The Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergency Program, Mike Ryan, and Members of the European Parliament's Development Committee expressed joint concerns on Friday 29 May about the humanitarian and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on developing countries with the most vulnerable health systems (see EUROPE 12472/8).
All of them stressed the importance of the role of local communities in the fight against Coronavirus and the involvement of developing countries in the production in the future of a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine.
“While the pandemic is receding in Europe, it is still virulent and dynamic. The worst outcome would be to become less vigilant against this disease. We urge Member States to be cautious; and containment measures should be relaxed gradually and cautiously until a vaccine is available”, said the WHO representative.
In Nigeria and Senegal, where infection figures remain modest, the measures taken have been relaxed for economic reasons. “I understand, because many people fear hunger more than the virus”, said Norbert Neuser (EPP, Germany).
Mr Ryan acknowledged that in Africa, “the epidemic has never exploded. There are problems with availability of tests, but there is not a dramatic situation”. 25 to 40 countries are experiencing community transmission, but, according to him, “we don't know if a pandemic is still able to explode”.
African countries are very accustomed to pandemics and have invested more in the traceability of contacts, while “in Europe, traditional methods have been neglected”, he said.
In Central and Southern America (French Guiana, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Guatemala), the figures are worrying. These countries have not yet reached the peak of the epidemic.
Overcoming mistrust of a vaccine. He emphasised the importance of access to diagnostic tools, treatments and vaccines. “But the existence of a vaccine is not enough. You have to get it out there and make people want to be vaccinated”, Ryan said. Referring to campaigns that are already underway against a vaccine to prevent Covid-19, he added, “a safe and effective vaccine will be needed to gain acceptance. The work ahead of us is immense”.
Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA, France), who is a medical doctor, said the EU should have greater influence in funding rather than the private sector or foundations. “As long as Bill Gates and GAVI are at the forefront, you understand that citizens have doubts about the WHO”, she said.
She also questioned why the WHO had suspended clinical trials on chloroquine “when the study published on 22 May in The Lancet is strongly criticised”. Mr Ryan replied that this suspension was temporary in nature.
Several MEPs, such as Charles Goerens (Renew Europe, Luxembourg), argued that the EU should take over from the US if the US follows through on its threat to stop funding the WHO for good. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)