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WHO launches investigation to uncover 'truth' of Covid-19

Dr Tedros called for international unity and for countries to learn lessons from the pandemic - Denis Balibouse/REUTERS
Dr Tedros called for international unity and for countries to learn lessons from the pandemic - Denis Balibouse/REUTERS
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

The World Health Organization has launched an independent inquiry into global responses to the coronavirus pandemic, as the organisation’s chief pleaded for global unity and for countries to learn lessons from the virus.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director, announced on Thursday the new pandemic response panel would be chaired by Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the 81-year-old former president of Liberia.

The panel will be tasked with producing a report analysing responses to the pandemic by member states and the WHO itself, and will lay its findings at a conference in May.

"Through you the world will understand the truth of what happened and also the solutions to build our future better as one humanity," Dr Tedros said.

“Covid-19 has taken so much from us, but it is also giving us an opportunity to break from the past and build back better. I want us to see this as an opportunity. It’s a crisis, but opportunities are born from crisis.

“We cannot go back to the way we did things before, my friends.

“Business as usual has failed us. This cannot be another blue ribbon panel that issues a report that goes up on the bookshelf.

“We must come together in a global conversation and take these hard won lessons and turn them into action.”

The WHO has faced criticism for its handling of the coronavirus crisis, and Dr Tedros has promised the independent panel will be given full access to audit top-level decisions.

Ms Clark, one of the panel’s two co-chairs, was administrator of the UN Development Programme from 2009 to 2017.

The other co-chair, Ms Johnson Sirleaf, was the first elected female head of state in Africa, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her role in bringing women into the peace process.

The rest of the panel will be formed of members selected by Ms Clark and Ms Johnson Sirleaf, but nominated by WHO member states.

Dr Tedros tweeted on Thursday he had spoken over the phone with Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, about “international cooperation to fight this pandemic and the  importance of learning lessons”.

Julian Braithwaite, the UK's UN representative, welcomed the announcement.

The United States gave notice on Wednesday that it intended to leave the health body, so will not be allowed to nominate members to the panel.

In a coded reference to recent statements by Donald Trump, who has derided the WHO, Dr Tedros said the biggest threat to world health was not coronavirus but “the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels”.

Wiping a tear from his cheek, the WHO chief said countries cannot defeat the virus “as a divided world”, and called on leaders to face up to “the battle of our lives”.

The way to beat the pandemic was with a “a time-tested truce” between countries that have quarrelled.

Donald Trump has accused the WHO of being controlled and misled by China, which he blames for the virus.

The United State is the health body’s biggest donor, and its withdrawal will also remove £324m, or 15 per cent of the WHO’s total budget.

Matthew Kavanagh, Professor of Global Health Policy at Georgetown University, said it was “inspiring to see remarkable leaders...take the helm”.

“We will learn what happened, what has worked, what hasn't,” he said

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