Saturday, November 18, 2023

THE LOOMING CHANGES TO THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS (IHR)

 


I had the priviledge of being part of a Panel who on Sunday 12th November discussed on ‘Soni Irabor Live’ on Inspiration 92.3 FM radio, the changing faces of the World Health Organization (WHO).  Particularly concerning were the proposed drastic changes to the International Health Regulations (IHR) that would see nations effectively stripped of their sovereignty which would be transferred to the WHO.   Current WHO rules require that details of amendments to the IHR must be made available for public scrutiny, at least 4 months ahead of presentation for ratification at a World Health Assembly.  However, worrisomely, the Working Group fine-tuning the proposed amendments has indicated it would not be able to get them ready four months before the 77th World Health Assembly coming up in May next year.  However, rather than wait to present them at the 78th edition in 2025, the Group has requested that the requirement for public scrutiny be simply waived!  In that case, with the general public effectively blanked out, we could expect back-stage politicking and private arm-twisting of country delegates, which would turn the Assembly into a mere rubber-stamping event. The amendments are to be passed based on simple majority, and there would be no record of how individual delegates voted!

Nevertheless, the general picture for the amendments, as proposed by different nations, are well known. For instance, there is a proposal that the Secretary General of the WHO be authorized to not only declare matters of Public Health Emergencies of International Concerns at any location on the planet, he should also be empowered to specify the response that MUST follow such declarations, irrespective of local laws and opinions.  As we have seen before, such response might include lockdowns, social distancing, mandatory masking, mandatory vaccination, and similar measures.  Up till now, at least officially, WHO positions are largely advisory, and are subordinate to those held by the relevant national authorities.

Actually, it can be easily shown that the proposed revisions to the IHR represent aspirations long-nurtured by globalists.  Most of them were contained in Singapore’s Infectious Disease Act of 1977 (that country was then under a dictatorship), which in turn formed over ninety percent of the changes proposed in Nigeria’s Control of infectious diseases Act in 2020.  Those proposals, allegedly sponsored by Mr Bill Gates, were stoutly resisted by Nigerians during the subsequent public hearing at the National Assembly.  Instructively, part of the amendments had sought to empower the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to pronounce any premises (in Nigeria) as infected; and anyone deemed to be a suspected “case”, having been in contact with someone who had been in the precinct of such premises, could be detained (“quarantined/isolated”) indefinitely at any facility, at any location, and/or subject to whatever “treatment” as prescribed by Director General!   (See details in LSF’s Memorandum to the National Assembly on the Bill).  Despite the unanimous spontaneous rejection of those outrageous provisions by Nigerians however, the wily globalists behind the moves simply side-stepped the National Assembly and went on to invest the very same powers on a new entity they created – the Presidential Task Force on COVID.  We all knew what we saw - pepper!

Now the changes to the IHR rehash those same provisions and seek to tidily and permanently invest those incredible powers on the Secretary General of the WHO and some select Committees for global application.  To make matters much worse, the issues that can be pronounced Public Health Concerns no longer need be some infectious disease attributed to a tangible causative organism (such as some coronavirus), but could be related to some amorphous socio-cultural concerns.  Indeed, the definition of pandemics and health emergencies would now incorporate “potential harm” (as determined by the WHO), and not just actual harm.  Any contrary opinions, tagged “misinformation” and “disinformation,” would be heavily sanctioned.  A total of 307 IHR amendments have been proposed. Detailed review of these have been provided by James Roguski and the Equity International Initiative, for instance.

Interestingly, even as negotiations and fine-tuning are ongoing (largely on the trade and political aspects), infrastructures needed to implement the outcomes are already being set up by the WHO.  Implying that the “negotiations” and the upcoming presentation at the World Health Assembly are indeed mere charades with pre-determined outcomes.  Just as COVID vaccines were already being mass-produced while ostensibly clinical testing of their safety and efficacy were still ongoing!

