WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised US President Donald Trump for 'taking responsibility' in leading the response to COVID-19. In a press briefing in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had called repeatedly for heads of state to lead a 'whole-of-government' response to the new coronavirus. “That's exactly what he's doing which we appreciate because fighting this pandemic needs political commitment,” Tedros said, referring to Trump.