On his first day in office, President Donald Trump decided that the United States would no longer be a member of the World Health Organization (WHO). This means that the US will leave the WHO within 12 months and suspend all payments to the organization. Experts suggest that this could compromise many projects and weaken the WHO’s ability to respond to future epidemics, especially in lower-income countries. The lack of assistance for the most vulnerable regions could possibly lead to increased migration.
“The World Health Organization that Donald Trump is pulling the United States out of is an organization that ensured timely access to medication, fight against pandemics globally, and prevented the spread of diseases that pose a threat to humanity. This is all at risk now, as a large part of the funding that came from the United States is endangered,” Robert BiedroĊ, Member of the European Parliament from the New Left, said in an interview with Newseria.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization. In the order’s justification, he cites inappropriate management of the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, the lack of adoption of urgently needed reforms, and the inability to demonstrate independence from the political influences of WHO member states. Trump previously criticized the agency for not holding China more accountable for the origin of COVID-19.
Another reason Trump cites for leaving the WHO is the excessive membership fees, surpassing those paid by other countries. He gives the example of China, which, with a population several times larger than that of the United States, contributes almost 90% less to the WHO.
“This simply means less health protection for the average person. Everyone should be worried about this. Anyone who is celebrating Trump’s victory and his first decisions, including withdrawal from the WHO, is really shooting themselves in the foot. This weakens the protection of each of us,” warns Robert BiedroĊ.
Along with Trump’s executive order, which suspends international aid for 90 days, lack of funding may prevent many people from receiving life-saving drugs for HIV, Malaria, and other diseases.
“The most affected will be the global South regions, which were already receiving modest help. These are the regions where a large part of the migration comes from. If we want to solve the migration problem, we must primarily remember that the best solution to such problems is to address them locally so that these people don’t end up in the European Union. It is in our own interest that this aid continues to flow there, that these countries develop, and societies have a basic standard in terms of access to water and food. Otherwise, we will face even more migration than now. If Donald Trump doesn’t understand this, sooner or later the United States will pay the price for it, “argues the MEP of the New Left.
The WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health of people worldwide, tackling the root causes of diseases, strengthening the healthcare system, and responding to health-related emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places. The organization funds health support programs to prevent and treat polio, tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, measles, and other diseases, especially in countries struggling to provide healthcare itself.
“There will be less money for research, for controlling various diseases, and sooner or later, in Poland, as well as in the European Union, we will start paying the price. Diseases will spread, we will have more infections and less recognition of these diseases. Sooner or later, people who also received help from the WHO will come to Europe and we will have a problem with this. Celebrating these decisions â and I often hear such voices not only here in the European Parliament but also from some Polish politicians â that the world order is being dismantled, is asking for trouble,” explains Robert BiedroĊ.
At the end of January, the WHO published a statement on the U.S. decision. It reminds us that for more than seven decades, the WHO and its member countries, including the U.S., have saved countless lives and protected people from health threats. Together, they eradicated smallpox and practically eliminated polio. Therefore, the WHO hopes to maintain its partnership with the U.S. for the health and well-being of millions of people worldwide.
