Nigeria

COVID-19: Our DG never spoke with Chinese president Xi - WHO reacts

Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 2:53 PM by Khadijah Thabit

- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has responded to a new scandal rocking it in relation to COVID-19

- A report claims that WHO's response to the pandemic was influenced by China which allegedly asked the organisation to hold back vital information

- WHO claims the reported allegation is fake, untrue and meant to frustrate the global body

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has denied a report that Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, its director-general, was on a phone call in with the president of China on January 21.

The denial comes amid fierce criticisms of the WHO on the way it handled the now global pandemic before its spread.

A report that has gone viral claims that there was a phone conversation between Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and President Xi Jinping on January 21.

The report claimed China asked WHO to hold information about human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 as well as delay global response by between four and six weeks.

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Claiming the report was fake, WHO said there was never such call between the two leaders as it described the allegation as untrue and unfounded.

COVID-19: Our DG never spoke with Chinese president Xi - WHO reacts — The WHO says there was no call between the two leaders Credit: The Atlantic
Source: UGC

"Such inaccurate reports distract and detract from WHO's and the world's efforts to end #COVID19.

"To note: China confirmed human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus on 20 Jan 2020," the statement said.

China and its authorities are yet to confirm or deny any such phone call happened on the said day as reported.

Recall that President Donald Trump of the United States of America had publicly declared his anger at the global agency over the way it handled the pandemic.

The US government also stopped its financial assistance to the world health body as a result.

According to Trump, the decision to halt the financial assistance to WHO was to allow for a review on how the health agency has been steering fight against coronavirus.

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During his address on Tuesday, April 14, Trump accused WHO of contributing to the rapid spread of the virus and also playing a cover-up role thus complicating the fight against the global pandemic.

Trump further blamed WHO for what he termed as being Chinacentric despite the US contributing $400 million to $500 million to the WHO each year.

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Legit.ng reports that hours after Trump's decision, Melinda, wife of Bill Gates, on Wednesday, April 15, slammed the US president for withdrawing funding from the global health body, especially at a dangerous time of COVID-19.

In response to the suspension of funds, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced an extra funding of $150 million (57,913,500,000) to help in the fight against the virus.