WHO releases hand washing recommendation, netizens demand more action to fight Covid-19

	Trump announced to suspend WHO funding over pandemic response
	Coronavirus update: South Korea reports over 100 recovered
	Trump threatens to freeze WHO’s funding then backtracks in last minutes

WHO this Monday posted a simple poster saying: “Wash your hands with soap and running water when hands are visibly dirty. If your hands are not visibly dirty, wash them with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleanser.”

The organization also lists seven before/after moments that people should wash their hands to obtain sanitization during the pandemic including after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after preparing the food; before eating; after toilet use; when hands are visibly dirty; after handling animals or animals’ waste.

Earlier, WHO released other posters demonstrating steps to wash hands in an entire procedure within 1 minute as an appropriate precaution to lower the risks of coronavirus infection when the pandemic was newly detected.

Controversies on the role of WHO

Amidst the pandemic outbreak, the advice that “everyone knows” is not a proper move that people worldwide are expecting from the world-leading health organization. As a result, a series of sneering comments on Facebook slamming the post and demanding the organization to act more.

A comment says “WHO should promote healthy lifestyle in detailed but not the basic step” while other slams “Yet this is not a new concept! Your parents should have taught you handwashing and basic hygiene before pre-school!”

Trump announced he is halting funding to the organization earlier this month while a review is conducted blaming the international organization for favoring China and making the coronavirus pandemic worse, according to CNN. The US funds $400 million to $500 million to WHO each year, Trump said while announcing the funding freeze, noting that China "contributes roughly $40 million."

According to the Vox, when a pandemic like coronavirus happens, it’s obvious why the world needs an institution to help coordinate resources and distribute information.

But the WHO has come under pressure for its handling of the coronavirus, including whether it was too slow to declare a global health emergency and too generous in its praise of China for its handling of the outbreak.

The US Democrats, however, see the move to yank funding from WHO as a mistake motivated by the administration's desire to find a scapegoat for the pandemic's spread.

"WHO is not perfect. But right now we need to work with them in the field, it is our only good option," a Democratic congressional aide previously told CNN.

Courtesy Photo One World: Together At Home

Writing on social media, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases specialist and the medical director of the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston University, said withdrawing funding would be a disaster.

"Cutting 15 percent (US contribution) of WHO budget during the biggest projected pandemic of the last century is an absolute disaster," she wrote on Twitter. "WHO is a global technical partner, the platform through which sovereign countries share data/technology, our eyes on the global scope of this pandemic.

Critics say the WHO has been too trusting of the Chinese government, which initially tried to conceal the outbreak in Wuhan. Others have faulted the organization and its leader, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, for moving too slowly in declaring a global health emergency. However, the agency’s defenders say that its powers over any individual government are limited and that it has done the best it can in dealing with a public health threat with few precedents in history.

As WHO's funding is controversial, its role is still vital as the pandemic threats matter. According to Billboard, some of the world's top stars have helped to raise nearly $128 million for the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic by performing in a concert broadcast globally.

Dozens of celebrities and musicians, including Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and the Rolling Stones, took part in the 8-hour show called "One World: Together At Home."

Global Citizen, an international advocacy group that organized the event, said early Sunday on Twitter that $127.9 million had been pledged in donations.

Following the live broadcast, Global Citizen tweeted: "$127.9 million for COVID-19 relief. That is the power and impact of One World: #TogetherAtHome."

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