Opinion | Donald Trump’s decision to halt US funding to the World Health Organisation could have devastating consequences, especially in the developing world
- An abrupt cessation of US funding will not only hobble the WHO’s fight against Covid-19, especially in developing nations, but will also hamper the organisation’s ability to counter other health threats such as Ebola
This reckless announcement follows the release of a G20 joint statement on March 27 which called for worldwide concerted efforts to “close the financing gap in the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan”.
The Trump administration’s move against the WHO is as anachronistic as it is anti-intellectual. Defunding this multilateral health body, which is the backbone of the fight against Covid-19, will put the health and safety of hundreds of millions of people in the developing world in greater peril. In this sense, Trump’s foolhardy decision goes against humanity.
Indeed, the WHO is facing multiple challenges, ranging from capacity building in the allocation of international resources to forging partnerships with a growing number of actors in global public health governance.
Nevertheless, the guidance and help the WHO provides are indispensable, especially to the developing world. No other organisation in the UN system, or elsewhere, can fulfil these functions. Neither can the United States set up a new specialised institution in its place overnight.