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Geneva:
The World Health Organization chief on Thursday rejected as false an allegation by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he owed his place to a take care of China.
Pompeo advised a non-public assembly of MPs on Tuesday that the WHO had develop into a “political” physique, alleging that its selections have been influenced by a deal struck between chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and China that helped him develop into its head, in response to quotes within the Times and Daily Telegraph.
“When push came to shove, when it really mattered most”, individuals died “because of the deal that was made”, he mentioned.
Asked about Pompeo’s allegations throughout a digital press convention, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned they have been “untrue and unacceptable and without any foundation for that matter.”
He insisted that the “sole focus… of the entire organisation is on saving lives. WHO will not be distracted by these comments and we don’t want the entire international community also to be distracted.”
He reiterated his warning that one of many “greatest threats in the current crisis is the “politicisation of the pandemic”.
Quarantine ‘COVID politics’
Tedros appealed to all countries to work together in the fight against the virus, which has claimed more than 627,000 lives worldwide since it first emerged in China late last year.
“COVID-19 doesn’t respect borders, ideologies or political events,” he said, warning that “politics and partisanship have made issues worse.”
“COVID politics needs to be quarantined.”
Tedros has for months faced relentless attacks from US President Donald Trump, who has accused WHO of botching the global coronavirus response and of being a “puppet of China”.
Earlier this month he made good on his threat to begin withdrawing the US — traditionally WHO’s largest donor — from the organisation, even as it works to coordinate the global response to the coronavirus crisis.
WHO COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove, who is an American citizen, also pushed back Thursday against the charges lobbed against the UN agency.
“I’ve by no means be extra proud to be WHO,” she said.
“I see first hand day by day the work that Dr. Tedros does… that our groups do, all around the world,” she said, insisting the entire organisation was “firmly targeted on saving lives.”
At Thursday’s press conference, Tedros also stressed the importance of individual responsibility in the global bid to halt the spread of the virus, pointing to a range of fresh outbreaks associated with nightclubs and social gatherings.
“We’re asking everybody to deal with the choices about the place they go, what they do and who they meet with as life-and-death selections,” he said.
“It is probably not your life, however your selections could possibly be the distinction between life and dying for somebody you’re keen on, or for a whole stranger,” he stressed.
“Don’t anticipate another person to maintain you protected. We all have an element to play in defending ourselves and each other.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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