The 73rd virtual World Health Assembly (WHA) ended on Tuesday with delegates adopting a landmark resolution to bring the world together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organisation (WHO) is governed by its 194 member states.
WHO in a statement posted on its website, said the resolution was co-sponsored by more than 130 countries and was adopted by consensus.
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“It calls for the intensification of efforts to control the pandemic and for equitable access to and fair distribution of all essential health technologies and products to combat the virus.
“It also calls for an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the global response including, but not limited to, WHO’s performance.
“As WHO convened ministers of health from almost every country in the world, the consistent message throughout the two-day meeting was that global unity is the most powerful tool to combat the outbreak.
“The resolution is a concrete manifestation of this call and a roadmap for controlling the outbreak.’’
According to the statement, 14 heads of state participated in the opening and closing sessions.
The statement quoted WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus in his closing remarks as saying: “COVID-19 has robbed us of people we love.
“It robbed us of lives and livelihoods; it shook the foundations of our world, it threatens to tear the fabric of international cooperation.
“But its also reminded us that for all our differences, we are one human race and we are stronger together.”
The World Health Assembly (WHA) will reconvene later in the year.
NAN reports that WHA is the world’s highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states.