WHO urges China to be ‘transparent’ in sharing COVID-19 data

 The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on China to be more transparent in sharing data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The request comes as the global community continues to grapple with the ongoing spread of the virus and seeks to better understand its origins.

In recent months, there has been renewed interest in the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some suggesting that the virus may have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. While this theory has not been definitively proven, it has led to calls for greater transparency from China regarding the origins of the virus and the early days of the outbreak.

In a statement released on Friday, the WHO urged China to share more data and be more transparent about its handling of the early stages of the pandemic. The statement also called for a full and transparent investigation into the origins of the virus.

"We call on China to be transparent and open and to cooperate with the international community in the spirit of transparency, accountability and respect," the statement said.

The WHO has previously conducted an investigation into the origins of the virus, but the findings were criticized by some for not being thorough enough. The organization has since called for a more comprehensive investigation, with a focus on understanding how the virus jumped from animals to humans.

China has previously been criticized for its handling of the early stages of the pandemic, including accusations that it covered up the extent of the outbreak and delayed reporting the virus to the WHO. The Chinese government has denied these allegations and has accused other countries of politicizing the pandemic.

The WHO statement comes as many countries continue to struggle with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines against new variants of the virus. The organization has urged countries to continue to follow public health guidelines and to work together to end the pandemic.

"Transparency, accountability and cooperation are key to ensuring that the world is better prepared for future pandemics," the statement said. "We must all work together to learn the lessons from this pandemic and to take the necessary steps to prevent a similar crisis from happening again."

The call for transparency from China comes at a time when tensions between China and other countries, particularly the United States, are high. The Biden administration has been critical of China's handling of the pandemic and has called for a more thorough investigation into the origins of the virus. Some experts have warned that the politicization of the pandemic could hinder efforts to understand the virus and develop effective strategies for combatting it.

In addition to concerns about the origins of the virus, there are also concerns about the accuracy of data being reported by China regarding the current state of the pandemic. Some have suggested that China may be underreporting the number of cases and deaths in the country. The WHO statement called for greater transparency not only regarding the origins of the virus, but also regarding the current state of the pandemic in China.

The WHO's call for greater transparency from China is not without precedent. The organization has previously criticized countries for not being forthcoming with data related to the pandemic. In January, the WHO accused Tanzania of not providing information on the spread of the virus in the country and urged the government to take measures to combat the pandemic.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of international cooperation and information sharing in combatting global health crises. The WHO's call for greater transparency from China is an important step in ensuring that the world is better prepared for future pandemics. However, it remains to be seen whether China will heed the call for greater transparency and cooperation with the international community.