Topline
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received guidance to immediately stop working with the World Health Organization following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations agency—though the immediate stop to work surprised CDC staff, the Associated Press and The Washington Post reported.
Key Facts
Deputy Director for Global Health for the CDC John Nkengasong sent a memo to senior agency leaders Sunday advising them that agency staff who work with WHO should stop their collaborations and “await further guidance,” the Associated Press reported Monday.
The Washington Post reported the memo said the direction applied to “all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centers, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or other means” whether virtually or in person and prevents CDC staff from going to WHO offices.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order that began the process of withdrawing from WHO, citing “the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic” and that it demands “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S.
It is legal from Trump to withdraw the U.S. from WHO, but the U.S. must give “a one-year notice” and meet its financial obligations to the agency for that fiscal year, according to a joint resolution from 1948, and there is debate around whether it requires congressional approval, as well.
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Crucial Quote
Trump’s order directed the secretary of state and director of the Office of Management and Budget to pause the future transfer of funds and support to WHO and “recall and reassign” personnel working with WHO, but Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a University of Southern California public health expert who works with WHO, told the AP “people thought there would be a slow withdrawal,” adding: “This has really caught everyone with their pants down.”
Key Background
This is not the first time Trump tried to withdraw from WHO. In July 2020, he took steps to leave in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying at the time the organization “failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms” and that the U.S. would redirect “funds to other worldwide and deserving, urgent global public health needs,” CNN reported. The decision was met with criticism from Democrats and then-presidential candidate Joe Biden said he would reverse the decision if elected, which his administration did. The WHO is a United Nations agency that works on global efforts to expand health coverage and improve global health. Any country in the United Nations is able to join WHO by accepting its Constitution.
Contra
At a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday, Trump hinted that he would consider rejoining WHO, saying “maybe we would consider doing it again … maybe we would have to clean it up a bit,” Politico reported.
Tangent
The executive order starting the process to withdraw from WHO was one of many Trump signed on his first day back in office. He also signed executive orders ordering mass deportations of anyone in the U.S. illegally, creating the Department of Government Efficiency, eliminating governmental programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and more.
Trump floats reversing decision to leave WHO (Politico)
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