Secretary-General Tedros calls on U.S. to share information
WHO: “We sent a letter to the U.S. but did not receive any information”
More than 7 million deaths from COVID-19
Trump administration maintains ‘Wuhan lab leak theory’
US announces withdrawal from WHO due to failure to respond to pandemic
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Yonhap News
[파이낸셜뉴스] The World Health Organization (WHO) urged the United States, which recently withdrew from the organization, to share information related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the AFP news agency, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus requested the disclosure of information at a press conference on the 11th (local time), saying that the United States did not provide information related to COVID-19 until its withdrawal.
He noted, “Some countries have publicly disclosed information about the origins of COVID-19, especially the United States.”
He then said that WHO had sent a letter to senior U.S. officials several months ago asking them to “share any information they have,” but that “no information has been received.”
Secretary-General Tedros emphasized, “There is no conclusion yet on the origins of COVID-19,” and “Knowing what happened will help prevent the next pandemic.”
He urged other countries to share relevant information as well.
Maria van Kerkhove, WHO director for infectious disease and pandemic threat management, explained that they are in follow-up discussions with governments that say they have information, including the United States, but that no additional information has been obtained other than public data.
The number of deaths confirmed worldwide due to COVID-19 has exceeded 7 million, leaving a major impact on the overall economic and health system. The virus was first reported in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019, and identifying its origin is considered a key task in preventing future pandemics.
US President Donald Trump has supported the ‘laboratory leak theory’ that COVID-19 leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China.
During the first administration, the theory of China’s responsibility was raised, and the related position was posted again on the White House website in April of last year after the launch of the second administration.
Previously, the United States officially notified its withdrawal last month, taking issue with WHO’s failure to respond to the pandemic.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a joint statement that the WHO had failed in its response to COVID-19 and that they were withdrawing from the WHO to correct the damage inflicted on the American people.
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km@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Gyeong-min
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date: 2026-02-12 04:58:00
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