Amid US-China tensions, WHO holds global meeting

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 310,000 people worldwide and caused serious economic consequences. Photo: AFP

This World Health Organization General Assembly meeting was cut from the usual 3 weeks to just 2 days (May 18 and 19), expected to focus almost exclusively on the topic of Covid-19, the new strain of Corona virus that has killed more than 310,000 people worldwide and infected nearly 4.7 million people.

Several heads of state, heads of government, health ministers and other officials are expected to attend the meeting, which is scheduled to open at noon on May 18.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 15 that the event would be “one of the most important council meetings since the organization was founded in 1948.”

However, the possibility of reaching agreement on global measures to address the current crisis could be threatened by rapidly deteriorating relations between the world's two top economies due to the pandemic.

US President Donald Trump last week threatened to cut ties with China, where the outbreak emerged late last year, over its role in the spread of Covid-19 and repeatedly made unsubstantiated allegations that the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory.

Mr Trump has also halted funding for the WHO, accusing it of initially downplaying the severity of the outbreak and kowtowing to Beijing.

Despite tensions, countries still hope to agree on a resolution urging a common response to the pandemic.

The resolution, submitted by the European Union (EU), calls for an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the international response to the Covid crisis.

Consultations on the draft closed last week after “tough” negotiations, said Nora Kronig, head of international affairs at the Swiss health authority.

After several days, a tentative agreement was reached to approve the resolution, which calls for more equitable access to tests, medical equipment, possible treatments and possible future vaccines.