After accusing the World Health Organization (WHO) of making deadly mistakes over the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump revealed the United States would be halting its funding for the specialized agency. But as the country is one of the WHO's biggest financial backers, Bill Gates said the POTUS's decision is as "dangerous as it sounds" in this time of crisis.
In a tweet, the known philanthropist condemns the president's action to stop funding the WHO in this challenging time. "Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds," he said. "Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19, and if that work is stopped, no other organization can replace them. The world needs WHO now more than ever."
According to Sky News, Donald Trump claimed that the global health body "failed in its basic duty and must be held accountable" for the way it handles the coronavirus outbreak. He blamed the organization for, allegedly, promoting China's "disinformation" about the virus after its first outbreak in Wuhan.
Melania Trump's husband also accused the organization of overly trusting China, resulting in his order to stop its funding while they were conducting a review to assess its role in the alleged mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus. In a statement from the White House, it said that the agency "failed" the American people.
The president strongly believed that the coronavirus could have been contained at its source if the WHO thorougly investigate China's initial reports. But instead of doing so, it has been praising the said Asian country for its alleged transparency on the pandemic, despite the claims that it's hiding the real number of its fatalities. Beijing is one of the major financial contributors of the United Nations health agency, so critics claimed that it "lacks independence" to fulfill its duty correctly.
But aside from China, the U.S. is also one of the WHO's most prominent financial backers. However, even before deciding to stop its funding, the Trump administration already slashed the country's contribution from $122.6 million to $57.9 million in February -- more than half of what it usually gives. Despite the decision, the U.S. would continue to work with the organization to pursue its "meaningful reforms."
