US’ WHO exit harms pandemic effort
THE US exit from the World Health Organization would undermine international efforts to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that guarantee public health and save lives, officials and experts across the world have warned.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his country is “terminating” its relationship with the WHO. The announcement came days after the White House, in a letter to WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, threatened to make the temporary freeze of US funding “permanent” and reconsider its membership in the organization.
Experts have voiced concerns over the decision made by the US government, saying the move is undermining the irreplaceable role of the WHO in coordinating global efforts in combating COVID-19 and delivering necessary aid to developing and particularly underdeveloped countries whose public health systems are very vulnerable.
For those countries which are still struggling with the rising COVID-19 cases and are highly dependent on the guidance, equipment and concrete lifesaving services provided by the WHO, the US funding freeze is no doubt a fatal shock, they said.
Dad Mohammad Annabi, an Afghan researcher and editor-in-chief of the Islah Daily, said: “Cutting more than US$400 million to the WHO definitely would undermine the global health agency’s performances including the war on COVID-19 and research on how to make a vaccine to cure the killing disease in the world.”
Trump administration’s plan has also triggered widespread criticism from the international community.
(Xinhua)