The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed deep concern over a decision made by Donald Trump after becoming the US President. Trump signed an order for America to withdraw from the organisation’s membership. Some critics have identified this as a moment the whole world would rather forget. The WHO has appealed to President Trump to reconsider this decision. WHO is responsible for identifying, preventing and responding to health emergencies, as well as going to difficult locations to find solutions for disease causes. This is a crucial matter and an important series of global functions.
Building strong health systems to ensure the health and safety of Americans and people worldwide is WHO’s commitment. There are opinions that treating WHO unfairly is not a wise decision. America is a founding member of WHO. According to a WHO statement, America and WHO together have saved numerous lives over seven decades.
Trump’s Order
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the United States from WHO. This is the second time Trump has ordered US withdrawal from WHO. During any global health crisis, countries, health professionals and the general public seek guidance from WHO. The organisation’s main goal is to provide better healthcare for all and ensure “everyone’s right to a safe environment.” 194 countries have WHO membership, including America. WHO can be considered a project that enables numerous initiatives including vaccination programs, supporting people during emergencies, and helping countries implement health provisions.
Successful Immunisation Programs
WHO’s global operations depend on member country contributions. The 2024-2025 budget is US$6.83 billion. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former Ethiopian diplomat and health minister, has been serving as WHO’s current chief since 2017. Funding from developed countries is largely used to improve health conditions in developing countries. WHO’s approach to communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions is particularly notable. The organisation has successfully led several global health campaigns. Its contribution to monitoring global situations, properly assessing current conditions, and preventing serious situations should be appreciated.
Smallpox Eradication
The eradication of smallpox stands as one of WHO’s most notable achievements. It represents a global victory. Smallpox was a devastating disease that historically killed millions of people. In 1967, WHO launched a major effort to eradicate smallpox. This resulted in the implementation of a massive immunisation program. Research continued for more than a decade. In 1980, WHO declared smallpox eradicated.
Malaria Eradication Campaign
The malaria eradication project was initiated in 1955. By 1969, WHO managed to expand it into a global operation. However, complete eradication of malaria hasn’t been achieved yet, and the organization has taken steps to restart a comprehensive process. As a result of this program, 12 countries were certified malaria-free by 2015. WHO has embarked on an anti-malaria program for 2016-2030, stating its goal is to make at least 30 countries malaria-free by 2030. In 2021, WHO recommended a special vaccine to prevent malaria in children. The organization has arranged to provide 18 million doses of malaria prevention vaccine across 12 African countries by 2025.
WHO’s contribution to controlling the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa should also be appreciated. However, the organisation was criticised for showing inefficiency during this process. Critics point out that some criticisms were unfair. Since the organisation lacks of power to take independent actions, even though some plans failed, WHO has overall made a significant contribution to Ebola control.
COVID Response Criticism
Another issue is that WHO faced severe criticism regarding its response to the COVID pandemic. In 2020, US President Donald Trump announced his country’s withdrawal from WHO based on these criticisms. Trump accused the organisation of not doing enough to stop COVID-19 spread. He also claimed that WHO was under China’s control. America is WHO’s largest financial contributor. Although Joe Biden reversed Trump’s executive order, Trump’s return to power threatens WHO’s existence due to potential loss of American political support and funding.
