“Trump’s team plans to immediately withdraw the US from the WHO after the inauguration – FT Donald Trump’s team intends to announce the withdrawal of the US from the WHO immediately after the inauguration on January 20. This will deprive the organization of its largest source of funding, which is 16% of its budget.”, — write on: unn.ua
Details
Members of Trump’s team have told experts they intend to announce their withdrawal from the global health body during the president-elect’s inauguration on January 20. An exit would deprive the WHO of its biggest source of funding, undermining its ability to respond to public health crises such as the coronavirus pandemic, the FT writes.
“America will leave a huge vacuum in funding and leadership in global health. I don’t see anyone who can fill that hole,” said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health at Georgetown Law University, adding that the plan withdrawal “on the first day” will be “disastrous” for global health.
The US is the WHO’s largest donor, providing about 16 percent of its funding in 2022-23.
In 2020, Trump initiated the process of withdrawing from the WHO due to the spread of Covid-19, accusing the agency of being controlled by China. But the process was never completed, and his successor, Joe Biden, restored relations with the agency on his first day in office in 2021.
Experts say some members of Trump’s team want to move much faster this time, starting the process immediately.
WHO has not yet commented on the information. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organization’s director general, said this month that it is a “unique organization” that hopes to partner with American policymakers. “From our side, we are ready for cooperation,” he said. “I believe that American leaders understand that the United States cannot be safe unless the rest of the world is safe.”
We will remind
Donald Trump has tapped leading Covid-19 quarantine skeptic Jay Bhattacharya to be the next director of a key US health agency.
Trump also announced that he wants former rival Robert Kennedy Jr. to head the US Department of Health.