COVID-19 pandemic and role of WHO

Gautam Ganguly

(The write can be reached

at gautamganguly2012@gmail.com)

At a time when the world is experiencing a hitherto unknown 'lockdown sce nario' as a natural sequel to the deadly impact of 'Coronavirus' that has engulfed mankind with morbid death scare, day-to-day activities have come to a grinding halt. Ironically, possibly, for the first time in the history of civilization, scientists, researchers and doctors having been shaken and perplexed by the advent of a tiny virus have given a clarion call for 'social distancing'!!!

The teeming millions of faceless humanity across the world have hailed the decision of Donald Trump, the U.S President, to stop financial aid to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its alleged failure to stop spread of Coronavirus after it was detected in Wuhan, the industrial town of China, as back as in November 2019. On 14th April, Trump has declared, loudly and clearly, that the WHO has failed in its fundamental responsibility to contain the killer virus at its source of origin in China and further accused the organization of extending support to the Chinese evil design to conceal the details of outbreak of the virus that has led to the present unprecedented health hazards impacting millions of human lives. Consequently, the US Government has reportedly stopped its contribution of nearly $900 million to the WHO's budget for the year 2019-20.

As a sequel to the bold decision of the USA, Germany, as per reports, has sent an 'invoice' to Beijing administration holding them solely responsible for the colossal damage caused by Coronavirus on its body politic and seeking reimbursement of $130 billion.

A casual glance at the sequence of events leading to the present disastrous global situation highlight the fact that ever since the detection of a mysterious virus infecting a human being on 17th November at Wuhan, the hydra- headed monstrous virus has kept spreading at a galloping speed enticing as many as 381 patients in China by 25th December. Subsequently, the virus got the nomenclature as 'novel coronavirus' and Wuhan has come to be dubbed as the epicentre of the virus. Surprisingly, despite such a menacing advancement endangering human life, the world health body did not take any visible proactive step to track down the virus on its own, nor did it challenge the Chinese government 'to spell out as to how the virus had originated and transmitted fast and dangerously'. No action was taken to confine the virus within 'Wuhan' or even within China by restricting all human movements. No advice was given to China by the WHO to stop all international travels prohibiting entry and exit.

Surprisingly, as against the rampaging speed and ferocity with which Coronavirus went on infecting countries after countries successively, the response of the world organization has been agonizingly snail paced. On 30th January, 2020, the WHO declared outbreak of 'Coronavirus' as 'Global health emergency', after nearly two months of deliberation, when more than 9,700 patients were struggling for survival spread over in thirty-six countries. Thereafter, the apex health organization, in its wisdom, took another one-and-a-half months to declare COVID-19 as 'pandemic' (11th March) when more than 5,00,000 patients from over 100 countries were languishing across the globe. Such inordinate delay and mysterious procrastination have raised obvious doubts about the efficiency, efficacy, sincerity and credibility of the hallowed organization.

An objective analysis on the speedy response mechanism of the 'WHO' in respect of handling previous health hazards or epidemics magnify the inexplicable inaction of the present office-bearers at the initial stage of outbreak of COVID-19. In 2009, a new type of influenza virus named as' H1N1' had emerged infecting a lot of people in California. First official report on public domain was on 17th April. On 24th April, fresh cases were reported in Texas that galvanized the WHO to swing into action immediately. On 29th April, 'high alertness' was sounded with WHO asking the world to take pandemic preparations. Prompt action by WHO and US government helped to diffuse a dangerously evolving health scenario by containing the virus to spread. Similar speedy action was taken by WHO to counter deadly 'Ebola virus' that had broken out in Guinea in 2014 and was spreading its tentacles alarmingly infecting many countries like Liberia etc.

Endless instances can be cited to showcase the salutary, expedited action taken by WHO to prevent human disaster arising out of contaminated virus ever since its inception in 1948.

Interestingly, climaxing the horrendous human sufferings caused by Corona virus together with inept handling by WHO, it now transpires that the World Health Organization, presently, is being headed by a Director General who is not even an elementary physician, academically and professionally. That reminds us of Shakespeare's immortal saying, "some have greatness thrust upon them…"