প্রকাশ: 25/01/2022
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on
Monday that it was dangerous to assume the Omicron variant would herald the end
of Covid-19's acutest phase, exhorting nations to stay focused to beat the
pandemic.
"It's dangerous to assume that Omicron will be the last
variant and that we are in the end game," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told
a WHO executive board meeting of the two-year pandemic that has killed nearly 6
million people.
"On the contrary, globally the conditions are ideal for
more variants to emerge."
Though Omicron has sent total cases soaring to nearly 350
million, its less lethal impact and the increasing prevalence of vaccines has
led to optimism in some parts that the worst of the pandemic may have passed.
Tedros, the WHO's first African head who is running
unopposed for a second term, urged discipline and unity in combatting the
coronavirus.
"The Covid-19 pandemic is now entering its third year
and we are at a critical juncture," he told a news conference earlier.
"We must work together to bring the acute phase of this pandemic to an
end. We cannot let it continue to drag on, lurching between panic and
neglect."
GERMANY BIGGEST DONOR
Countries must maximize strategies and tools already
available, such as testing and inoculation, for the global health emergency to
end this year, he said.
Tedros' bid for a second term received a boost when the WHO
shelved a decision on his native Ethiopia's request to investigate accusations
of links to rebel forces.
He told board members he was seeking an overhaul of the
agency's funding model, with Germany now the largest donor, supplanting
Washington which had accused the WHO of pro-China bias under former President
Donald Trump's administration.
The United States is resisting a financing proposal that
would make the UN health body more independent, raising doubts about the Biden
administration's long-term support.
প্রধান সম্পাদকঃ সৈয়দ বোরহান কবীর
ক্রিয়েটিভ মিডিয়া লিমিটেডের অঙ্গ প্রতিষ্ঠান
বার্তা এবং বাণিজ্যিক কার্যালয়ঃ ২/৩ , ব্লক - ডি , লালমাটিয়া , ঢাকা -১২০৭
নিবন্ধিত ঠিকানাঃ বাড়ি# ৪৩ (লেভেল-৫) , রোড#১৬ নতুন (পুরাতন ২৭) , ধানমন্ডি , ঢাকা- ১২০৯
ফোনঃ +৮৮-০২৯১২৩৬৭৭