WASHINGTON, January 29, 2020—World Bank Group President David Malpass released the following statement of support in response to the outbreak of novel coronavirus in China:
"I would like to express my sympathy to the Government and people of China for the losses suffered from the novel coronavirus outbreak. This is a severe public health challenge for China and the rest of the world. It calls for ongoing coordinated action and continued transparency inside China and around the world.
The World Bank Group stands ready to support the Government's efforts in containing the spread of the virus. Our team is already in discussion with relevant authorities on possible ways we might support China and its people. Our immediate support could include, for example, technical assistance on disease surveillance, food safety, and crisis response, sharing international experiences on managing similar crises, and impact analysis of the outbreak on the Chinese economy. Over the medium term, we could work together to further strengthen China's resilience to public health emergencies, draw lessons from this emergency, and share these lessons with the rest of the world.
The World Bank Group stands together with the people of China at this challenging time."
