Time for the world to heal, pushing back on ‘misguided nationalism’— WHO

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General on Monday said efforts to tackle climate change and poverty had experienced setback because of lack of global unity.

Ghebreyesus said this at the ongoing World Health Assembly (WHA) being held virtually in Geneva.

According to him, efforts to tackle climate change and poverty suffered set back due to lack of global unity since major agreements have been struck five years ago.

The direction- general, however, welcomed the chance to work with the presumptive new U.S. administration of president-elect Joe Biden.

Addressing the WHA, which resumed proceedings on Monday after its annual session in May was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the world had achieved a “great convergence” in 2015.

He said the world had achieved a “great convergence” when governments adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on finance for development.

“Since then, the creeping tides of misguided nationalism and isolationism have eroded that sense of common purpose.

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“The Paris Agreement has been undermined, the commitments made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda have gone largely unfulfilled, and although there has been progress toward the SDGs, too often our efforts have remained soloed and splintered.

“The pandemic had set the SDGs back even further while also providing evidence of their importance.

“However, we must be honest, we can only realise the full power and potential of the SDGs if the international community urgently recaptures the sense of common purpose that gave birth to them.

“In that spirit, we congratulate President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and we look forward to working with their administration very closely.”

Ghebreyesus said it was time for a new era of cooperation, with emphasis on health and well-being globally.

“Its time for the world to heal from the ravages of this pandemic, and the geopolitical divisions that only drive us further into the chasm of an unhealthier, un-safer and unfair future.

“The world has reached a fork in the road. We cannot afford to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the same rate and still breathe clean air. We must choose.

“We cannot afford ever-deepening inequalities and expect continued peace and prosperity.

“We must choose. And we cannot afford to see health merely as a by-product of development, or a commodity that only the rich can afford.

“Today and every day, we must choose health. We’re one big family,’’ he said.

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of WHO, and its being attended by delegations from all WHO Member States.

The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organisation, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.

The WHA usually takes place in May. This year, given the COVID-19 pandemic, a reduced (de minimis) WHA took place on 18-19 May.

The resumed WHA73 is taking place virtually from Nov. 9 to Nov. 14.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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