President Donald Trump has initiated the process of withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) through an executive order.
This action is part of a series of executive measures he enacted after being inaugurated for a second term, addressing various issues such as immigration, foreign policy, and climate change.
According to CBS News, this marks the second occasion in under five years that President Trump has directed the U.S. to exit the WHO. This decision has sparked concern among scientists who fear it could undermine decades of progress in combating infectious diseases like AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Experts caution that such a move might also weaken global defenses against emerging outbreaks with the potential to escalate into pandemics. In 2020, President Trump sharply criticized the WHO for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which escalated into a global health crisis during the last year of his initial term. However, his previous withdrawal threat was not executed.
A statement from the White House on Monday night justified the withdrawal by citing the WHO's "mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states." Furthermore, the statement accused the organization of imposing "unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries' assessed payments."
The executive order includes a directive for President Trump to send a formal letter to the United Nations Secretary-General, notifying him of the U.S. intention to withdraw. In response, the WHO has urged the U.S. government to reconsider its decision, emphasizing that their collaboration has "saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats." The organization also highlighted that it has recently implemented "the largest set of reforms in its history."
A U.S. withdrawal from the WHO would not only cut off its funding next year, given that the U.S. is the organization's largest donor, but it would also mandate federal government staff to cease collaboration with the WHO on various global health issues.
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