Amid charges of favouring China, WHO chief defends Covid response

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation, defended the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing a press conference ahead of the world marking 6 months of Covid being declared a global health emergency, Ghebreyesus listed the various measures undertaken by the WHO since the outbreak first came to light. He said that the amount of technical advice produced in such a 'short period' of time was unprecedented in the organisation's history. Ghebreyesus said that he was proud of the WHO's efforts but a 'long, hard road' lay ahead with regard to the pandemic. The WHO has faced allegations of favouring China over the outbreak, especially from countries like the United States of America. President Donald Trump had earlier halted funding to the body, and subsequently pulled the US out of it. Also, the World Health Assembly had agreed to an independent probe into WHO's response to the pandemic. Although China had initially opposed an investigation, it was cornered into accepting the resolution at WHA when 130 countries sponsored it.