Post inauguration, the United States has set sail to leave the World Health Organisation (WHO) by January 22 2026. President Trump has signed an executive order so that the process of pulling out from the multilateral organisation can begin.
The decision to pull out of the WHO was made for reasons relating to supposed inefficiency of the organisation. Trump has openly voiced his displeasure over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and other global health crises. The President referred to the organisations need to adopt “urgently needed reforms”. The President also discussed the WHO demonstrating “independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states”.
At the signing of the executive order, Trump stated: “World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore.” The executive order outlines that the United States will utilise its own and international partners to assume activities previously undertaken by the WHO.
Moreover, while the withdrawal is in progress, negotiations relating to the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement will come to a stop. The WHO agreement is also known as the Pandemic Preparedness Treaty, and outlines the need to develop international cooperation on global health security amidst infrastructural weaknesses to health threats.
America’s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been ordered to stop working with the WHO immediately.
The Rising Threat of Bird Flu
The set departure from the WHO comes at a time when avian influenza (also known as H5N1 bird flu) outbreaks are occurring across the United States. The first human case of avian influenza in the country was confirmed to have happened on December 13 by the CDC. In Britain the first confirmed human case of avian influenza was reported earlier today.
The pandemic potential of avian influenza has been consistently remarked upon by experts, including John Hopkins School of Public Health. As viral spill over from animal to human has occurred, the risk of human to human transmission has increased. Moreover, with occurrences like antimicrobial resistance, the pandemic potential of avian influenza outbreaks is elevated. The University of Oxford states that antibiotic resistance has claimed at least one million lives each year since 1990.
Regarding global health security, America’s departure from the WHO could result in isolation for the United States’ healthcare system. The United States is a major source of funding for the multilateral organisation, and has been named as the largest contributor to the WHO. Such a drastic loss of funding could embolden the pandemic potential of various emerging infectious diseases.
Moreover, the world is still navigating high rates of Covid-19 transmission. As of the most recent data, around 400 million people worldwide are estimated to have long Covid. Currently, there is no cure for long Covid. As Covid-19 cases continue to spike annually, the toll on global healthcare systems is unknown.
Yet the Future Hangs in the Balance
Despite Trump’s pledge to divorce the United States from the WHO, in the last few days he has spoken of reversing the decision. However, Trump has included a clear caveat regarding this possible decision. In order for the United States to rejoin the WHO, China would have to step up its financial contributions to the organisation.
At a rally in Las Vegas, the President spoke frankly about the United States’ contributions to the WHO: “We withdrew from the World Health Organisation where we paid £500 million dollars a year and China paid £39 million dollars a year despite a much larger population.”
Despite the rhetoric at the rally, the United States is still formally set to leave the WHO by 2026.
Feature Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva
MA International Journalism, with a passion for animal, climate and political issues
