Ver Angola

Health

Pompeo says USA does most for Africa and points out failures to WHO

The head of US diplomacy, Mike Pompeo, said on Monday that the US is the biggest contributor to Africa and denied the withdrawal of health aid, while reiterating criticism of the World Health Organization (WHO).

: Lusa
Lusa  

US President, Donald Trump, suspended funding for the WHO this month, accusing it of mismanaging the covid-19 pandemic and favouring China, reiterated on Monday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who in a telephone interview pointed out the organisation's "failures".

"Our view of the failings of the WHO is there for all to see. We can see how the covid-19 pandemic, which at first was in Wuhan, China, has now spread to Africa," he said in an interview with international journalists.

According to Pompeo, Trump "was very clear" because the aim is to get the money to the right place.

"We are not reducing our contribution to the world's health systems, I am even confident that we will increase it, but we have to make sure that it is part of a multilateral institution that works and really manages to achieve good results for people in some of the poorest countries in the world," he said.

For Mike Pompeo, when a multilateral institution fails in its primary mission, which is to ensure access to accurate and timely information "to make good decisions and stop the spread" of the virus, there is a responsibility of nations to use their resources so that "all is well".

"And that's what we're going to do, we're not going to reduce support for the missions we've been engaged in for 20 years in Africa," he assured, estimating that US investment in Africa amounts to around 60 billion dollars, a figure that he says is "unmatched" by any other country.

"When I hear journalists saying that we are going to withdraw funds, they couldn't be further from the truth," he stressed, adding that in financial and technical support terms, "the United States is doing the right things for health around the world in a way that no other country has ever done or will.

Asked why talks in Africa focus on support from the WHO, the Chinese or Cuban doctors, while information regarding the United States talks about the withdrawal of funds from the WHO and President Trump's comments suggesting that the use of disinfectant to kill the virus causing covid-19 should be studied, Mike Pompeo considered that the perception of the facts is distorted.

"I worry when people have a misperception of the facts. People have to assess the facts," said Pompeo, assuring that US aid is "unmatched" not only in covid-19 but in other health-related aspects.

"If there is a distorted perception it is important that it is corrected and I hope that African countries understand the facts", he stressed.

Permita anúncios no nosso site

×

Parece que está a utilizar um bloqueador de anúncios
Utilizamos a publicidade para podermos oferecer-lhe notícias diariamente.