THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 11 August 2020 (The WHO’s relevance is fading (The Hindu))

The WHO’s relevance is fading (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International 
Prelims level:World Health Organisation
Mains level: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate

Context: 

• COVID-19 has infected more than 19 million people, claimed over 0.7 million lives and devastatedeconomies. 
• As the pandemic transcendsgeopolitical boundaries, one is forced to ruminateon a counterfactual with a series of timely global health interventions by the WHO duly supported by governments. 
• An early warning and timely policy measures by the WHO would have forewarned countries and set their preparatory efforts in motion for mountinga decisive response strategy.

Slow response:

• With regional offices in six geographical regions and country offices across 150 countries, the WHO was expected to play the dual role of a think tank and oversee global responses to public health emergencies. 
• It was reported that the earliest COVID-19 positive case in China was reported in November, but China informed the WHO about the disease only in January. 
• With the WHO country representative stationed in Beijing, it is unlikely that widespread transmission went unnoticed.
• Then, even though confirmed cases were reported from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. in January, the WHO continued to downplay the severity of the virus. 
• It took some inexplicabledecisions and actions such as declaring the pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern only on January 30.  
• It ignored Taiwan’s hints of human-to-human transmission and requests on sharing “relevant information”. Further, the WHO went on to praise China’s response to the pandemic.
• WHO was severely criticised for its poor handling of the Ebola outbreak in 2014 as well. Incontrovertibly, the relevance of the health agency has been fading. 
• The WHO has been reduced to a coordinating body, beholdento the interests of rich member states. 
• Its functional efficiency has been disadvantaged with organisational lethargyand absence of decisive leadership.
• The bureaucratic indolenceand underfunded programmes along with its inability to evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century is harming the reputation of WHO.

Relying on rich member states:

• WHO is funded through assessed contributions made by the member states and voluntary contributions from member states and private donors. 
• While assessed contributions can be spent as per the organisation’s priorities approved at the World Health Assembly, the irregular voluntary contributions are allocated in consultation with the donors. 
• While voluntary contributions accounted for nearly 80% of the budget in 2018-19, assessed contributions merely constituted 17% of the total budgetary support. 
• The challenges owing to constrained finances encumberautonomy in decision-making by favouring a donor-driven agenda.
• While the WHO has failed in arresting the pandemic, governments across the globe are equally responsible for their inepthandling and ill-preparedness. 
• However, that does not vindicateWHO’s tardiness in handling the crisis. 
• Many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, rely predominantly on the WHO for enforcing policy decisions governing public health. 
• Political leanings and financial compulsions of WHO cannot betray that trust. 

Conclusion:

• The burden of their expectations must weigh heavily on every policy decision taken by the global health agency, for when the WHO fails, many innocent lives are lost.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) Knowledge Pack, consider the following statements:
1. The Union Cabinet had approved ARHC as a sub scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to provide housing facility to migrant workers and urban poor.
2. Under the first model of ARHC, existing Government funded vacant houses will be converted into ARHCs through Public Private Partnership or by public agencies for a period of 25 years. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is WHO? What are its role and objectives? To what extent it’s funding mechanism and why its relevance is fading in the present context? What are the reforms needed?