The US is set to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin the withdrawal process.
This move marks the second time Trump has attempted to pull the US out of the global health agency.
What’s Behind the Decision?
Trump has been critical of the WHO’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which he believes was mishandled.
He also accuses the organization of being too “China-centric” in its response to the outbreak.
The executive order cited the WHO’s “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms” and “inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” as reasons for the withdrawal.
A Costly Decision?
The US is the largest funder of the WHO, contributing almost one-fifth of the agency’s $6.8 billion annual budget.
Trump has complained about the “unfairly onerous payments” the US makes to the WHO.
However, public health experts warn that leaving the WHO could have serious consequences for Americans’ health, including reversing progress made on fighting infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV & AIDS.
Expert Reactions
Ashish Jha, former Covid-19 response coordinator under President Biden, has warned that leaving the WHO would “harm not only the health of people around the world, but also US leadership and scientific prowess.”
Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and Georgetown University professor, called the decision “a cataclysmic presidential decision” that would be a “grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US.”
What’s Next?
The withdrawal process is expected to take some time, but Trump’s executive order makes it more likely that the US will formally leave the WHO.
However, Trump hinted that the US might return to the organization in the future, saying “they wanted us back so badly, so we’ll see what happens.”
Only time will tell what the consequences of this decision will be for global health and US leadership.