Beijing, China:
China responded to the World Health Organization’s call for more data on Covid-19 origins, insisting that it had shared information transparently since the beginning of the pandemic. The WHO had urged China to provide more access and information to understand the origins of the virus, which first appeared in Wuhan in December 2020.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated that China had been forthcoming with information and had made significant contributions to global origin tracing research. She emphasized that China had shared epidemic information and viral gene sequences with the WHO and international community without holding anything back.
Despite China’s claims of transparency, the WHO had previously criticized Chinese authorities for lack of cooperation during the pandemic. A joint investigation in early 2021 led by the WHO and Chinese experts suggested that the virus may have originated from an intermediary animal at a market.
Since then, the WHO has been unable to conduct further investigations in China, prompting calls for additional data. Mao Ning mentioned that there were indications pointing to global origins of Covid-19 and expressed China’s willingness to collaborate with other parties for scientific origin tracing.
Pandemic Preparedness
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the need for global preparedness against future pandemics, emphasizing the lessons learned from Covid-19. Countries have been working on drafting an accord on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response since December 2021.
While progress has been made in negotiations for the treaty, key issues remain unresolved, including the prompt sharing of emerging pathogens and related benefits like vaccines. The deadline for finalizing the treaty is set for May 2025.
(This article is sourced from a syndicated feed and has not been altered by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)
