The WHO seriously erred at the outset of the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, in which 11,310 people were killed. Reexaminations of its performance then led to a greater emphasis on rapid response to outbreaks, among other issues. The agency did better in Congo’s Ebola crisis, which was complicated by violence and insecurity on the ground. When the coronavirus first surfaced, from December to late January, China misled its people and the world about the outbreak. In early comments, the director-general and other WHO officials were excessively positive about China’s performance. They should have been more cautious. The agency was probably attempting to protect its access to China, no small matter given how Beijing attempted to conceal the 2002-2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. The WHO has also mistakenly treated Taiwan poorly to stay in China’s good graces. All of these issues can and should be addressed in subsequent investigations.
But the WHO has been a mainstay of the global response, fielding diagnostic tests and information to countries that did not have them. The agency regularly is in the trenches fighting disease, including AIDS, malaria, measles and tuberculosis. The WHO’s work around the world also helps protect Americans from these scourges, and it would make sense after the pandemic to explore how global public health efforts can be expanded and strengthened. It certainly makes no sense to undermine the people who are helping the world navigate this storm.
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