The Trump administration has started the process of pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization, a decision that could harm the United Nations agency's response to the ongoing global health crisis and the reshaping of diplomacy in public health.
The withdrawal notice, effective July 6, 2021, was sent to the secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres, on Monday. Under the provisions of a joint resolution passed by Congress in 1948, the U.S. would issue a one-year notice and pay the department its debts for leaving.
Stephane Dujarric, a Guterres spokesperson, disclosed that the secretary general was confirming with the WHO if all terms for such withdrawal have been met.
United States President Donald Trump had made his intentions clear in late May, alleging that the WHO is being under China's influence in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite calls from European Union leaders and others, Trump stated that he would withdraw from the UN agency and redirect funds elsewhere. Trump has also said the WHO failed to halt early warning signs of the crisis.
The U.S. is the worst-hit nation with COVID-19 cases nearing 3 million and 130,751 fatalities, data from John Hopkins University showed. Eric Swalwell, US Representative for California's 15th congressional district, described Trump's move "irresponsible, reckless and incomprehensible".
In his Twitter post, as quoted by Angharad Carrick of CityA.M., he said "withdrawing from the @WHO amid the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime is a self-destructive move. More Americans will be hurt by this careless choice."
Trump threatened to stop money from being sent to the WHO in April because of the coronavirus outbreak. The President, who was being lambasted for his management of the pandemic in his country, tried to pass the accountability onto the WHO for allegedly not immediately notifying the rest of the world about the disease. The U.S. is the biggest financial contributor to the organization, donating approximately $400 million a year.
Meanwhile, Trump's primary competitor, presumptive Democratic Presidential bet Joe Biden, has already mentioned he will overturn the decision if he wins the White House.
The former U.S. vice president said that Americans are safer when the country is engaged in boosting global health. "On my first day as President, I will rejoin the WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage," Stewart Perrie of Ladbible quoted him as saying.
Trump's move to abandon the WHO in the middle of a global pandemic has alarmed health experts and put the US at odds with traditional allies.
