Trump carries out threat to exit WHO

On Tuesday January 20, the Trump administration put out an official notice announcing America’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Its reasons for doing so vary between flimsy and downright untrue, and experts argue that it puts the US and the world in a far weaker position. The WHO itself published a statement to that effect on 22 January.

However, no amount of reasoning could get through to the Republican fanatics.

Trump Vs the WHO

The WHO was founded in 1948. It’s a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) that works to coordinate the global response to health emergencies. The US was actually a founding member of the international organisation.

Trump signed the withdrawal order at the beginning of his second term. At the time, the WHO stated that if the US were to reconsider, the outcome would be to the:

benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.

But of course, Trump and his cronies did not reconsider. Instead, they incorporated a rant against the WHO in the notice of the presidential action stating their withdrawal on 20 January:

The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020 due to the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states. In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments.

‘Tarnished and trashed’

Likewise, US secretary of state Marco Rubio and noted antivaxxer — health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — also put out a joint statement, joining in the WHO-bashing on 22 January.

The pair stated that:

Even on our way out of the organization, the WHO tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it. The WHO refuses to hand over the American flag that hung in front of it, arguing it has not approved our withdrawal and, in fact, claims that we owe it compensation. From our days as its primary founder, primary financial backer, and primary champion until now, our final day, the insults to America continue.

The US does, in fact, owe the WHO money, never mind ‘compensation’. The country hasn’t paid any its dues to the WHO for the last two years — since initiating its withdrawal — leaving it some $133m short.

Rubio and Kennedy went on to insist that:

We will continue to work with countries and trusted health institutions to share best practices, strengthen preparedness, and protect our communities through a more focused, transparent, and effective model which delivers real outcomes rather than the bloated and inefficient bureaucracy of the WHO.

Sidestepping inefficient bureaucracy by making multiple independent agreements…what a concept.

In an interview with the Independent, one American public health law expert ridiculed this particular supposition. Lawrence Gostin, of Georgetown University, pointed out that many emerging viruses are first observed in China, but:

is China going to sign a contract with the United States? Are countries in Africa going to do it? Are the countries Trump has slapped with a huge tariff going to send us their data? The claim is almost laughable.

Likewise, Dr Ronald Nahass — president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America — stated that the US withdrawal was “shortsighted and misguided” and “scientifically reckless”.

WHO rebuttal

For it’s part, the WHO defended its own impartiality:

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, governed by 194 Member States, WHO has always been and remains impartial and exists to serve all countries, with respect for their sovereignty, and without fear or favour.

Regarding its pandemic response, the international health body stated that:

no organization or government got everything right.

Notably, the WHO recommended against mask-wearing early in the pandemic. However, the organisation did state that:

By the time the first death was reported from China on 11 January 2020, WHO had already alerted the world through formal channels, public statements and social media, convened global experts, and published comprehensive guidance for countries on how to protect their populations and health systems.

It also went on to assure readers that the US would be welcomed back as a member, should it choose to rejoin:

We hope that in the future, the United States will return to active participation in WHO. Meanwhile, WHO remains steadfastly committed to working with all countries in pursuit of its core mission and constitutional mandate: the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental right for all people.

Whilst this will likely offer some comfort to Americans who don’t want their country to abandon the world’s pandemic early-warning system, it won’t be much help in the immediate future.

The WHO isn’t the point

In truth, there’s no amount of reasoning or appeasement that could get through to Trump, because this isn’t about the WHO at all.

This man couldn’t care less about the WHO or the problems of its bureaucracy.

He especially didn’t give a shit about the coronavirus response, holding mega-rallies, mocking masks, and endorsing the use of horse drugs (Ivermectin) and bleach as cures.

As we’ve seen at the UN and at Davos, he simply wants to reject the very idea of internationalism altogether. Just look at his (patently false) claims that the US props up NATO and never receives anything in return.

Trump believes that the US can stand alone, and as such it doesn’t need the support of other nations — or the rule of international law.

The withdrawal from the WHO is simply the latest example of the US president throwing his weight around, thrashing against anyone who won’t bow down to America as the sole arbiter of all that’s right and good. He’s short-sighted and supremely dangerous, certainly — but also desperate and erratic, to boot.

Featured image via the Canary