JAKARTA - Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned Spanish newspaper cartoons that appeared to liken the spread of the Omicron variant to migrants arriving on EU shores.
Image by La Tribuna de Albacete depicts a number of black figures on a boat with the words 'Omicron' on it and the flag of South Africa heading towards EU territory.
"I am saddened to see that racism like this still interferes with the challenges facing the world today," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus quotes The National News on December 7.
"Caricaturing people crammed into boats carrying the virus to Europe is disgusting. We can only advance" as a global community "by promoting solidarity, not stigma," he criticized.
The tribune and the cartoonist in charge have since apologized "to any readers who may have been disturbed or offended by the publication."
Dr. Tedros has repeatedly condemned vaccine injustices that have seen developing countries with low vaccination rates when large portions of the population of rich countries are fully inoculated.
It pains me that shows of racism like this still plague the challenges facing the world today.
Caricaturing people crammed in a boat bringing a virus to Europe is disgusting.
We can only advance, as one 🌍 community, by promoting solidarity, not stigma. https://t.co/FtZIJKaIQ4
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 6, 2021
He also expressed his disappointment at the travel restrictions that have been imposed on countries in southern Africa.
The Omicron variant, which may be more resistant to current COVID-19 vaccine offerings, was first detected in South Africa. Many countries around the world have since restricted or imposed more stringent entry requirements on arrivals from South Africa.
The new variant, first reported to the WHO by South Africa a week ago, is rapidly spreading across the continent, darkening economic forecasts and deepening fears of another tough winter.
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"Globally, we have a toxic mix of low vaccine coverage, and very low testing, prescriptions to breed and amplify variants," said Dr. Tedros on Wednesday warned the world the Delta variant was still "accounting for almost all cases".
"We need to use the tools we already have to prevent transmission and save lives from Delta. And if we do that, we will also prevent transmission and save lives from Omicron," he concluded.
The Spanish newspaper that published this Omicron cartoon apologized, sort of.
“Both Javi Salado and La @TribunaAlbacete would like to apologise to any readers who may have felt annoyed or offended by the aforementioned publication” pic.twitter.com/EEDM1zgXFr
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) December 5, 2021
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