COVID- 19: Trump Severs US Relations With World Health Organisation

• Pandemic Has Further Exposed Gaps, Inadequacies In Our Health Sector, Say Experts

UNITED States ( US) President Donald Trump, yesterday carried out his threat, as he terminated the partnership between his country and the World Health Organisation ( WHO).

Trump announced the end of the relationship during a news conference in the Rose Garden, White House, citing WHO’S handling of the pandemic in China as part of the reason.

“We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act. Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will today be terminating our relationship with the WHO and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.

“The world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency,” Trump said. According to him, the decision is part of steps intended to punish WHO and China for what he dubbed a “cover up” of the coronavirus outbreak on Chinese soil.

Over 101,000 people have died from COVID- 19 in the US and there have been at least 1.7 million cases. A forecast published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) projects that the number of deaths might rise to over 123,000 by June 20.

Meanwhile, medical experts in Nigeria, after examining the impact of the novel coronavirus ( COVID19) on healthcare delivery in the country, were unanimous that the pandemic has, among other things, further exposed gaps and inadequacies in the health sector; how unprepared Nigeria is in the emerging world diseases; brought out the best out of scientists, in terms of innovation regarding production of common medical materials and equipment and uncovered the paucity of Infection Prevention of Control ( IPC) provisions and practices in Nigerian hospitals, as evident by current the numbers of healthcare workers ( HCW) infection and death from the disease. The experts said COVID- 19 also exposed the sub- standard state of intensive care facilities and capacity in Nigeria hospitals, showed that the health sector and its affiliated programmes and commissions can easily be overwhelmed in a public health crisis and scarcity and exorbitant prices of pharmaceuticals has become the order of the day.

They, however, believed it was time to look inwards to develop and pay radical attention to the pharmaceutical sector that not only closes the gap in access to medicine, but also contributes hugely to national development, stressing the need for an increased governmental funding and support for public health institutions and prime responders in public health crisis.

The medical experts include virologist and Chairman of Expert Committee on COVID- 19, Prof. Oyewale Tomori; virologist/ vaccinologist, Founder and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) of Innovative Biotech Limited, Keffi, Dr. Simon Agwale; President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors ( NARD), Dr. Aliyu Sokomba; Director General of the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research ( NIMR) Yaba, Prof. Babatunde Salako; Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency ( NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib; consultant haematologist and Deputy Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital ( UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla in Enugu State, Dr. Theresa Nwagha.

Others are President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria ( PSN), Sam Ohuabunwa; consultant pharmacist and former president of PSN, Mr. Olumide Akintayo; National Chairman of Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria ( AHAPN), Dr. Kingsley Chiedu Amibor and Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ( PMG- MAN) and Fidson Healthcare Plc, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae. When asked on the impact of COVID- 19 on healthcare delivery in Nigeria, Tomori said: “Thank God for COVID19, it has again exposed us for what we are. It is allowing us to see glaringly what we have been and to know that we have wasted these 60 years of our independence and turned our country into a toxic environment for human development.

“COVID- 19 has shown us again that we are the nation that always manufactures ammunition at the warfront. The disease has shown us that we fail to prepare for the future, preferring rather to set tomorrow aside to vigorously and enthusiastically prepare for the problems of yesterday.”