Fabienne Kinzelmann, Geneva
The World Health Organization (WHO) did not cut a good figure in the Corona crisis. The German Minister of Health Jens Spahn (41) also criticizes the Geneva-based UN agency as unable to respond appropriately to a pandemic.
“It doesn’t work the way it is now,” said Spahn at an event organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Global Health Center on Wednesday in Geneva. “We all have high expectations of what WHO should do. But when it comes to funding, we have differences, ”he said about the organizational structure of the WHO and the more than 190 member states.
Spahn calls for an international pandemic treaty
Spahn particularly criticized the earmarked allocation of funds and the non-binding nature of the implementation of standards and rules. For example, it must be possible for a commission of inquiry to come to a member state to see whether the country is fulfilling its obligations as a WHO member.
“We have to practically re-establish the WHO,” said Spahn. There are currently no levers to control member states and force them to cooperate, he said with a view to China, which has been blocking the WHO investigations into the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic since the beginning.
Spahn calls for a binding agreement for WHO member states to adhere to specifications and to make data such as infection numbers transparent. “An international pandemic treaty is needed and for that we also have to discuss what the WHO stands for and what it is responsible for.”
The idea is not new. Switzerland is also calling for a global pandemic treaty. Proponents hope to be able to finalize the plans at the next World Health Assembly in November.
“Next year we will have a surplus of vaccine”
Spahn also met with WHO director Tedros Ghebreyesus (56) on Wednesday. During the visit to the main office of the organization, the German health minister announced that he would provide WHO with a further 260 million euros, the equivalent of 281 million francs, in the fight against the corona pandemic. The funds were used to develop, manufacture and distribute corona tests, treatments and vaccines.
At the same time, Spahn defended Germany’s blockade of a temporary patent release for vaccines that were important in the pandemic. Instead of releasing patents, one should rather increase the production of the manufacturers and the tech transfer, he said shortly afterwards in the Geneva Global Health Center. He already sees considerable progress here: “Next year we will have a surplus of vaccines – without patent infringement.”