this is ongoing.”
Clark said the World Health Assembly, which is comprised of health ministers, had a range of issues they wanted investigated.
“They wanted to look at the effectiveness of WHO work, the effectiveness of the regulations, to look at the WHO’s role — I guess also implicit in that is how countries responded to the WHO’s guidance, so there are things you can get on with.”
The review will also consider criticism the international body favoured China and was too slow in its Covid response.
“I think what is very clear to me is that to fight a global pandemic you need global co-operation, you need strong international organisations, you need the WHO to be the best it can be.”
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Clark acknowledged that the move to ban travel from China had worked for New Zealand but not for other countries.
“One of the issues may be going forward is does the WHO . . . need more powers?”
Asked whether she hesitated about taking up the co-chair job, she said: “Yes — because it’s mission impossible.”
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged the magnitude of the situation the world has found itself in.
He called Covid-19 a “once-ina-century” pandemic that had hammered home a critical lesson — “when it comes to health, our destinies are intertwined”.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has left no country untouched. It has humbled all of us,” he said.
Ghebreyesus said the WHO would be an “open book” and he expected member states to be the same to enable Clark and Sirleaf to give an “honest assessment” in their review.
“I cannot imagine two more strong-minded, independent leaders to help guide us through this critical learning process to help us understand what happened.”