WHO chief calls "unacceptable" Pompeo claim that he was "bought" by China

Tedros calls allegations “untrue” and “unacceptable”, says WHO focused on pandemic

tedros reuters Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus | Reuters

The war of words between the World Health Organisation and the United States has intensified, as WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reacted strongly to recent comments by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that alleged that he was “bought” by China.

Pompeo had, at a private meeting of MPs on Tuesday, alleged that the WHO had become a political body, claiming that its decisions were influenced by a deal between Tedros and China.

The Times of London reported that Pompeo had told a gathering of British lawmakers that he had intelligence suggesting Tedros had been bought by China's government and that his election as WHO chief in 2017 had led to the death of British nationals.

"When push came to shove, when it really mattered most", people died "because of the deal that was made", Pompeo was reported as saying, adding that he based his allegation on “firm intelligence foundation”.

When asked about these statements on Thursday, Tedros said that they were “untrue and unacceptable and without any foundation for that matter.”

Speaking at a virtual briefing, he added that WHO was focused on saving lives and that it “will not be distracted by these comments and we don’t want the entire international community also to be distracted,” warning that one of the greatest threats in the current crisis is the “politicisation of the pandemic”.

Earlier, Trump had blamed China for choosing not to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

“It came from China. It should have never been allowed to get out. They could have stopped it. They could have stopped it easily. They chose not to,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday.

On Thursday, the world had seen over 15 million cases of COVID-19 and over 600,000 deaths.

In his opening remarks, Tedros said that while all countries had been affected by the virus, intense transmission was seen only in a “relatively small group of countries”.

“Almost 10 million cases, or two-thirds of all cases globally, are from 10 countries, and almost half of all cases reported so far are from just three countries,” he said, adding that political leadership and community engagement are the two vital pillars of a response.

“One of the tools governments can use is the law—not to coerce, but to protect health while protecting human rights. Yesterday, WHO, the United Nations Development Programme and Georgetown University launched the COVID-19 Law Lab, a database of laws that countries have implemented in response to the pandemic. It includes state of emergency declarations, quarantine measures, disease surveillance, legal measures relating to mask-wearing, physical distancing, and access to medication and vaccines,” he said.

“Well-designed laws can help to build strong health systems; evaluate and approve safe and effective drugs and vaccines, and enforce actions to create healthier and safer public spaces and workplaces,” he added, warning against laws that are “poorly designed, implemented or enforced can harm marginalized populations, entrench stigma and discrimination, and hinder efforts to end the pandemic.”

“It’s completely understandable that people want to get on with their lives. But we will not be going back to the “old normal”. The pandemic has already changed the way we live our lives. Part of adjusting to the “new normal” is finding ways to live our lives safely,” he said.

With inputs from agencies