China deserves our gratitude and respect: WHO chief
By
Zhang Penghui, People’s Daily
Director-General
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and senior officials of the World Health
Organization (WHO) gave high appraisal over China’s strong measure to contain
the outbreak of the novel coronavirus when briefing the WHO head’s visit to
China at a press conference held on Jan. 29 in Geneva, Switzerland.
They
believe what China is doing has manifested the country’s courage and
responsibility.
The Director-General
said he was impressed by China’s serious measures to combat the novel
coronavirus, and these measures benefit both China and the world.
He
said he was shocked by the resolution of the Chinese leadership and Chinese
people to combat the virus, and paid respect to the country’s courage and
responsibility.
Tedros
said the WHO had a series of very candid discussions with China focusing on
continued collaboration based on mutual understanding. He introduced that both
sides will conduct further studies on the severity and transmissibility of the
virus, and share data and biological material, adding that China’s practice to
combat the virus is of vital significance for the world.
The
WHO chief said the Chinese government has taken extraordinary steps to prevent
the export of cases. “For that China deserves our gratitude and respect,” he
noted.
China
identified the pathogen in record time and shared it immediately, which led to
the rapid development of diagnostic tools, Tedros noted, saying the country is completely
committed to transparency.
Citing the quick identification
and isolation of a novel coronavirus case in Germany, Tedros illustrated the
importance of China’s efforts to actively carry out international cooperation.
This example is a good
illustration of how China is engaging with WHO and other countries based on the
principles of solidarity and cooperation to address a global health emergency,
he said.
The
head of the WHO said China showed high transparency in combating the epidemic.
He introduced that prior to his visit to China, he was in almost daily contact
with China’s National Health Commission to discuss the response to the outbreak
and how WHO can support.
China
is doing the right thing, said Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO Health
Emergencies Programme. “They are taking extraordinary measures in the face of
what is an extraordinary challenge. I have never seen the scale and commitment
of an epidemic response at this level,” Ryan said.
According
to him, the Chinese scientists probably made the most rapid characterization of
a novel pathogen in history and that was shared immediately. Multiple sequences
were shared immediately on global platforms and that is what has allowed a lot
of the diagnostics to be developed, he added.
WHO
infectious disease expert Maria van Kerkhove believes China’s active
surveillance system was crucial in spotting the first infector of the novel
coronavirus, and China’s spirit of cooperation and openness played a critical
role in the WHO’s issuing of testing and treatment guidelines. She said through
international cooperation, the WHO is building a knowledge base of the virus,
which is playing a very important part in the current battle against the
epidemic.
A
news release of the WHO said the National Health Commission presented China’s
strong public health capacities and resources to respond and manage respiratory
disease outbreaks.
Stopping
the spread of this virus both in China and globally is WHO’s highest priority, and
the WHO appreciates the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak,
especially the commitment from top leadership, and the transparency they have
demonstrated, the news release said.
A customs officer in Changzhou, east China’s Jiangsu
province measures temperature for a foreign mariner, Jan. 30, 2020. Since China
started the control and prevention of the novel coronavirus, the customs
department of Changzhou resumed the health declaration form procedure and
reinforced temperature monitoring and medical checks for entry-exit personnel.
So far, 183 personnel on 9 vessels have been examined in total at waterway
ports alone. (Photo by Xia Chenxi, People’s Daily Online)
China deserves our gratitude and respect: WHO chief
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