‘Withdrawal from WHO does not ‘Make America Healthy Again’’
Health experts have condemned Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US and cut all funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the first day of his new presidency.
Trump claimed that the global health agency had mishandled the covid-19 pandemic “and other global health crises”.
The British Medical Journal (BMJ), published by the British Medical Association, has said “Withdrawal from WHO does not “Make America Healthy Again,” but severely diminishes American influence and standing in the world, while threatening its national interests and population health.”
The BMJ warned that public health organisations, researchers and scientists must defend WHO from Trump’s “populist instincts” and highlighted that many within his administration are “sceptical of international organisations and science itself”.
“Nor must we forget the abundant risks to those promoting global public health in the US,” the statement added.
The BMJ stated that many American Universities “may themselves face serious threats from the new administration whose members have portrayed them as bastions of a ‘woke’ elite”.
Medical journal the Lancet Oncology shared a post on X stating: ‘Very sad day for Americans and the world, a calamity: Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization.’
During Trump’s first presidency (2017-2021) he announced his intention to withdraw from WHO. The decision was reversed by the incoming Biden administration shortly after.
This time, Trump has sufficient time to complete the 12-month withdrawal process.
Historically, the US has been one of the largest donors to the WHO, supporting programmes to fight AIDs, tuberculosis and malaria, the pandemic preparedness and response, and improve child and maternal health.
Trump claimed that the WHO “continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States”, which he said are “far out of proportion” with those from other larger countries such as China.
In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, in April 2020, Trump announced he was halting funding to the World Health Organisation.
During this time, Germany increased its funding to fill the gap, with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation emerging as the second-largest donor, followed by the US.
The BMJ has said “this is unlikely to happen this time, given the political realities facing the leading donors, the European Union, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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