WHO has vital role in pandemic

THE World Health Organisation’s (WHO) main function is to act as a coordinating authority on international health work to ensure valid and productive technical cooperation to promote research.
The objective is for all people to attain the highest possible level of healthcare.
WHO fulfills its objectives through its core functions by;

• providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed;
• shaping the research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge;
• setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation;
• articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options;
• Providing technical support, catalysing change, and building sustainable institutional capacity; and,
• monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.

These are critical roles the UN sanctioned Geneva-based organisation plays to ensure the world receives adequate knowledge and information and uphold public health standards for healthy living.
Hygiene and sanitation, what we buy and eat are basic principles of healthy living and these protocols are practised worldwide.
The Chinese wildlife trading, wet market businesses and scientific studies of certain animals have been ongoing for years.
The WHO’s role is to provide leadership on matters critical to health and engage in partnerships where joint action is needed.
The US president Donald Trump is very skeptical on how WHO is handling this situation resulting in US withdrawing its funding support.

Hanam Bill Sandu,
Observer, Lae