A rapid international response could have prevented the Covid epidemic that broke out in China in 2019 from turning into a global catastrophe in 2020. These are the conclusions with which an independent report points the finger at the responsibilities of the World Health Organization and world leaders in the face of the pandemic. The report, commissioned by the WHO and produced by the experts of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, indicates various solutions to be adopted for the future and makes dozens of recommendations, including the attribution of greater surveillance powers to WHO. Experts have not examined the origins of Sars-Cov-2, but criticize the Chinese authorities and the WHO for being too slow in recognizing that the virus was spreading among the population of Wuhan and then in warning the world about the transmission. Human-to-human viruses. “For the future, a precautionary approach should be used from the outset, admitting that a respiratory disease can spread from person to person unless proven otherwise,” the report states. Independent experts therefore criticize WHO for not declaring until January 30 that covid was an international health emergency and for waiting until March 11, 2020 to declare the pandemic. new international treaty for the creation of a global council on health threats; more investigative powers for WHO and the ability to publish information on epidemics even without government approval; new funds for the International Pandemic Financing Facility (Ipff), foreseeing an expenditure of between 5 and 10 billion dollars a year in preparation for dealing with pandemics and between 50 and 100 billion dollars in the event of an emergency.
