India supports move at WHO to seek origin of coronavirus

India is expected to join over 60 countries at a two-day crucial conference of World Health Organisation in Geneva in pushing for an "impartial, independent and comprehensive" evaluation of global response mechanism to COVID-19 crisis as well as to find out "zootic source" of dely infection.

two-day 73rd session of World Health Assembly (WHA) of WHO beginning Monday is taking place in backdrop of growing calls including by US President Donald Trump to investigate how virus originated in China's Wuhan city. China and US were locked in a spat over issue.

WHA is also expected to delve into pooling in ditional resources to deal with pandemic that has killed over 3,10,000 people and infected nearly 4.7 million besides wrecking global ecomy.

A draft resolution pushed by European Union and supported by a large number of countries for deliberations at WHA called for a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of WHO-coordinated international response to COVID-19.

Besides India, countries which supported draft resolution included Australia, Banglesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brazil, Cana, Chile, Colombia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuor, El Salvor, Guatemala, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives and Mexico.

Montenegro, New Zealand, rth Macedonia, rway, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Moldova, Russia, San Mari, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and UK and rrn Ireland are also backing resolution, according to WHO.

US does t figure in list of countries backing move.

draft resolution also pitched for making recommendations to improve global pandemic prevention mechanisms including through strengning WHO's health emergencies programme.

It also called for continuing to work closely with World Organisation for Animal Health, Food and Agriculture Organization of UN and or countries as part of "one-health approach to identify zootic source of virus and route of introduction to human population.

resolution says possible role of intermediate hosts, including through efforts such as scientific and collaborative field missions, will enable targeted interventions and a research nda to reduce risk of similar events in future.

Such an approach, draft resolution mentioned, would provide guidance on how to prevent COVID-19 infection in animals and humans and prevent establishment of new "zootic reservoirs".

Ar flash point between China and US has been over Trump ministration's push for inclusion of Taiwan in WHO. China has been strongly opposed to move as it considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.

Indian officials said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will represent India at WHA video-conference. PTI MPB AQS

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