On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from The World Health Organisation!
Eight hours into his presidency, Donald Trump gave an executive order directing The United States to exit The Apex Health Body immediately.
- This move has drawn significant criticism from public health experts.
- The United States provides significant funding to the World Health Organisation.
- In an official press statement, the WHO announced that it deeply regrets the decision of The United States and hopes that they will reconsider.
- In a recent statement, the WHO expressed its regret and testified to seventy years of working with the United States to protect people in America and all over the world. With the help of the United States, they were able to end smallpox and bring polio to the point of eradication, the statement explained.
- Global public health experts have weighed in on the decision, with some describing it as “cataclysmic.”
- “Withdrawal is a grievous wound to world health, but still a deeper wound to the U.S”, Lawrence Gostin, a public health policy professor at Georgetown University, posted on X (formerly Twitter).
- Public health experts warn that withdrawing from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) could significantly diminish the United States’ role as a leader in global health initiatives. This decision may weaken the country’s influence and ability to collaborate with other nations on critical public health issues. Furthermore, it could hinder the United States’ capacity to effectively respond to future pandemics, as international cooperation and information sharing are essential for managing global health crises. By distancing itself from the W.H.O., the U.S. risks losing both its voice in shaping global health policies and its ability to coordinate efforts that are vital for protecting public health worldwide.
- According to law, the United States is a member by treaty of The World Health Organisation, and it isn’t clear if he has the power to unilaterally withdraw the United States from The WHO.
- In his first term, Donald Trump tried to withdraw the United States from the WHO during the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the agency of handling the pandemic poorly, but he was not successful because he lost the election, and Biden prevented it from happening afterwards.
- Global legal policy experts argue that Donald Trump would need the express approval of Congress to withdraw the United States from the WHO.
But why is Donald Trump Withdrawing The United States From The World Health Organisation?
Donald Trump’s decision is not being made in isolation. The president has his reasons, and chief of them are:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) faced significant criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding its perceived shortcomings in response efforts and overall management. One of the major points of discontent was its failure to implement urgently needed reforms in its structures and processes, which many experts argued could have improved its effectiveness in managing global health crises.
- Additionally, the financial dynamics between the WHO and its member states raised concerns, particularly regarding the payments made by the United States, which is the largest contributor to the organisation. The U.S. has highlighted the burden of its financial commitments, believing those payments to be disproportionately high compared to contributions made by other nations. In particular, critics pointed out that China’s contributions to the WHO are significantly lower than those of the United States. This disparity fueled accusations, particularly during the Trump administration, suggesting that the WHO exhibited bias in its guidance and messaging during the outbreak, reflecting an undue influence from China.
- Moreover, the WHO struggled to assert its independence from the political pressures exerted by its member states. This challenge hindered the organisation’s ability to respond effectively to the pandemic, leading to allegations that its actions and recommendations were swayed by the interests of powerful countries, thereby compromising its role as a neutral authority in global health governance.
Are these solid enough reasons for the United States to want to leave the World Health Organisation and shake global health to its roots?
The United States was instrumental in founding the World Health Organisation, an agency of the United Nations, and has contributed greatly to it for decades.
If The United States leaves The World Health Organisation, WHO could see a fifth of its budget disappear.
Now, that’s a whole lot.
The Implication For Global Health And Regions That Directly Depend On The WHO For Help During Global Crisis
The withdrawal, if successful, will quickly set off an earthquake-like reaction in global health.
- The WHO relies heavily on donations from countries to keep its wheels running and its engines oiled. The United States is reported to provide a fifth of the money used to run the organisation. Once they leave, the organisation will have almost nothing left to carry out its global duties. And we’re unsure if other countries would be willing to fill the gap. Maybe China?
- The World Health Organisation won’t be able to respond to global emergencies like Ebola or MPOX, or another “COVID-19 Pandemic.”
- Funds for research fighting diseases like Malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis will instantly dry off, putting the whole world at serious risk, especially Africa, which relies almost entirely on the WHO to fight disease outbreaks like Ebola, Malaria, and Mpox, not to mention the help Africa receives for other public health challenges.
- The withdrawal will be a disaster affecting everyone in the world, including The United States itself.
- Global medical research isn’t done in isolation. All countries need to contribute their unique data, expertise, and experience, and the only body that handles the whole operation is the World Health Organisation.
Other Opinions
- People are worried about China. They think if the United States finally leaves the WHO, China will have more influence over The Organisation. And I don’t think the United States will be able to compete with China if they eventually have that much power. Well, the U.S. that I know would never allow that to happen.
- Some think it would cause long-awaited reforms in the WHO, waking them up to serve people better.
Might The United States Reconsider?
“They wanted us back so badly, so we’ll see what happens,” – Donald Trump.
The downsides are too many and horrible.
If developed countries are able to take care of themselves, what about developing regions of the world?
How are they going to cope??
Will China and Russia come to the rescue?
Will Donald Trump reconsider and revoke the order for the sake of the greater good?
Not because of Russia or China–right?
What do you think?
You can join the discussion on Substack and LinkedIn.
This Is A Wake-Up Call To Africa!
Africa needs to wake up and start taking care of itself. We need to start mapping out strategies for becoming self-reliant and not relying on foreign aid for everything.
It won’t happen suddenly; it will take some time, but we have to start doing something now.
