The US Secretary of Health, Xavier Becerra, asked this Tuesday for “independent and transparent” studies of the origin of coronavirus, during his speech at the annual assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We need to better understand the pandemic in order to better respond to future threats, and studies of the origin of COVID-19 have to be transparent, science-based and independent of experts.” Stressed Becerra by video conference.

USA expressed dissatisfaction in February with the preliminary results of investigations carried out earlier this year by international experts in Wuhan (China) to search for the possible origin of the pandemic, and considered that the Chinese authorities had withheld data from that mission of the WHO.

The experts then indicated, after four weeks of work in China, that the most probable hypothesis of the origin of the new coronavirus was that it had been transmitted to humans from wild animals via one or more species that acted as intermediaries.

In their report they also indicated that the least likely hypothesis was that of origin in a laboratory and they did not consider contagion through imported frozen foods too plausible, a theory aired by official Chinese media.

The Head of Health of USA also asked that Taiwan be accepted as an observer in the WHO, a day after the island was once again vetoed in the assembly by China.

“We must strengthen health security and pandemic preparedness to be better prepared for the next global health crisis.” Added Becerra, who in his speech did not mention a possible international treaty in this regard, something that the European Union and several other countries are asking for.

It did call for the establishment of sustainable financing mechanisms for the work of the WHO, “to be held accountable and can be adequately supervised”.

Becerra also advocated for “improve research and manufacturing capacity for therapies and vaccines” as well as promoting the training of health personnel.

Categorized in:

News

Tagged in:

, , , , ,