The World Health Organization (WHO) played a crucial but critiqued role in global health security during the COVID-19 pandemic. While it provided information, guidelines, and coordinated efforts, delays and challenges in early response raised concerns. Strengthening WHO’s authority, transparency, and global collaboration is imperative for effective future pandemic management.
UPSC Mains General Studies Paper – 2 Mains 2020
UPSC Mains Civil Services IAS Exam Question Paper – 2020
Tags: Important International institutions, agencies, and fora- their structure, mandate.
Approach
- In Introduction, role and responsibility of WHO.
- In Body,
- Response of WHO during the Covid-19 pandemic and issues with performance.
- Importance of WHO as an organization.
- In Conclusion, performance of WHO in handling similar situations in the past and measures to empower its organization and functioning.
Answer
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Global public health security as “the activities required to minimize the danger and impact of acute public health events that endanger the collective health of populations living across geographical regions and international boundaries.”COVID-19 is characterised as a virus-induced pandemic which refers to a new disease for which people do not have immunity. The WHO issued guidelines and practices to be followed by the people to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
WHO during Covid-19 pandemic
Carelessness on the part of WHO: The WHO has been accused of mismanaging the Covid-19 crisis and failing to vet information and share it in a timely and transparent manner. It delayed declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, which resulted in late actions by countries, aggravating the situations around the world.
Influence of China on the functioning of organization: WHO was also criticised for its handling of China, where the virus had originated. There was a deliberate delay in releasing virus-related information. On the one hand, the WHO was accused of dancing to China’s tunes and, on the other, there were serious questions on the powers that the WHO enjoys when it comes to taking strict action against deep funders like China. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been alleged as “very China centric”, for its negligence to cover up China’s failure to handle the crisis.
Funding of WHO: Today’s global institutions are extremely dependent on their contributors for funding, and they often become pawns for their political agendas. Regarding contributions, withdrawal of the USA resulted in inadequate funds and manpower which further curbed the WHO’s independence and its ability to function. Also, when the US cut funding to the WHO, China increased its contribution.
Need for WHO
- Helping countries in preparation and response: The WHO has been providing critical support through guidelines, convening, and coordinated programs.
- Busting dangerous myths and providing accurate information : To ensure information is correct and helpful, WHO provides everyone access to timely, accurate and easy-to-understand advice, from trusted sources. In addition, daily situation reports and press briefings, as well as briefings with governments, are being circulated to keep the world informed about the latest data, information and evidence.
- Training Health Workers: The health agency benefits from the expertise of a global network of health professionals and scientists, including epidemiologists, clinicians and virologists, to ensure that the response is as comprehensive, authoritative and representative as possible.
- Financial Aid: WHO set up the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, with partners, to ensure
- needed care to the patients,
- essential supplies and information to the frontline workers,
- to accelerate research and development for Vaccine and Treatments.
Conclusion
While there have been issues like funding from the contributors, encouraging favoritism to the countries, WHO has been striving for mitigating global health security risks during the pandemic through containing emergence and spread of COVID-19, providing technical guidance on it, working in collaboration with scientists, business, and global health organizations to speed up the pandemic response .It needs restructuring. In the 70 years since its founding, the WHO did a commendable job in helping eradicate smallpox, reduced polio cases and has been on the front lines of the battle against outbreaks like Ebola.
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