Coronavirus: WHO accuses medical suppliers of selling face masks at six times average price amid global crisis

'We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers,' WHO chief says

(EPA)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has accused suppliers of medical equipment including face masks and gloves of raising prices in response to the healthcare emergency posed by the Covid-19 coronavirus.

More than 90,000 people have been infected by the disease since its emergence in Wuhan, China in December 2019, with 3110 deaths reported globally.

However officials in the UN’s global health wing have accused suppliers of price gouging when it comes to protective gear amid global shortages.

“Prices of surgical masks have increased six-fold, N95 respirators have more than tripled, and gowns cost twice as much”, the WHO’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Supplies can take months to deliver, market manipulation is widespread, and stocks are often sold to the highest bidder.”

The body estimates 89 million masks will be required every month to respond to the epidemic, as well as 76 million examination gloves, and 1.6 million pairs of goggles.

To meet demand, the global production of protective equipment will need to be increased by 40 per cent.

Mr Tedros added: “We are concerned that countries’ abilities to respond are being compromised by the severe and increasing disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment – caused by rising demand, hoarding and misuse.

“Shortages are leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline healthcare workers dangerously ill-equipped to care for COVID-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons.

“We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting our health workers.

It comes as governments have increasingly been forced to step in to ensure healthcare professionals are adequately equipped to tackle the virus as the spread of Covid-19 teeters on the precipice of becoming a global pandemic.

In France the government has begun to requisition all current and future stocks of protective masks to ensure they are distributed to infected patients and healthcare workers after widespread hoarding.

Meanwhile China has increased face mask production by 12 times following mass shortages and counterfeiting across the country at the height of the virus’ spread.

The nation manufactures much of the world’s supplies of the breathing devices, averagely producing 20 million per day – however state news outlet Xinhua news reported on Monday production had increased to 116 million on a daily basis.