After 5 years.. World Health calls on China to share data on the origin of Covid

The World Health Organization has appealed to China to share and access data to help understand how Covid-19 emerged, 5 years after the start of a pandemic that has had massive repercussions for the world.

Covid-19 has killed millions of people, weakened economies, and paralyzed health systems.

Understanding the origins of COVID-19

“We continue to call on China to share and access data so that we can understand the origins of Covid-19. This is an ethical and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement.

She stressed that “without transparency, participation and cooperation between countries, the world will not be able to prevent future epidemics and pandemics and prepare for them appropriately.”

The World Health Organization stated that on December 31, 2019, its office in China received a media statement from the health authorities in Wuhan regarding cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city.

“In the weeks, months and years that have followed, Covid-19 has come to shape our lives and our world,” the UN organization said.

She added: “As we commemorate this important event, let us take a moment to honor the lives changed or lost, acknowledge those suffering from Covid-19 and long Covid, express gratitude to the health care workers who have sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from Covid-19 to build… A healthier future.”

Prepare for any future pandemic

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the question of whether the world is better prepared for any next pandemic than Covid-19.

“The answer is yes and no,” he said in a press conference.

“If the next pandemic emerges today, the world will still face some of the same vulnerabilities and gaps that gave Covid-19 a foothold 5 years ago,” he explained.

He added: “But the world also learned many of the painful lessons that the epidemic taught us, and took important steps to strengthen its defenses against future epidemics and pandemics.”

Agreement on epidemic prevention

In December 2021, in light of the devastating effects of COVID-19, countries decided to begin drafting an agreement on epidemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The 194 member states of the World Health Organization agreed on most of the terms of the agreement, but remained stuck on practical points.

There is a major disagreement between Western countries, which include major sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, and developing countries, which fear being marginalized in the event of a new epidemic.

Although the outstanding issues are few, they are very important: the commitment to rapid sharing of emerging pathogens, as well as the vaccine-like benefits that accrue from their study.

The deadline for concluding negotiations was set in May 2025.