The World Health Organisation, WHO on Wednesday replied U.S. President Trump and advised him not to cut funding amid an “acute phase of a pandemic”.
The UN agency debunked Trump’s accusation that it “very China-centric,”.
It said that continuing work with China is vital for research to combat the virus around the world.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday criticised the organization in a tweet. He said the organisation “really blew it,” adding that he will review the U.S.’ funding.
But Dr. Bruce Aylward, a senior advisor to director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a virtual press conference Wednesday from Geneva explained the agency’s operations.
He said it “was absolutely critical in the early part of this outbreak to have full access to everything possible, to get on the ground and work with the Chinese to understand this.”
“This is what we did with every other hard hit country like Spain and had nothing to do with China specifically,” he added.
Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, during the briefing hit back on Mr. Trump’s suggestion to cut funding to the organization and insisted that because the world remains in the “acute phase of a pandemic … now is not the time to cut back on funding.”
Reuters said the U.S. contributed more than $400 million to the WHO in 2019.
China, the second largest contributor, paid $44 million.
AFP