"US Withdrawal from World Health Organization Sparks Retaliation from Global Body"
The Trump administration's decision to officially withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) has been met with fierce criticism from the global health community. In a scathing response, the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has described the US reasons for pulling out as "untrue".
The move comes after years of strained relations between the Trump administration and the WHO, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The US had previously claimed that its withdrawal was due to "WHO failures" during the pandemic, including the alleged failure to share critical information and conceal shortcomings. However, the WHO has vigorously denied these claims.
Instead, the organization has argued that it acted quickly and transparently in responding to the pandemic, advising member states based on the best available evidence. The WHO Director-General's statement on X was clear: "The notification of withdrawal makes both the US and the world less safe."
Other key officials from the Trump administration have also been called out for their inaccurate claims about the WHO. Robert F Kennedy Jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, made a video post claiming that the US would be better off without the WHO, but his assertions were swiftly debunked by Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, a leading expert on COVID-19.
Van Kerkhove pointed out that the WHO detected the early warning signs of the pandemic in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019. Taiwan had also raised alarm bells, and they received information from the WHO at the same time, but Kennedy's claim that the WHO ignored these warnings is entirely false.
The US withdrawal from the WHO has sparked concerns about the potential consequences for global public health. The organization plays a crucial role in coordinating responses to outbreaks and emerging infectious diseases. Without the WHO, the US may be forced to go it alone, potentially repeating mistakes from 2020 when the country struggled to contain the pandemic.
"This decision is a big blow to global public health," said Kelly Henning, MD, Public Health Program Lead for Bloomberg Philanthropies. "The US will miss out on valuable dialogue, coordination, and collaboration that the WHO provides."
The move has been widely criticized by scientists and experts around the world, who fear that it may undermine global efforts to combat infectious diseases and protect public health.
As the US walks away from the WHO, one thing is clear: this decision was never put to a popular vote or even to Congress, which represents the interests of all Americans. The consequences of this move will be far-reaching and complex, with potentially devastating effects on global health and security.
The Trump administration's decision to officially withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) has been met with fierce criticism from the global health community. In a scathing response, the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has described the US reasons for pulling out as "untrue".
The move comes after years of strained relations between the Trump administration and the WHO, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The US had previously claimed that its withdrawal was due to "WHO failures" during the pandemic, including the alleged failure to share critical information and conceal shortcomings. However, the WHO has vigorously denied these claims.
Instead, the organization has argued that it acted quickly and transparently in responding to the pandemic, advising member states based on the best available evidence. The WHO Director-General's statement on X was clear: "The notification of withdrawal makes both the US and the world less safe."
Other key officials from the Trump administration have also been called out for their inaccurate claims about the WHO. Robert F Kennedy Jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, made a video post claiming that the US would be better off without the WHO, but his assertions were swiftly debunked by Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, a leading expert on COVID-19.
Van Kerkhove pointed out that the WHO detected the early warning signs of the pandemic in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019. Taiwan had also raised alarm bells, and they received information from the WHO at the same time, but Kennedy's claim that the WHO ignored these warnings is entirely false.
The US withdrawal from the WHO has sparked concerns about the potential consequences for global public health. The organization plays a crucial role in coordinating responses to outbreaks and emerging infectious diseases. Without the WHO, the US may be forced to go it alone, potentially repeating mistakes from 2020 when the country struggled to contain the pandemic.
"This decision is a big blow to global public health," said Kelly Henning, MD, Public Health Program Lead for Bloomberg Philanthropies. "The US will miss out on valuable dialogue, coordination, and collaboration that the WHO provides."
The move has been widely criticized by scientists and experts around the world, who fear that it may undermine global efforts to combat infectious diseases and protect public health.
As the US walks away from the WHO, one thing is clear: this decision was never put to a popular vote or even to Congress, which represents the interests of all Americans. The consequences of this move will be far-reaching and complex, with potentially devastating effects on global health and security.