"Please quarantine politicizing COVID": WHO chief

Gallery

MORE...

Sports

World Boxing medallist Gaurav Bidhuri to flag off 'Delhi Against Drugs' movement on Nov 17

Gaurav Bidhuri, 2017 World Boxing Championship bronze medallist, joined hands with the Del

U23 World Wrestling Championship: Chirag Chikkara wins gold as India end campaign with nine medals

FIFA president Infantino confirms at least 9 African teams for the 2026 World Cup

Hockey, cricket, wrestling, badminton, squash axed from 2026 CWG in Glasgow

FIFA : Over 100 female footballers urge FIFA to reconsider partnership with Saudi oil giant

Ecuador ready to make history against Uruguay: Beccacece

MORE...

"Please quarantine politicizing COVID": WHO chief

Last Updated : 09 Apr 2020 03:28:49 PM IST

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

"Please quarantine politicizing COVID. If we want to win, we shouldn't waste time pointing fingers," World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged here, saying "Unity is the only option to defeat this virus."

a question from the press about US President Donald Trump's threat to freeze US funding to the WHO, Tedros on Wednesday said his message for the world at this moment is unity and solidarity, instead of politicizing the virus, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I will suggest two things to the world," he told a virtual press conference from Geneva. The first is national unity, and the second is global solidarity.

Tedros stressed that at the national level, leaders should work across party lines.

"My message to political parties: do not politicize this virus. If you care for your people, work across party lines and ideologies ... Without unity, we assure you, even any country that may have a better system will be in trouble, and more crises," Tedros noted.

"No need to use COVID to score political points. You have many other ways to prove yourselves. This is not the one to use for politics, It's like playing with fire," Tedros added.

"Now, the United States and China, all the rest of G20 and the rest of the world should come together to fight the virus," he said, adding that "When there are cracks at the national level and global level, that's when the virus succeeds."

Earlier in the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called for support for WHO.

"It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19," said Guterres in a statement.