ReutersThe World Health Organization has urged China to share data on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic five years after it began in the city of Wuhan.
“This is an ethical and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement, calling it a “milestone” anniversary.
“Without transparency, sharing and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future pandemics and epidemics,” it added.
Many scientists believe the virus passed naturally from animals to humans, but some doubt it escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.
China has not responded to Monday’s WHO statement. In the past he has strongly rejected the lab leak theory.
In September, a team of scientists said it was “beyond reasonable doubt”. The Covid pandemic started with infected animals being sold in the market.Instead of a laboratory leak.
They came to this conclusion after analyzing hundreds of samples collected from Wuhan in January 2020.
In its statement, the WHO went back to the early days of Covid and traced its evolution from a local phenomenon to a global pandemic, which led to a worldwide lockdown and ultimately a successful race to develop a vaccine.
“Five years ago on 31 December 2019, the WHO Country Office in China lifted a media statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on its website about cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China,” the organization said. ” said the organization.
“In the weeks, months and years that followed, CoVID-19 came to shape our lives and our world,” it continued.
The WHO said it “went into action immediately” with the start of 2020. He recalled how his employees activated the emergency system on January 1 and alerted the world three days later.
He added, “From 9-12 January, WHO published its first set of comprehensive guidance for countries, and on 13 January, we partnered to publish the blueprint for the first SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test. gathered together.”
The WHO said it “wants to honor the lives changed and lost, to recognize those who have been affected by Covid-19 and long-term Covid-19, to thank the health workers who have looked after us.” Make huge sacrifices to care, and commit to learning from Covid-19 to build a healthier tomorrow.”
In May 2023, the WHO announced Covid-19 no longer represents a “global health emergency”..
Its director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said at the time that at least 7 million people had died in the pandemic.
But he added that the true figure was “probably” closer to 20 million deaths – about three times the official estimate.
Since then, the WHO has repeatedly warned against complacency about the possible emergence of diseases such as Covid in the future.
Dr Grebsis has said the next pandemic “could come at any moment” and urged the world to be prepared.