WHO’s chief wants good ties with US to continue, as Trump announces exit

World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at a briefing on Monday, praised the United States’ “immense” contribution to global health. He also urged a continuation of good ties despite President Donald Trump’s move to quit the UN body.

Trump announced on Friday he would cut ties with the WHO, accusing it of becoming a puppet of China during the global coronavirus crisis.

Another WHO official, epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, was asked at the same briefing about health risks during protests in the US. Close contact could heighten the risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus, Reuters quoted the official as saying.