There are indications that the World Health Organization (WHO) may have run into crisis in its responsibility to finding solutions to the ravaging coronavirus that has shut down many countries of the world in the past five months. The WHO is beginning to feel the consequences of the seeming sanction by President Donald Trump of the United States of America who withdrew the US funding of the organization in protest of the suspicious role WHO played in the coronavirus episode across the world. WHO is perceived across Europe and America of shielding China over the coronavirus outbreak and also collaborating in perceived misleading information with China on coronavirus. Out of the anger, Trump suspended financial contributions to WHO. Until the suspension of funding by Trump, US was the highest donor to WHO.
Curiously, WHO on Friday decried the inability to raise$30 billion to fund a global initiative to accelerate the development and production of COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments.
WHO further lamented “the costed plans presented on Friday call for $31.3 billion in funding”; but that so far, only $3.4 billion had been pledged. The global health organization expressed perturbation that an outstanding $27.9 billion is needed in the next 12 months, including more $14 billion to meet immediate needs.
The ACT accelerator was launched in April designed for pooling international resources to contain the spread of coronavirus across the world.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WHO Special Envoy for the ACT accelerator, in a media interaction, appealed: “This is an investment worth making.
“If we don’t rally now, the human costs and the economic pain will deepen.
“Though these numbers sound big, they are not when we think of the alternative. If we spend billions now, we will be able to avoid spending trillions later.
“The time to act is now, and the way to act is together.”
China had promised to stand in the gap to provide funds for WHO after the US withdrew financial support to the organization. There are indications that if the US had not withdrawn its financial obligation to WHO, the organization may not have been starved of funds or complaining about funding. China appears to be reneging on its promise or failing in its commitment to WHO.
However, pledging for support of the ACT accelerator will be taking in Brussels on Saturday.