In yet another inexplicable move, US President Donald Trump has put a halt on US funding to WHO, claiming that the organization has mismanaged the global COVID-19 response and will have to answer for its mistakes. Tanzia Haq writes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had announced a public health emergency about the coronavirus on 30 January 2020. However, US President Donald Trump continued to underestimate the seriousness of the virus even after multiple healthcare experts, and advisors to Trump, made statements on several occasions about the need to be cautious regarding the disease.
The WHO has garnered criticism in the past few months for warnings that were informed by Chinese officials, who had initially suppressed reports about the nature of the infections, and for not deploying their own experts to gather evidence. Mr. Trump has used this train of logic to blame the WHO for being favorable to China and for wasting time that could have been used to better prepare healthcare systems and create awareness among people. However, independent reports show that the WHO had warned major countries about the virus as early as 10 January.
The move by Mr. Trump has garnered harsh criticism worldwide as experts point out that cutting funding from a major organization like the WHO would result in costing millions of lives. Aside from COVID-19 assistance, the UN organization is responsible for coordinating healthcare responses around the world, providing assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable communities. The US contributed more than $400m last year to the WHO, making it the organization’s biggest donor. Critics note that Trump’s latest move is in line with his resistance towards international cooperation and his campaign promise to put ‘America first’.
President @realDonaldTrump is halting funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess WHO's role in mismanaging the Coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/jTrEf4WWj0
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) April 14, 2020
UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, lamented the move stating that “not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.”
The Heritage Foundation also released a statement saying that cutting funding during a crisis is counterproductive. Rather, the US should set conditions that the organization must meet to secure future funding.
Bill Gates tweeted that,” Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. 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.”
Trump’s move to cut funding comes amidst intense pressure from his critics who say that the commander-in-chief took too long to mobilize healthcare facilities across America, resulting in the country recording more than 24,000 deaths since the outbreak hit the country.
