WHO urged to firmly oppose the politicization and stigmatization of virus

The World Health Organization is being urged to chase the origins of the coronavirus in a scientific, professional and objective way, and to be firmly against the politicization and stigmatization of the virus.

Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and leaders of 22 non-governmental organizations from 19 African countries sent a joint letter on Aug 26 to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The letter said at present the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, claiming more than 4.2 million precious lives and infecting more than 200 million people globally. The emergence of Delta and other mutant strains has exacerbated panic about the pandemic. COVID-19 poses a serious challenge to public health systems, as well as the prevention and control capabilities of all countries, especially Africa and other developing countries.

It said the international community must attach great importance to the situation since lives and the health of people around the world are in grave danger and the normal order of life and production are seriously disrupted.

The COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world once again demonstrates that mankind is in a community with a shared future. Coronavirus is now the common enemy and greatest threat to mankind. The successful prevention and control practices of China show COVID-19 is preventable, controllable and treatable. The key lies in putting people and their lives first, and respecting science.

"We believe that the 'political virus' can never defeat the natural virus. Only with united endeavors and scientific response can the international community win the battle and safeguard people's lives and health," it said.

The letter also said that it is sad to note that the United States has taken an irresponsible attitude and responded negatively to the outbreak and spread of the pandemic in its own country. More than 36 million people were infected and over 620,000 died of COVID-19. In the face of the global pandemic, the US government has failed to contain the pandemic in its own country and prevent the virus from spreading to other countries, let alone supporting Africa's nations and other countries in the fight against COVID-19. Instead, it is very busy politicizing the pandemic, stigmatizing the virus, using origin-tracing as a tool, scapegoating others and shirking responsibility, which has seriously undermined normal international anti-pandemic cooperation.

The letter added that, what is totally unacceptable is that the Biden administration insisted on Trump's wrong approach of political manipulation and scapegoating, and has even stepped up efforts to deny the science-based, authoritative and professional joint report released by WHO experts after a 28-day field visit to Wuhan. What's more, it continually hyped up the outdated so-called "lab leak theory", and has assigned its Central Intelligence Agency instead of scientists to fabricate the theory in Washington. At the same time, the US is pressing the WHO to launch "second-phase origin-tracing" on China again, inducing its allies, scientific research institutions, NGOs and the media to vigorously smear the Chinese government. However it does not allow the WHO to conduct any investigation into the US Fort Detrick Laboratory and its more than 200 biological laboratories around the world. This is a typical case of double standards, to which we strongly oppose.

These organization leaders said that they are concerned about African countries being marginalized in the global fight against the pandemic, as the pandemic has intensified in many countries recently. The continuous spread of the pandemic has posed a serious threat to the lives and health of the African people due to the weak economic foundation, inadequate prevention and control capacity and public health system in Africa. It has caused a serious impact on Africa's economic and social development, seriously undermining the momentum of African countries' rapid rise in recent years.

They said they believe the people of the world will see hope of defeating COVID-19 only when developed countries can contain the pandemic at an early date. Otherwise, the lives, health and safety of the people in Africa and other developing countries cannot be guaranteed, nor can their lives and production return to normal. Furthermore, social and political unrest would be triggered, which will pose new challenges to peace and stability in Africa and the whole world.

They also highly appreciate China's proposal of building a global community of health for all and its lead in fulfilling the promise of making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. Having taken firm and effective measures to contain the virus domestically, China has actively promoted international cooperation on pandemic prevention and control, and hence set an example for the world.