So, my co-panelists on Soni Irabor Live (the eminent Prof M.C Asuzu, show co-host Dr Patrick Ijewere, and outspoken ob-gynaecologist, Dr Oby Ideh), together with the contributing public, were understandably much concerned and repeatedly referred to the development as “scary”.  The consensus seems to be that Nigerians must somehow get President Tinubu to actually write the WHO to denounce the coming amendments, or even entirely opt out of the WHO!  To this end, Host Soni Irabor promised to invite some officials of the Federal Ministry of Health on set to brief Nigerians on the matter. 

Unfortunately, it is very difficult for me to view these prescriptions optimistically.  Indeed, in my candid opinion, considering current realities, Nigeria would probably be the last country on earth to contemplate standing up to the WHO.  I explain.

Over the years, the WHO has with outright impunity, exercised even more frightening authority in Nigeria than what is being sought in the proposed amendments to the IHRs.  For instance, in total disregard to our laws, the WHO, at the instance of her globalist puppeteers, came out with some novel “Protocols” directed largely at two pivotal nations, Nigeria and South Africa, at the advent of the COVID mRNA vaccines in 2020.  By the Protocols, named “Reliance” and “Recognition”, the national regulatory authorities of Nigeria and South Africa were absolved of their responsibilities to thoroughly assess the safety and efficacy of these vaccines before being licensed for use in their countries!  Rather, they were directed to suspend their established protocols and simply regurgitate whatever pronouncement is made by some “more matured” authorities elsewhere.  Sadly, while South Africa noted but ignored the said protocols (leading to the rejection of over 1 million doses of Astra Zenica vaccines, few days to much-publicized launch), Nigeria docilely and fully complied!  Those infamous protocols still proudly adorn NAFDAC’s website till today!

Exactly the same situation is playing out, as we write, with respect to mercury-laden vaccines which are still being administered to Nigerian babies - decades after such practice has been proscribed in the developed nations who produce and ship down the vaccines to us, under “generous subsidies”.   In her formal response to the public outcry generated when the issue was pointed out at the 7th National Conference on Environment and Health last year, NAFDAC simply claimed that the mercury level is not high enough to be concerning!  When we point out that the very same level of mercury deemed un-concerning in babies’ vaccines remains unacceptable to NAFDAC in cosmetics and soaps to be used externally by adults, NAFDAC resorts to her standard cover: “the WHO has assessed and determined that the benefits of our babies receiving such vaccines outweighs the risks, bla, bla, bla”.  And with such an appeal to the great infallible authority WHO, every matter becomes closed in Nigeria!

Indeed, to all intents and purposes, the WHO does not need any revision of the IHRs to continue to ride roughshod over healthcare in Nigeria!

And in case someone is wondering why Nigeria can’t set up facilities for vaccine production locally, so we can decide whether to continue to produce them in mercury-laden multi-dose format, or adopt the mercury-free single-dose format used in those countries who produce the mercuric version for our babies, the answer again, leads to the WHO!  Another strange contraption of the WHO is the formulation of a so-called “Maturity Levels”, on which scale Nigeria has been adjudged as not matured enough to produce vaccines!

This is incredible, seeing that Nigeria had actually produced her vaccines locally for over five decades (between 1940 and 1991)  - before the facility at Yaba was sabotaged by globalists under the guise of helping with upgrades! Last year, the NAFDAC nauseatingly celebrated her certification as having moved to Maturity Level 3 - one more level before Nigeria can begin to contemplate producing her own vaccines again!

So, sadly, the abject subordination of our national health institutions to the WHO’s whims and caprices is already a fait accompli and any amendments to the IHR are mere icing on the cake for the globalists, as far as Nigeria is concerned.  Yet this is no cause to wallow in pessimism.  At the LivingScience Foundation, we firmly believe that there is absolutely no way darkness is ever going to subdue Light!  Accordingly, we quietly await what He that sitteth in the heavens will rule on this matter.  For one thing, we know there is always a David reserved for every gangling Goliath.

Hopefully the David is reading this piece, and will know what to do!

Shalom.

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