US President Donald Trump (R) and US Vice President JD Vance
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: The Donald Trump administration’s decision to pull out from the World Health Organisation can impact some of the Indian programmes unless others come forward to make up for the loss.
Sources in the Union Health Ministry said it would be too early to speculate on the impact as WHO was not the sole funding source.
India’s health programmes on TB, malaria, HIV, antimicrobial resistance and immunisation are supported by the WHO.
Public Health experts note that in an interconnected world, the US decision will not only hurt other nations, but will adversely impact the US too.
“The USA’s withdrawal from WHO is extremely unfortunate. In an interconnected and interdependent world, it will have adverse consequences not only for other countries but also for the USA too,” said K Srinath Reddy, former president, Public Health Foundation of India,who had worked with the WHO for a long time.
“Since WHO will lose its major national financial contributor, other countries will need to step up their contributions and increase the level of scientific collaboration amongst themselves. Both international cooperation and self-reliance will now acquire new purpose and fresh forms of functioning,”he told DH.