World leaders call for unity, stronger role for WHO in fighting COVID-19

“No country can save itself alone. We must work together,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “COVID-19 shows that we need to do more in prevention and research.”

“The WHO is a legitimate world organization in the area of health. We should continue to work to improve the procedures within the WHO,” she said. “We should also look into its financing to ensure that it is sustainable.”

Moon Jae-in, president of the Republic of Korea, said his country will provide 100 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian aid this year and will continue to share its experiences in fighting epidemics with the international community.

Affirming full support for the WHO, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley called for attention to the debt pressure on vulnerable nations, such as the Caribbean states, which has been worsened by the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Stressing the WHO’s key role in leading the global fight against the pandemic, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, chairperson of the African Union, called for more assistance, debt relief and medical supplies in particular, for the developing countries.

“Africa, extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus, needs every possible support and assistance,” Ramaphosa told the virtual assembly.

“The African Union has made a call for the developing countries to be assisted in their efforts to combat the pandemic and to rebuild their economies. This assistance needs to include debt relief. It also needs to include assistance with regard to diagnostic and therapeutic medical supplies,” he said.

The WHA is the decision-making body of the WHO. The 73rd session of the WHA, scheduled from Monday to Tuesday, is held via video link due to the impact of the current pandemic.

According to the WHO, its agenda was condensed only to essential issues, such as COVID-19 and the executive board members selection