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Trump threatens to permanently freeze US funding to WHO
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to permanently cut off the nation’s funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) if the body does not commit to what he called “substantive improvements within the next 30 days”.
In a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a copy of which was published by Trump on Twitter, the president added that he could reconsider the US membership in the organisation.
The threat came as the world continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 4.8 million people globally and killed over 318,000.
The United States alone has reported more than 1.5 million infections and over 90,000 deaths as of 4:03 pm (2003 GMT), according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. Both figures are far higher than those in any other country or region.
Trump announced in mid-April that his administration would halt US funding to the WHO, a roundly-criticised move that many experts have said was trying to shift blames and would be counterproductive to addressing the public health crisis.
Former US Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that time had been wasted in the US response.
“It’s heartbreaking to think how much fear, how much loss, how much agony could have been avoided if the president hadn’t wasted so much time and taken responsibility,” Biden told a virtual event. “We got denials, delays, distraction.”
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations for international public health, which has played a crucial role in coordinating the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
During the ongoing World Health Assembly, many world leaders have strongly defended the WHO and voiced their support for the organisation to continue its leading in the coronavirus battle.
Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), praised the WHO in April.
“WHO has been a long-term and still is a great partner for us. We’re going to continue to do all we can together to try to limit this,” Redfield said. “We’ve worked together to fight health crises all around the world. We continue to do that.” -Xinhua
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Ministry of Health hands over five completed hospitals
The Ministry of Health yesterday handed over five (5) completed health facilities in the Eastern Region for operationalization by the Ghana Health Service.
Osuodumgya Otutu Ababio V, Chief of Adukrom and Akuapim Nifahene, who chaired the ceremony, urged health professionals to treat their patients with empathy and care.
He emphasized the importance of providing customer-centered healthcare services.
The Regional Minister for the Eastern Region, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, expressed her gratitude to the Ministry, the chiefs, and the people of the communities for their contributions to the successful construction of the facilities.
She encouraged the chiefs and residents to take ownership of the facilities and ensure their proper maintenance.
The Director-General of the Service, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, received the keys to the facilities from the Regional Minister and handed them over to his Regional Director.
He took the opportunity to introduce the hospital management team to the Minister and other dignitaries present.
He urged them to provide quality healthcare to the people within their catchment areas.
“I want you to prioritize the survival of women and children in your facilities,” he stated. “Give your best to the people.”
He also appealed to the community to respect and support their healthcare workers.
Mr. Ben Nkasnsah, Director of Infrastructure at the Ministry of Health, handed over the keys to the Regional Minister on behalf of the Minister of Health. He advised traditional leaders (Nananom) to ensure all necessary documentation is completed to secure the facilities.
Additionally, he encouraged hospital management to maintain the buildings and equipment properly at all times.
The Okere District Hospital, where the symbolic handing-over ceremony took place, is a 40-bed facility equipped with all the major departments required for the full operation of a district hospital.
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Reconstruction of Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile Road Corridor to Begin Under “Big Push” Initiative
The reconstruction of the Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile road corridor is set to begin in the third quarter of this year as part of the government’s “Big Push” initiative,
Kwame Agbodza, the Minister for Roads and Highways, has announced.
To this end, the Minister has directed the Ghana Highways Authority to conduct engineering studies and designs for sections of the corridor that are not currently under construction, in preparation for the upcoming work.
“This entire corridor, all the way to Hamle, is part of the ‘Big Push’ initiative. It is one of the “Big Push” projects we aim to award in June this year. Therefore, those involved in the studies and designs need to expedite their work. We don’t have enough time,” he stated.
Mr. Agbodza made these remarks this morning in Sunyani, at the start of a three-day inspection tour of the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western Regions.
The Minister indicated that government is aware of the socio-economic importance of roads towards national development, which is why road infrastructure development is being prioritized despite the financial constraints facing the country.
“No matter what we want to achieve—whether in farming, education, or healthcare—roads are critical. Our economic development cannot take shape if we do not address the challenges in the road sector,” he stressed.
Earlier, Me. Agbodza and his team of Engineers inspected the 10.20km Terchire bypass located off the Kumasi-Sunyani Highway constructed by Newmont Ghana.
During the tour, Hon. Agbodza is also expected to inspect several other road projects, including the reconstruction of the Jinijini-Sampa Road, the Tepa-Goso road, the Sefwi Wiawso town roads, the reconstruction of the Tarkwa-Agona Nkwanta road, the PTC Interchange project, and the dualization of the Takoradi-Agona Junction Road.
