Geneva – The World Health Organisation expressed concern on Wednesday about the rising number of new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in poor countries, even as many rich nations have begun emerging from lockdown.
The global health body said 106 000 new cases of infections of the novel coronavirus had been recorded in the past 24 hours, the most in a single day since the outbreak began.
“We still have a long way to go in this pandemic,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. “We are very concerned about rising cases in low and middle income countries.”
Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s emergencies programme, said: “We will soon reach the tragic milestone of five million cases.”
The WHO has come under fire from United States President Donald Trump, who accuses it of having mishandled the outbreak and favouring China. This week Trump threatened to withdraw from the WHO and permanently withhold funding.
Tedros acknowledged having received a letter from Trump, but declined to comment further. “The answer is simply we have received the letter and are looking into it,” he said.
In comments that could annoy Trump further, the head of the WHO’s emergency programme, Dr Mike Ryan, told the press conference that people should avoid using the malaria medicine hydroxychloroquine, except for conditions it is proven to treat. Trump has said he is taking hydroxychloroquine to prevent coronavirus infection.
Tedros said he was committed to accountability. The WHO has announced a review into the response to the pandemic, which emerged in China late last year.
“I said it time and time again that WHO calls for accountability more than anyone. It has to be done and when it’s done it has to be a comprehensive one,” he said of the review, while declining to give a timeline for it starting. (Reuters)
