澳傳媒要求公開 反對及早發出疫情警告的專家名單 世衛拒絕 眾新聞 20200420

【縛雞之見】

Under the name of privacy, WHO refused Australian’s requesting the names who blocked an early COVID-19 travel bans and a global health emergency.

We cannot say that WHO’s refusal is wrong; however, the names will be a part of the evidence in the ICJ’s court in judging the responsibility of WHO.

The travel ban, which WHO should have issued between January 23 to February 29, is the critical point of the pandemic.

澳傳媒要求公開　反對及早發出疫情警告的專家名單　世衛拒絕    眾新聞 20200420

世界衛生組織被批評發布疫情遲緩，特別在宣布武漢肺炎是「國際關注公共衛生事件」一事上，與當時的疫情脫節。澳洲天空新聞（Sky News）早前要求世衛，公開反對及早發出疫情警告的專家名單。不過，世衛以私隱為由拒絕。

武漢肺炎爆發後，中國1月23日下令武漢封城。世衛是到了1月30日才宣布這是國際關注公共衛生緊急事件（PHEIC），但仍然拒絕建議國際社會對中國實施旅遊限制。中央社稱，該社之前亦聯絡世衛，要求解釋國際衛生條例緊急委員會（IHR Emergency Committee）的決策過程毋須向公眾保持透明度的理據，至截稿前仍未獲得回應。

澳洲天空新聞4月8日的報道〈World health Organisation refuses to name staff who blocked early COVID-19 travel bans〉指出，世衛一組專家曾在1月底舉行會議，辯論是否宣布國際關注公共衛生緊急事件，以及實施嚴格旅遊限制，表決結果是反對。1月30日，世衛發表聲明，「委員會不建議任何基於當前資訊的任何旅遊及貿易限制」（The Committee does not recommend any travel or trade restriction based on the current information available）。天空新聞的報道指，當時中國已有12,167人確診，至少170人死於武漢肺炎。報道續稱，在此前兩天的1月28日，世衛總幹事譚德塞到訪北京，並與中國國家主席習近平握手合照。

天空新聞詢問世衛，到底國際衛生條例緊急委員會內，有哪些專家反對宣布國際關注公共衛生緊急事件。世衛以涉及隱私為由，拒絕公開專家的投票取向。世衛發言人賈撒列維克（Tarik Jašarević）回應天空新聞說，「就你問及緊急委員的投票：成員是獨立專家，程序規則不允許我們公開」（As for your question on voting at the EC: members are independent experts and rules of procedure do not allow us to disclose that）。 賈撒列維克表示，國際衛生條例緊急委員會會議的結果，是因應在中國境外是否發生人傳人的資料而決定的，而非因應中國境內的情況。

天空新聞報道，雖然中國在1月30日的確診人數已超過1萬，但世衛堅稱在1月30日前，未建議針對中國實旅遊限制，是因為當時尚未掌握關於中國發生人傳人情況的證據。

天空新聞報道指，最令人困擾的地方（the most troubling aspect)，在於世衛宣布國際關注公共衛生緊急事件後，「仍然繼續讚揚中國」（it continued to praise China）。報道說，1月30日，世衛發布的另一項聲明說：「委員會強調，宣布發生國際關注公共衛生緊急事件應該要體現的精神，是支持和感謝中國、中國民眾，以及中國在疫情前線的行動和透明度，希望中國抗疫成功」。

天空新聞的報道又稱，香港《南華早報》編輯Josephine Ma上周接受獨家訪問，指中國政府2019年底隱匿數百宗個案，遲遲不向全球發出警告，讓病毒擴散至其他國家（China buried hundreds of cases in late 2019, delaying global warnings and allowing the spread of the virus to leak into other countries）。

天空新聞的報道並提到世衛其他掩護中國的事例，包括記者訪問世衛高級顧問艾沃德（Bruce Aylward ），艾沃德卻迴避問題。

World health Organisation refuses to name staff who blocked early COVID-19 travel bans    Skynews 20200408

EXCLUSIVE: Digital Editor Jack Houghton

The World Health Organisation has refused to release the names of doctors who blocked an early bid to declare coronavirus a global health emergency.

A Sky News Australia investigation has revealed a group of WHO doctors debated whether to declare the deadly coronavirus global emergency in late January but those who wanted to implement strict travel restrictions were outvoted and instead, the body released a glowing statement praising China, followed by a recommendation for countries not to ban travel to China.

“The Committee does not recommend any travel or trade restriction based on the current information available,” the WHO wrote on January 30 at a time when confirmed cases had already reached 12,167 in China and the virus had killed 170 people.

Two days prior to that meeting in Geneva, WHO general manager Tedros Adhanom was photographed happily shaking hands with China’s leader Xi Jinping.  Sky News asked WHO to provide details of which doctors voted to block an emergency declaration from being declared but the organisation declined citing privacy concerns.

“As for your question on voting at the EC: members are independent experts and rules of procedure do not allow us to disclose that,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jašarević told Sky News.

“Important to note that what happened between two meetings was the evidence of human to human transmission outside China.”

The WHO maintained that on January 30 the emergency declaration was blocked because it did not yet have evidence of human to human transmission despite having full knowledge 12,167 had been infected through human to human contact.

The most troubling aspect of the crisis is the language the WHO adopted about in official health alerts, including the way it continued to praise China after being forced to declare the health emergency.

“The Committee emphasised that the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern should be seen in the spirit of support and appreciation for China, its people, and the actions China has taken on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and, it is to be hoped, with success,” WHO doctors said.

Sky News revealed last week in an exclusive interview with South China Morning Post news editor Josephine Ma that China buried hundreds of cases in late 2019, delaying global warnings and allowing the spread of the virus to leak into other countries.

That interview has been viewed by millions of people around the world and Mr Adhanom is facing calls to resign for his role in the bungle.

US President Donald Trump has also today called for the body to be defunded and formally investigated for whether ties to China influenced the decision not to early declare travel bans.

The WHO went as far as to criticise countries such as the US for banning travel to China.

Mr Trump called for an investigation into the body which has been widely condemned for praising China’s response to the coronavirus despite the fact the country covered up hundreds of cases in 2019.

The totalitarian regime also locked up doctors who issued early warnings of the coronavirus and continues to lie about case and death figures, according to Chinese journalists.

The WHO has also come under fire for refusing a trainwreck interview where its senior health official awkwardly dodged questions about Taiwan, an independent country China regards as a rebel region which must be reunited with the mainland.  Dr Bruce Aylward was asked if the WHO would reconsider Taiwan’s membership and he pretended he couldn’t hear the question.

When the interview repeated herself the doctor cut her off and asked to move on.

The interviewer refused to move on and the doctor ended the Skype call.

The exchange has been condemned as evidence the WHO is heavily influenced by China.

In Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has indicated his frustration with the WHO suggesting they should be forcing China to shut down the dangerous exotic animal markets which have reopened despite supposedly being the source of the virus.