WHO inspection team to work with Chinese counterparts on virus control: NHC
By
Zhang Hui and Leng Shumei
The World
Health Organization (WHO) has sent a team of international experts to China to
work with Chinese counterparts on prevention and control of the novel
coronavirus epidemic, and the advance team is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on
Monday, February 10, the Chinese health commission said.
The “China-WHO
joint expert inspection team” will conduct in-depth exchanges between experts
from the two sides on the current situation of the epidemic, and prevention and
control to provide suggestions regarding the next steps for China and other
affected countries and regions in the world, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the
National Health Commission said at Monday’s media briefing.
Mi said
that the advance team of the WHO will discuss specific arrangements for the
China-WHO joint mission, and China welcomes all foreign experts to join
including those from the US.
According
to the WHO, the team will be led by Bruce Aylward, a veteran of public health
emergencies.
WHO
experts are experienced epidemiologists who have dealt with many different
outbreaks worldwide, they can assist Chinese experts in evaluating the
situation more accurately and provide suggestions on preventive and control
measures, Zhou Zijun, a professor at the Peking University’s School of Public
Health, told the Global Times on Monday.
What the
experts learn in Wuhan during the visit will also serve as a basis for the WHO
to launch further preventive measures in a global scope, Zhou noted.
Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Monday’s briefing that acting
in an open, transparent and responsible way, China has been sharing information
and strengthening cooperation with WHO and the international community to
jointly safeguard global and regional public health security.
The WHO
declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern
(PHEIC) on January 30, days after the epicenter Hubei was under lockdown.
After
the experts’ visit to Wuhan, the WHO may reevaluate the epidemic and decide
whether to prolong or terminate the PHEIC situation, according to Zhou.
At the
146th session of the WHO Executive Board meeting that kicked off from February
3, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke highly of China’s
effective control measures.
He said
China “is taking serious measures at the epicenter, at the source,” which not
only protected Chinese people, but also prevented the spread of the virus to
other countries.
Source:Global
Times
WHO inspection team to work with Chinese counterparts on virus control: NHC
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