Searching for to unify the worldwide response to the coronavirus, President Biden on his first day in workplace retracted a choice by the Trump administration to withdraw from the World Well being Group.
The Biden administration introduced that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s high infectious illness skilled, could be the pinnacle of the U.S. delegation to the W.H.O.’s govt board. Dr. Fauci will start that function with a gathering this week.
In Could, President Donald Trump announced that america would depart the group. He had spent weeks accusing it of serving to the Chinese language authorities cowl up the extent of the coronavirus in China.
The choice by a president who had already put the world on discover that he didn’t really feel certain by longstanding U.S. commitments alarmed public well being consultants. And on Wednesday, his successor made clear that he views the group as an ally — not an adversary.
“The W.H.O. performs an important function on this planet’s battle towards the lethal Covid-19 pandemic in addition to numerous different threats to international well being and well being safety,” Mr. Biden mentioned in a letter to António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations. “The USA will proceed to be a full participant and a world chief in confronting such threats and advancing international well being and well being safety.”
In late Could, shortly earlier than declaring it was carried out with the W.H.O., the Trump administration made seven demands on the group. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the chief of the W.H.O., stood quick.
Simply final week, consultants from the W.H.O. arrived within the Chinese language metropolis of Wuhan, the place the outbreak started somewhat greater than a yr in the past. They plan to investigate how the virus jumped from animals to people.
The investigators have already been met with challenges by the Chinese language authorities, which has been cautious of out of doors scrutiny and had repeatedly impeded the arrival of the crew.
