Dr Gauden Galea, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in China, said international and regional organizations can learn from China's successful experience in fighting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He stressed that cooperation and solidarity are of vital importance.
Dr Galea made the remarks at a press briefing on Tuesday, noting China's successes include providing a supply of medical resources and necessary protective equipment for Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan and sending medical teams to Wuhan.
Wuhan, with a population of more the 10 million, was the epicenter of the outbreak in China. The city is set to end its 76-day lockdown at midnight on Wednesday.
Read more:
76 days in Wuhan: The dawn is at hand
Wuhan's war on COVID-19: How China mobilizes the whole country to contain the virus
COVID-19: 32 new cases on Chinese mainland, no death reported
"The example of China is quite compelling, in the way that different provinces and cities trying to provide their healthcare services – both equipment and healthcare workers – to the regions in need," Galea said. "We need this spirit of solidarity."
Galea, who is also director of the Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Promoting Health through the Life-course of the European Regional Office of the WHO, called for international cooperation to support countries lacking health resources.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have exceeded 1.35 million globally, with the death toll surpassing 75,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.