<p>US President <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>’s decision to withdraw the United States from the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/world-health-organisation">World Health Organisation</a> (WHO) will deal a serious blow to the organisation and have a negative impact on the health situation in all countries, including the US. Trump’s decision is not unexpected. He had initiated the process of withdrawal in his previous term.</p>.<p>But his successor Joe Biden had reversed it. Now Trump has paused transfer of all government funds to the WHO and will disengage completely from it within one year. Trump said WHO has ripped off the US and charged it with mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and other health crises. He accuses it of failing to implement reforms and acting in favour of China. The US is the major contributor to WHO, providing as much as a fifth of its funding. Stoppage of the funds will cripple the organisation. </p>.<p>WHO is the guiding light for all the world’s health activities. It formulates, supports, and implements important programmes to tackle malaria, HIV, tuberculosis and anti-microbial resistance. It is actively engaged in monitoring epidemics, preparing strategies, and alerting all countries. It plays an important role in vaccination plans and ensuring that poor and backward countries have access to vaccines and life-saving drugs.</p>.Trump says he may consider rejoining World Health Organization.<p>It undertakes or guides studies and research on diseases and health-related matters and makes their results available to governments and health agencies for necessary action. One of its initiatives led to the eradication of small pox. It had a major role in making most of the world polio-free. AIDS-related deaths have been reduced by 70 per cent. Its expertise and global reach make its position crucial in all activities related to health. </p>.<p>The world has become deeply interlinked and people are always on the move. Diseases and infections also move with them, and an international agency needs to guide health activities at the global level. WHO, with its 194 member countries and footprints in all of them, has well served the world in that role. It is true more than ever in the past that no one is safe till everyone is safe.</p>.<p>WHO has faced criticism over various matters and needs reform, but all countries will suffer if its working is crippled. There will be an impact on the US also as it will face greater risk of infectious diseases. WHO has already decided to cut costs and reset its priorities in view of the likely fall in funding. It has requested the US to reconsider its decision, but it is unlikely that Trump will oblige.</p>
<p>US President <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>’s decision to withdraw the United States from the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/world-health-organisation">World Health Organisation</a> (WHO) will deal a serious blow to the organisation and have a negative impact on the health situation in all countries, including the US. Trump’s decision is not unexpected. He had initiated the process of withdrawal in his previous term.</p>.<p>But his successor Joe Biden had reversed it. Now Trump has paused transfer of all government funds to the WHO and will disengage completely from it within one year. Trump said WHO has ripped off the US and charged it with mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic and other health crises. He accuses it of failing to implement reforms and acting in favour of China. The US is the major contributor to WHO, providing as much as a fifth of its funding. Stoppage of the funds will cripple the organisation. </p>.<p>WHO is the guiding light for all the world’s health activities. It formulates, supports, and implements important programmes to tackle malaria, HIV, tuberculosis and anti-microbial resistance. It is actively engaged in monitoring epidemics, preparing strategies, and alerting all countries. It plays an important role in vaccination plans and ensuring that poor and backward countries have access to vaccines and life-saving drugs.</p>.Trump says he may consider rejoining World Health Organization.<p>It undertakes or guides studies and research on diseases and health-related matters and makes their results available to governments and health agencies for necessary action. One of its initiatives led to the eradication of small pox. It had a major role in making most of the world polio-free. AIDS-related deaths have been reduced by 70 per cent. Its expertise and global reach make its position crucial in all activities related to health. </p>.<p>The world has become deeply interlinked and people are always on the move. Diseases and infections also move with them, and an international agency needs to guide health activities at the global level. WHO, with its 194 member countries and footprints in all of them, has well served the world in that role. It is true more than ever in the past that no one is safe till everyone is safe.</p>.<p>WHO has faced criticism over various matters and needs reform, but all countries will suffer if its working is crippled. There will be an impact on the US also as it will face greater risk of infectious diseases. WHO has already decided to cut costs and reset its priorities in view of the likely fall in funding. It has requested the US to reconsider its decision, but it is unlikely that Trump will oblige.</p>
