Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Conflict of interest? WHO ‘conspired’ with Italian govt to remove ‘live saving’ report into Covid-19 first response, media claim

Conflict of interest? WHO ‘conspired’ with Italian govt to remove ‘live saving’ report into Covid-19 first response, media claim

A World Health Organization report on Italy’s first response to a Covid-19 outbreak, that could have saved lives across the globe, has been taken down by the UN health watchdog, supposedly to appease Rome, media report.

A key WHO report in the spring detailing anti-Covid measures in the then worst-hit European nation – Italy – has been supposedly taken down to shield the Italian health ministry from criticism since the paper cast some of its actions in a negative light, a fresh report by The Guardian suggests.

Called “An Unprecedented Challenge: Italy’s First Response to Covid-19,” the report published in mid-May notes that Italy’s pandemic response strategy had not been substantially updated since 2006. Instead, the strategy papers were simply “reconfirmed” up to at least 2017, even though the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) had issued new guidelines that year.

Italy did issue another “framework” document called National Prevention Plan, the WHO paper notes. Still, planning “remained more theoretical than practical” and the lack of the much-needed readiness translated into Italy’s actual Covid-19 response being “improvised, chaotic and creative.”

‘Great service’ to Italy?


The lengthy report that documented Italy’s Covid-19 response measures in great detail was, nonetheless, pulled down by the WHO itself less than a day after publication. It is still available on some other resources, like a website of one of Italy’s regional medical associations but it apparently did not get widespread circulation following the WHO’s sudden change of heart.

According to The Guardian, that might have had something to do with Dr Ranieri Guerra, the WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Strategic Initiatives.

Before taking up a high-ranking post with the UN health watchdog, Guerra served as the Director General for Preventive Health of the Italian Ministry of Health and the nation’s Chief Medical Officer. In this capacity, he was particularly responsible for updating the ill-fated pandemic response plans. The man is still part of the Italian government Covid-19 task force.

Some emails seen by The Guardian and Italy’s Rai TV broadcaster suggest Guerra might have had a stake in making the report disappear. As allegedly did Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Europe director, who even wrote an introduction to the paper.

In one of the emails dated May 13 (the day the report was published), Guerra told the report’s lead author, Francesco Zambon, that criticizing the Italian health ministry would hardly be “a great service to the country.” Another email to Zambon by Kluge says the Italian heath minister was “very disappointed” with the paper while hinting at a certain “relationship” between the minister and the WHO Europe director.

The UN health watchdog had previously told various media that the report was pulled down due to “factual errors” as well as “inaccuracies and inconsistencies”. It also said in a statement that it eventually opted for another mechanism to help nations across the globe to assess their Covid-9 responses and follow “best practices,” while deciding not to “re-publish” the report.

Zambon, however, challenged this narrative. “Never in nine months was I told that the report … has inaccuracies and inconsistencies,” he told Financial Times in early December, adding that the paper went through “several tiers of approvals” at the WHO.

He also said the content of the paper was sound – particularly when it comes to Italy’s planning. “The team thoroughly checked this and found that all the plans that came after 2006 were just copied and pasted – not a word or comma was changed in the text,” he told The Guardian on Friday.

Above national level?


The role the outdated governmental protocols played in Italy’s spring epidemic disaster is now being investigated by Bergamo prosecutors as part of a probe into the Covid-19 crisis. If the probe concludes this failure contributed to the disaster, many Italian former and current top health officials and even prime ministers could potentially face trials.

The WHO somehow appeared to be conspicuously uncooperative when it came to the Bergamo prosecutors’ probe. Guerra, who appears to be the only one with the knowledge about the ill-fated report, was questioned by the prosecutors in a closed session.

When it came to the team behind the report, however, the WHO stated such questionings would run precisely counter to its impartiality and independence principles.

Zambon in particular was summoned three times but was prevented from participating by the WHO, which maintains he should “enjoy” immunity. “When I received the first summons, I reported it to the WHO’s legal office and soon after they responded saying I couldn’t go as I was protected by immunity, despite the fact that I wanted to go as I had something to say,” the WHO coordinator for the European Office for Investment for Health and Development told The Guardian.

The WHO said in its statement to The Guardian that its staff are “international civil servants” who should perform their duties “impartially and without fear of retribution.”

“To preserve its objectivity and independence, WHO does not normally become involved in legal matters at the national level,” the statement said. Previously, the UN health watchdog also told the Italian foreign ministry that “Zambon and other aforementioned WHO experts have been requested not to present themselves at these hearings.”

Zambon, however, believes, it is all a result of the lack of impartiality that might even stand in the way of the WHO fulfilling its duties. The report’s publication “had life-saving potential,” he said. Yet, “a personal conflict of interest was considered more important than sharing lessons learned from the hardest-hit country at that moment,” he added.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×