WHO Says It Told Ukraine To Destroy 'High-Threat' Pathogens In Its Health Labs To Prevent Spill: Report

With Russian troops bombarding Ukrainian cities, biosecurity experts have expressed fear over the risk of disease-causing pathogens escaping if the labs are attacked and damaged.

Bombed buildings on the outskirts of Kharkiv in Ukraine on March 9, 2022 as Russian attacks continue | Photo: Getty

New Delhi: Some "high-threat pathogens" are housed in the public health laboratories of Ukraine, and the World Health Organization (WHO) had advised the country to destroy them to prevent "any potential spills" that could spread disease among the people, news agency Reuters said in an exclusive report, quoting the United Nations agency.

The WHO statement, in response to questions from Reuters, comes two days after Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the United States operates a biowarfare lab in Ukraine, an oft-repeated claim that both Washington and Kyiv have repeatedly denied. 

The WHO, however, made no reference to any biowarfare.

With invading Russian troops bombarding Ukrainian cities, biosecurity experts have expressed fear that there exists the risk of the disease-causing pathogens escaping if the labs are attacked and damaged.

Ukraine’s public health laboratories, like those in many other countries, are researching how to tackle threats of dangerous diseases, and they have received support from the United States, the European Union and the WHO, according to the Reuters report.

'Reach Out For Technical Assistance'

Quoting an emailed response from the WHO, in reply to questions from Reuters regarding its work with Ukraine before and during the Russian invasion, the report said the agency had collaborated with the Ukrainian labs for several years to promote practices that help prevent "accidental or deliberate release of pathogens".

"As part of this work, WHO has strongly recommended to the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and other responsible bodies to destroy high-threat pathogens to prevent any potential spills," the WHO was quoted as saying.

The agency said it encourages all parties to cooperate in "the safe and secure disposal of any pathogens they come across, and to reach out for technical assistance as needed", according to the Reuters report. 

The response did not mention what kinds of pathogens or toxins were housed in Ukraine's laboratories.

The report said the WHO also did not specify when it had made its recommendations or if the recommendations were followed.

Reuters said it had approached officials in Kyiv and at the Ukraine embassy in Washington but they did not respond to requests for a comment.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to convene Friday, at Russia's request, to discuss Moscow's claims of US biological activities in Ukraine, the report quoted diplomats as saying.

Repeating the claim about the presence of a biowarfare lab in Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson had said Wednesday that Russian forces in Ukraine had unearthed documents that showed "an emergency attempt to erase evidence of military biological programmes" by destroying lab samples.

Both Ukraine and the US denied this. 

In a series of tweets, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said how the Russian claim was “preposterous”, and that it was Moscow “that has a long and well-documented track record of using chemical weapons”.

These, she said, included the “attempted assassinations and poisoning of” President Vladimir Putin’s political enemies such as opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

We took note of Russia’s false claims about alleged U.S. biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine. We’ve also seen Chinese officials echo these conspiracy theories.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) March 9, 2022