The Government of Donald Trump has instructed U.S. Public Health officials to immediately stop collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO). This decision has been communicated through a memorandum sent by John Nkengasong, an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to the agency's heads.
The memorandum states that all agency staff working with WHO must immediately cease their collaborations and await further instructions. This sudden halt has taken experts by surprise, who have indicated that this would delay work in researching and containing disease outbreaks such as the Marburg virus and monkeypox in Africa, as well as emerging threats worldwide.
The exit of the United States from WHO, announced as one of President Donald Trump's first decisions upon starting his second term, will deal a severe financial blow to the agency. The United States is WHO's largest financial partner, contributing approximately 18% of the agency's total budget in 2022-2023, in addition to significant contributions from other non-state actors like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the GAVI Alliance for Vaccines.
The poor relationship between Trump and WHO traces back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when the president accused the organization of helping China conceal information about the early cases of the disease. WHO has expressed its desire for the Trump Administration to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the organization, highlighting the importance of collaboration between both parties in protecting global health.
In a statement, WHO emphasized the importance of cooperation between the United States and the organization in the fight against diseases such as avian influenza, while a spokesperson from the agency recalled the achievements made in eradicating smallpox and combating polio. The procedures for the effective exit of the United States from WHO could take several months or even a year, according to estimates from the organization itself.
