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National governments bear the primary responsibility amid pandemic

Dr. Mikhail Okoliyski
Photo: BGNES

People have very high expectations for the WHO and the UN but they should also have high expectations for their governments, and in some countries they have failed, Dr. Mikhail Okolijski, an expert at the WHO office in Bulgaria, told the BNR. Many people are not aware of the working mechanism of the WHO - it does not impose regulations but only advises the countries, the expert explained.

The advice provided by the WHO is based on scientific evidence at a particular time. No one has the opportunity to see into the future. Thus, Dr. Mikhail Okolijski explained the first actions of the WHO regarding the spread of Covid-19 that were based on data from China and the joint missions in Wuhan of the WHO and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.



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