President Trump has stated he wants to terminate the United States’ relationship with the World Health Organization.
The announcement came during a speech in in the Rose Garden at the White House on May 29, where the president criticized China and WHO’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, Trump said WHO has refused to bend to his demands for reforms for the organization, though Trump’s main criticism of the organization has been that the U.S. provides it with more funding than any other country.
WHO, which is a United Nations agency, is charged with promoting health, keeping the world safe, and serving the vulnerable and is governed by its board and the World Health Assembly, made up of delegates from all over the world. WHO is funded by its member states and voluntary contributions. Trump sent a letter to WHO on May 18 asking for unspecified improvements. His decision to leave the organization came just 11 days later.
Trump said the actions stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak influenced his decision, and he stated China misled world leaders about the outbreak.
“Chinese officials ignored their reporting obligations to the World Health Organization and pressured the World Health Organization to mislead the world when the virus was first discovered by Chinese authorities,” Trump said during his speech.
The move to terminate the relationship with WHO was immediately criticized by industry groups, including the American Medical Association, particularly because the U.S.––and the rest of the world––are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the U.S. alone, the number of deaths caused by the virus has topped 100,000.
"This senseless action will have significant, harmful repercussions now and far beyond this perilous moment, particularly as the WHO is leading worldwide vaccine development and drug trials to combat the pandemic,” AMA President and CEO Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, said in a statement. “COVID-19 affects us all and does not respect borders; defeating it requires the entire world working together. In the strongest terms possible, the American Medical Association urges the President to reverse course and not abandon our country’s leadership position in the global fight against COVID-19.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."