IMPACT OF TRUMP’S WITHDRAWAL FROM W.H.O.

US had been the largest contributor of financial and technical aid to the WHO, apart from participating in its governance structure. On May 29th 2020, the White House announced its termination of relationship with WHO accusing it of protecting China as the pandemic took off, pending a review of the organization’s activities related to the COVID-19. This withdrawal by the US could greatly benefit China in gaining prominence in the international organization. However it will negatively impact the activities of the WHO, as US contributed to around 15% ($500-$600 per year) of the funding of WHO. It could also disturb the global effort to eradicate polio and undermine the world’s ability to detect and respond to disease threats. The WHO’s staff is majorly comprising of US personnel, who will naturally pull out of the organization due to such withdrawal by US, impacting the staff base considerably. American experts play a key role in the WHO’s advisory committees to determine concerns of public health, which will be retracted. Beyond the pandemic, health programs that the U.S. has long championed like combatting the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis, trying to stop the spread of HIV, or slowing the assault of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria will be weakened by a U.S. withdrawal from the WHO.