Leaving the World Health Organization: A Terrible Mistake

By Kaia Beckerman

July 28th, 2020

After months of criticism and threats, President Trump has issued an official notice of withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). He has continuously hurled accusations that the WHO has become a puppet for China and criticized their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even halting funding amidst a pandemic was not enough. President Trump has now chosen to pull the United States out of the international body tasked with addressing public health issues.

Trump’s decision to leave the World Health Organization is a mistake because it weakens the international community’s response to the pandemic and leaves the United States without critical information regarding viruses and vaccine development.

This announcement quickly drew the criticisms of health experts across the world who warn of severe consequences for all parties involved. 

But what exactly are these consequences? 

Hurting the United States Response

Experts foresee major setbacks in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. In the American Medical Association’s official statement on the act, they warn that President Trump is putting “the health of our country at grave risk.”

Through the WHO’s Research and Development (R&D) Blueprint, the organization has facilitated a coordinated and accelerated response to COVID-19. This includes a program to develop a vaccine, research pharmaceutical treatments, and strengthen information sharing between countries. 

By leaving the WHO, the US would be abandoning these groundbreaking developments and cutting itself out of discussions pertaining to this virus and many more. This could leave the United States vulnerable to other viruses, as many countries only share such information with the WHO.

Lindsay Wiley, a professor at American University, stated: “Given that our vaccine manufacturing capabilities within the US are limited, to withdraw from the organization at this stage in the crisis when we’re on the cusp of developing a safe and effective vaccine and thinking about how to distribute it, would be a dire mistake.”

In the 1949 smallpox epidemic, the WHO and CDC’s coordinated effort was critical to eradicating the disease. However, with the current administration weakening the CDC, by questioning the agency’s guidelines and handling of COVID-19, the US could face this crisis without a strong health agency to guide it.

The Weakening of the WHO

Experts fear that the decision will weaken the international organization, and serve as a significant setback to vaccine development, prolonging the COVID-19 pandemic. These fears result from the fact that the rapid development of vaccine candidates and the initiation of trials is due to the unprecedented research effort and global coordination, which is jeopardized by the lack of US participation.

Additionally, experts have warned that nations cannot handle this pandemic alone. Helen Branswell epitomizes this idea in her article for STAT news stating, “As long as Covid-19 rages around the world, supply chains will be disrupted, the global economy will be stressed, and international travel will remain perilous. Until the outbreak is contained globally, the risks the virus poses will be felt everywhere”.

Leaving the WHO

So with these apparent repercussions, why has President Trump chosen to withdraw from the World Health Organization?

In President Trump’s announcement, he stated, “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.”

The WHO has denied such accusations, and World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros has stated, “We sounded the alarm early and we sounded it often.”

But whatever the case, now is not the time to be leaving the organization responsible for coordinating the international response to a pandemic which has claimed the lives of over 630,000 people. To address these concerns, more than 150 governments backed a proposal to audit the agency’s perceived failures. However, while other leaders share concerns that the WHO was too quick to praise the Chinese government, none, besides the US, have chosen to leave the organization, noting that action is needed after the crisis is under control.

Looking at recent history, President Obama and other WHO member nations set a guide for handling a health emergency amidst concerns over the WHO’s conduct. During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, multiple countries were concerned about the WHO’s performance. However, instead of abandoning the international body, these countries continued aiding in the crisis and working to reform the issues brought to light. In the following years, the international community saw the organization continuously improving. 

Past actions have shown us that the time for handling such international relations concerns is not in the middle of a crisis, but after human lives are no longer in danger. By following their lead, we can improve the WHOs practices and better prepare ourselves for future health emergencies.

It is clear that the United States should not abandon the World Health Organization. But, as Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor at Boston University, reminded the public during a lecture with WGBH’s forum network, this decision is not final. 

In order to withdraw from the WHO, the US must give one year notice, and pay their remaining dues. Therefore, the US will not leave the WHO until July of 2021. However, presumed presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, has announced that he will immediately reverse this decision if elected. 

Although this decision may not stand for long, pulling the United States out of the World Health Organization remains a terrible mistake because, as the American Medical Association puts it, the decision serves as “a major setback to science, public health, and global coordination efforts needed to defeat COVID-19.”