WASHINGTON The coronavirus pandemic has exposed ‘systemic weaknesses’ in global health systems, the G20 said Monday, but there was no mention of Washington’s contentious decision to halt World Health Organization funding. The statement came after health ministers from the 20 most advanced economies held a virtual meeting on Sunday hosted by the group’s current president Saudi Arabia. ‘Health Ministers recognised that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted systemic weaknesses in health systems,’ they said in a joint statement. ‘It also has shown vulnerabilities in the global community’s ability to prevent and respond to pandemic threats. ‘Ministers addressed the need to improve the effectiveness of global health systems by sharing knowledge and closing the gap in response capabilities and readiness.’ The worldwide death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 164,016 on Sunday, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. More than 2,363,210 declared cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in December. The novel coronavirus has upended the lives of billions of people as nations imposed lockdown measures to curb its spread, sending the global economy into a tailspin.—AFP
