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US President-elect Donald Trump‘s team is reportedly preparing to leave the World Health Organisation (WHO) during his second term, according to a health law expert. This potential withdrawal could occur as early as his first day back in office.
Lawrence Gostin, a global health law professor at Georgetown University and director of the WHO Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, said, as quoted by Reuters, “I have it on good authority that he plans to withdraw, probably on Day One or very early in his administration.”
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had earlier said that the organisation needed to give the US time and space for the transition. He also expressed confidence that states could reach a pandemic agreement by May 2025.
Earlier attempt at WHO withdrawal
Trump has consistently criticised the WHO, particularly for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He began the withdrawal process in 2020, accusing the organization of being too close to China. This action was later reversed by President Joe Biden.
US would lose influence
Some experts warn that a US withdrawal from the WHO could weaken international efforts to fight pandemics. “The US would lose influence and clout in global health, and China would fill the vacuum. I can’t imagine a world without a robust WHO. But US withdrawal would severely weaken the agency,” Gostin added.
Trump has nominated several critics of the WHO to prominent public health positions during his second administration. He named Robert F Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, to lead the department of health and human services, which oversees key health agencies like the CDC and FDA.
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