Five years ago, on December 31, 2019, the WHO Country Office in China featured on its website a media statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission regarding cases of “viral pneumonia” in Wuhan, China. In the weeks, months, and years that followed, COVID-19 came to shape our lives and our world.
At WHO, I got to work right after the new year. WHO officials activated the emergency system on January 1, 2020, and notified the world on January 4. From January 9th to 12th, WHO published the first set of comprehensive guidance for countries, and on January 13th, it brought together partners to develop the first SARS-CoV-2 clinical testing blueprint. Announced.
Throughout, we have brought together experts and ministries of health from around the world to collect and analyze data and share what is being reported, what we have learned and what it means for people. Read about WHO’s work in this interactive timeline.
As we mark this milestone, let us take a moment to honor the lives changed and lost, to recognize those suffering from COVID-19 and lingering COVID-19, and to extend our care. Let’s express our gratitude to the healthcare workers who have sacrificed so much for us, and dedicate ourselves to learning. To build a healthier tomorrow from the new coronavirus infection.
We continue to call on China to share and access data to help us understand the origins of COVID-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative. Without transparency, sharing and cooperation between countries, the world will not be able to adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.
Asking the question, “Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic than it was for COVID-19?” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ response at a recent press conference Reference: https://who.canto.global/b/SHEJL
