The head of the World Health Organization says he will begin an independent evaluation of the U.N. health agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic “at the earliest appropriate moment.”

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the pledge Monday after an independent oversight advisory body published its first interim report about the U.N. health agency’s response to COVID-19 from January to April.

The 11-page report raised questions such as whether WHO’s warning system for alerting the world to outbreaks is adequate, and suggested member states might need to “reassess” WHO’s role in providing travel advice to countries.

The advisory body’s review and recommendations appeared unlikely to appease the United States administration, which has been scathing in its criticism of WHO — in part over President Donald Trump’s allegation that it had criticized a U.S. travel ban that he ordered on people arriving from China, where the outbreak first appeared late last year.

Trump ordered a temporary suspension of funding for WHO from the United States — the health agency’s biggest single donor — pending a review of its early response. But the review panel, echoing comments from many countries, said such a review during the “heat of the response” could hurt WHO’s ability to respond to it.

Share:
More In Politics
IRS Refunds Are Down 9 Percent From Last Year
Tax payers are getting less bang for their buck in 2023. The IRS said the government has so far issued $172 billion in refunds. That's down 9 percent from a year ago, and the average refund is down from roughly $3,2000 to $2,900. However, the overall number of people to get refunds is up 3 percent.
Kansas OKs Bill That Penalizes Doctors for Some Abortions
Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.
EPA Estimates 9.2M Lead Pipes Carry Water Into Homes
Some 9.2 million lead pipes carry water into homes across the U.S., with more in Florida than any other state, according to a new Environmental Protection Agency survey that will dictate how billions of dollars to find and replace those pipes are spent.
Liberals Win Control of Wisconsin Supreme Court
The incoming majority is expected to rule on a challenge to the state's 1849 abortion ban. The current court, under a 4-3 conservative majority, came within one vote of overturning President Joe Biden’s win in the state in 2020.
Load More