COPENHAGEN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe on Thursday called for "an economy of well-being" as the control of COVID-19 and economic recovery go "hand-in-hand."
"There is no economy without people. There can be no economic recovery without COVID-19 transmission under control," said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, during a regular virtual meeting held in Copenhagen.
Such a recovering economy, according to the regional director, would be driven by the public health sector and "putting people in the center."
In addition, such an economy must also contribute to a green climate and environmental sustainability.
"Recovery must lead to a different economy. We call it: an economy of well-being," said Dr. Kluge.
The WHO official praised countries like Spain, Serbia, Poland and Finland for their efforts in providing social assistance to their populations, but warned this needed to be a universal priority as there were now more than two million confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the European Region, and over 175,000 fatalities, accounting for around 38 percent of cases and 50 percent of all deaths globally.
According to Dr. Kluge, a more accountable economy would also be able to "learn from the past and look to the future" and be better able to facilitate greater investment in health and social protection, especially when the economy was unstable, while being a "mark of responsible policy action."
Furthermore, a "different economy" would make the whole of society less vulnerable to the most vulnerable in society, said the regional director.
"COVID-19 has highlighted a fundamental truth...No one is safe until everyone is safe," noted Dr. Kluge. Enditem
