London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Coronavirus: WHO chief again deflects criticism of China and seeks US$675 million in aid for developing nations

Coronavirus: WHO chief again deflects criticism of China and seeks US$675 million in aid for developing nations

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said China should only be criticised for its handling of the coronavirus emergency if a review justifies doing so. Appeals to member countries to contribute US$675 million in support of nations with weak health care systems

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday again urged critics to hold off criticising China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and asked member countries to donate US$675 million in support of nations with weak health care systems.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said China should only be criticised for its response to the crisis if an “after action review” justifies doing so.

Tedros was responding to media comments by John Mackenzie, an epidemiologist who is part of the world body's emergency committee, that Beijing's early response to the outbreak had been “reprehensible”.

In a Financial Times interview published on Tuesday, Mackenzie was quoted as saying that Chinese authorities had sought to keep the infection figures “quiet” during the outbreak's early days.

Tedros, who has been criticised for repeatedly praising China, tried to steer the topic away from Beijing’s actions when asked about Mackenzie's comments.

“Again, I say let’s check,” the director general said. “Maybe we will have the after-action review to see if there was something hidden or not … we will have scientists who will understand, investigate and tell us the truth.

“Now as a global community, please let's focus on the actions we can take today.”

He added that if China had actually been hiding case reports, the number of infections now would be higher than it is.

Moreover, he said, McKenzie, an emeritus professor at Australia's Curtin University, was not a WHO staff member.



The coronavirus – also known as the “novel coronavirus” – has infected some 24,500 people and killed nearly 500. The bulk of the infections and all but two deaths have occurred on the Chinese mainland.

Meanwhile, Tedros said his plea for WHO member countries to contribute to a US$675 million emergency plan aims to beat back the virus in severely underdeveloped locations.

“Six hundred and seventy five million dollars is a lot of money, but it's much less than the bill we will face if we do not invest in preparedness … Invest today or pay later,” Tedros said.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has already pledged US$100 million to the cause.

The emergency plan involves measures to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, identify and care for infected people, and support public information campaigns in countries deemed most vulnerable to the outbreak.

At a WHO technical briefing on the virus on Tuesday, Sudan's representative told delegates his country was preparing on Wednesday to evacuate 225 students from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

The move was driven by a fear the students were potential carriers, he said. Sudan has reported four suspected cases of the illness.

“We are extremely short of money... We are battling with six other epidemics, we definitely don't need more cases coming in,” he said.



With WHO’s support, the country had created an isolation ward and received test kits, he said; but more support was needed.

Officials with Tedros at Wednesday’s briefing at WHO headquarters in Geneva also commented on a growing number of media reports suggesting that anti-HIV drugs such as lopinavir and ritonavir have been effective in helped patients fight the coronavirus.

Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies programme, said “no current therapeutics … are thought to be highly effective in the treatment of coronaviruses in general”.

Sylvie Briand, WHO’s director of global infectious hazard preparedness, said that some of the drugs purportedly being used to treat patients were used during the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or Mers, in 2012.

“This is why you have heard of those drugs. But none of those have been approved and we are still at a research phase,” she said.

The experts who will gather next week for a WHO research meeting will seek to standardise coronavirus treatment protocols and discuss “how the different antivirals can be used for this particular virus”, Briand said.

Also in focus at the briefing were the challenges that China, and Hubei province in particular, face in the diagnostic process because of inadequate reagents and other material need to carry out the tests. Wuhan is located in Hubei.

“The workload on the laboratories and those lab technicians is extreme ... we are working with the Chinese authorities in prioritising that process so that the most important patients get their diagnosis,” Ryan said.

He said the WHO was not aware of any cases where coronavirus victims died before being diagnosed with the disease.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×