With his executive order, Trump endangers the World Health Organization
On his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the WHO.
Experts and professionals around the world are concerned by the news, which also comes at a critical time for the United States due to the development of avian flu.
Donald Trump justifies this withdrawal by “the mismanagement of the covid-19 pandemic that emerged in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises”, he also highlights “the WHO's inability to adopt urgently needed reforms and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states”.
The impact on the World Health Organization is clear: it will have to seek other forms of funding if it's to maintain the activity it has carried out to date. The United States was by far the main financial supporter of the WHO, a fact that Donald Trump has already emphasized.
The World Health Organization spoke out following Trump's announcement and expressed its concern in its statement. “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement of the intention of the United States of America to withdraw from the organization,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“We hope the US will reconsider its decision and look forward to a constructive dialogue to maintain the US-WHO partnership for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the world,” added WHO.
(MH with MaSi/Source: Agence/Photo: Unsplash)