WHO chief urges US to reconsider funding freeze
Geneva/UNI: The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has called on the United States to reconsider its decision to freeze funding to the organization, and hoped that the US will once again support WHO's work and continue to save lives.
"The US has been supporting WHO and it's number one donor (of WHO). We value that, we appreciate that," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a briefing on on Wednesday.
Having appreciated the US funding for helping build the national health system in Ethiopia where he used to be the minister of health, Tedros said he has also been a live witness as the WHO chief of the US support to his organization.
"I hope the US believes that this is an important investment not just to help others, but for the US to stay safe also," he said.
"So I hope the freezing of the funding will be reconsidered and the U.S. will once again support WHO's work and continue to save lives."
President Donald Trump last week announced a temporary halt to US funding for the agency, alleging a WHO cover-up and missteps handling the outbreak. According to Trump, WHO failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable.
The US is the Geneva-based agency's biggest donor, providing hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of support each year.
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