President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirms its unwavering support to WHO during Coronavirus COVID-17 outbreak
8 April 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic is already the most serious health emergency in generations, and it is far from over.
The Coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly changed our ways of life; impacted on the capacities of our health infrastructure and has disrupted the economic supply value chain with attendant negative impact on global economies.
As the world grapples with the challenge of the Coronavirus, there is a need for solidarity, unity of purpose and better coordination to ensure that we are able to overcome this common enemy.
It is within this context, that the Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Republic of South Africa, HE Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirms his appreciation for the exceptional leadership of the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, from the very earliest stages of this unprecedented global health crisis.
The African Union has also commended the management of Dr Tedros in leading the global response to the pandemic.
Overall the AU recognises and appreciates the good work that has been undertaken by the WHO and notes with a sense of satisfaction the various initiatives and measures that are continuously undertaken by the organisation to mitigate the spread of the pandemic such as mobilising resources, sharing the real-time information and providing the technical and material support.
On a daily basis, the WHO has been an essential technical and scientific partner to the African Union and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), as we work to mitigate the pandemic which has now reached nearly every member state.
The African Union has seen Dr Tedros in action before when he and the world class WHO health experts led global efforts to fight against Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.