The World Health Organization is attempting to quell an outpouring of criticism over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic by pledging to conduct an investigation…
The World Health Organization is attempting to quell an outpouring of criticism over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic by pledging to conduct an investigation into “lessons learned” about its global response.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pledged during Monday’s World Health Assembly that an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation,” would take place “at the earliest appropriate moment.”
The probe will review the “lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19, including… the actions of WHO and their timelines pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The move is a partial nod to the calls by over 100 countries for an independent probe of the origins of and response to the pandemic.
With WHO running the investigation, however, the move does not address the calls for the embattled agency to be probed as part of the inquiry.
China, which had spent weeks rejecting calls for an inquiry into the virus’ origins, came around in recent days after the idea of an inquiry focused on “global response” in fighting Covid-19 instead of questioning its source was proposed.
