COVID 19

One of the biggest criticisms of the UN's WHO in 2020, was Covid 19. How did this happen. How was China allowed to release a virus all over the world that would be harmful to humans?

The answer, much as we applaud the achievements of the UN, is that they were not prepared, and not prepared to act. Being prepared means having a plan, and a plan to implement at the drop of a hat.

The World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations was lambasted for being far too slow to observe and respond to what became the largest Ebola epidemic yet known, in West Africa between 2014 and 2016.

In the years before, donor countries to the WHO had slashed the funds available, particularly hitting the division responsible for surveilling, monitoring, preparing for, and responding to possible epidemics.

It does not bode well for the next potential pandemic.

Is there a cure? Maybe not a cure, but controls, that do not exist at present for lack of vision. The UN Watchdogs believe that a lot more could be done, that at the moment there is no sign of. We may be wrong, but there is no flag waving publicity of an impending cure, or even persistent monitoring. But is could be a reality, not for coronavirus, because the lead time is too long, but for the next time - and we must be ready.

If that means increasing funds from donor countries, the Members should think about the cost of dealing with Covid 19 in 2020, and 2021.

Globally, as of 3:49pm CEST, 21 July 2020, there have been 14,562,550 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 607,781 deaths, reported to WHO.

SPREAD

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has resulted in an ongoing pandemic due to the failure of China and the UN's World Health Organization to contain the virus. Chinese airports, seaports, rail and road borders should have been closed immediately to protect their neighbors from infection. It is like a scene from James Bond movie, but more scary, because it is real.

TOXIC OCEAN PLASTIC

Just as dangerous as Covid 19, carcinogenic micro plastic is bio-accumulating in fish stocks in every ocean. If the WHO had not taken action many years ago in case of pandemics, what chance have we got against humans being slowly poisoned by contaminated fish.

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body for WHO. It generally meets in Geneva in May each year, and is attended by delegations from all 194 Member States. Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization.

The Health Assembly appoints the Director-General, supervises the financial policies of the Organization, and reviews and approves the proposed programme budget. It similarly considers reports of the Executive Board, which it instructs in regard to matters upon which further action, study, investigation, or report may be required.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health. Members are elected for 3-year terms.

The main Executive Board meeting, at which the agenda for the forthcoming Health Assembly is agreed upon and resolutions for forwarding to the Health Assembly are adopted, is held in January, with a second shorter meeting in May, immediately after the Health Assembly, for more administrative matters.

The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the World Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.

CONTACTS

WHO Headquarters in Geneva

Avenue Appia 20
1211 Geneva
Telephone: +41-22-7912111

WHO Office at the European Union

Visitors
Eurostation 5E
Place Victor Horta, 40/10
1060 Saint-Gilles
Belgium

Post/deliveries
Rue de l’Instruction, 154
1070 Anderlecht
Belgium

Telephone: +32 2 506 46 60
Facsimile : +32 2 506 46 66
E-mail: weu@who.int
Twitter: @WHOatEU

UN City
Marmorvej 51
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Denmark

Telephone: +45 45 33 7000
Fax: +45 45 33 7001
Website: http://www.euro.who.int/


WHO Office at the United Nations

1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
885 Second Avenue, 26th floor
New York, N.Y. 10017
United States of America

Telephone: +1 646 626 6060
Facsimile: +1 646 626 6080
E-mail: whonewyork@who.int
Website: https://www.who.int/about/collaborations-and-partnerships/who-office-at-the-united-nations


WHO Centre for Health Development

I.H.D. Centre Building, 9th Floor
5-1-1 Wakinohama-Kaigandori
Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073
Japan

Telephone: +81 78 230 3100
Facsimile: +81 78 230 3178
E-mail: wkc@wkc.who.int
Website: https://extranet.who.int/kobe_centre/en

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/WHO
Twitter : https://www.twitter.com/WHO
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/who
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-health-organization
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/who?sub_confirmation=1
SnapChat : https://www.snapchat.com/add/whorg
TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@who
Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/worldhealthorganization
WhatsApp : http://bit.ly/who-covid19-whatsapp 

Please use our A-Z INDEX to navigate this site, or our HOMEPAGE