On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization’s country office in China picked up a media statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission’s website reporting cases of “viral pneumonia” in Wuhan. Five years later, the WHO has reiterated its call for China to share critical data and grant access to researchers to uncover the origins of COVID-19.

“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19,” the WHO said in a statement. “This is a moral and scientific imperative. Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.” 

The UN body said that COVID-19 has shaped “our lives and our world”  since its spread, adding that it went to work immediately and published its first set of comprehensive guidance for countries, and on 13 January, 2020. 

“We brought together partners to publish the blueprint of the first SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test,” the WHO said. “All along, we convened experts and ministries of health from around the world, gathered and analysed data, and shared what was reported, what we learned and what it meant for people.”

Marking the fifth anniversary of the pandemic's onset, the WHO urged reflection on the profound impact of COVID-19. The organization emphasized honoring lives lost and those still affected by the virus and long COVID, expressing gratitude to healthcare workers for their sacrifices, and committing to lessons from the pandemic to create a healthier future.

Also read: COVID toll so far: 7 million deaths, over 776 million cases, a surge in mental health issues - First Check