India joins Covid probe chorus
New Delhi, May 18: India on Monday joined nearly 120 countries at a crucial conference of the World Health Organisation in pushing for a probe into the origin of Coronavirus as also comprehensive evaluation of the global response to the pandemic that has killed over 3.17 lakh people and afflicted nearly 48 lakh besides wrecking the world economy.
During the two-day 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) which is taking place in Geneva amid growing calls, including by US President Donald Trump, to investigate how the virus originated in China’s Wuhan city and subsequent action by Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country had provided all relevant outbreak data to WHO and other countries, including the virus’ genetic sequence, “in a most timely fashion.”
Representing India at the meet, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said the country took all the necessary steps well in time to combat the virus.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who had asserted that the event would be “one of the most important (WHAs) since we were founded in 1948”, pledged that he will begin an independent evaluation of the UN health agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic “at the earliest appropriate moment.”
The WHA’s assembly, which is curtailed from the usual three weeks to two days and held for the first time through video conferencing, is expected to delve into pooling in additional resources to deal with the pandemic.
A draft resolution pushed by the 27-nation European Union and supported by a large number of countries for deliberations at the WHA called for a step-wise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the WHO-coordinated international response to Covid-19. It, however, did not mention China.
The virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December last year. Since then, it has spread to 213 countries. The resolution sought scientific and collaborative field missions to trace the origin of the virus, saying such an exercise will enable interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events.
It also called for continuing to work with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and other countries as part of the onehealth approach to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to humans.
Beijing, May 18: Under mounting global pressure, China has relented on its opposition for an inquiry into the origin of the Covid-19, expressing its backing for an EU draft resolution tabled at the World Health Assembly (WHA) calling for a probe into the source of the vicious virus that has killed over three lakh people.
The WHA is the decisionmaking body of the Geneva-based World Health Organisation. The annual meeting, being held virtually on Monday and Tuesday, is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The meeting is being held amid the global anger and concerns over the Covid-19 which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and criticism over the role of the WHO and its Director General Dr General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
India is among 120 countries which backed the draft resolution put forward by the European Union and several other countries. India is expected to be elected Chair of the Executive Board of the WHA replacing Japan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has expressed Beijing’s backing for the EU resolution.
“Recently, the EU submitted a draft resolution on Covid-19 response to the 73rd WHA. All parties have reached consensus on the text,” Zhao told a media briefing. “On the issue of the origin of the virus, all parties have agreed to International Health Regulation emergency committee suggested wording and ask the WHO chief to work in close collaboration with World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agricultural Organisation, and all countries to find out the animal source and the transmission routes of the virus through field investigations and find out the possible intermediary host,” Zhao said.