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US Withdrawal from World Health Organization (WHO)
Context
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Details of the Executive Order:
- The order included four key actions:
- Pause on funding: All U.S. financial contributions to WHO were stopped. The U.S. contributes around 20% of WHO’s total budget. The U.S. is the largest single financial contributor, both through mandatory and voluntary
- Recall of U.S. personnel: All U.S. government workers linked to WHO were recalled.
- Identify new partners: The U.S. would find new international partners to take over roles previously carried out by WHO.
- Stop negotiations on the pandemic treaty: The U.S. would stop participating in negotiations about a global pandemic treaty that WHO was working on to help countries prepare for future health crises.
- Trump listed several reasons for this decision:
- WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic.
- WHO failed to implement urgent reforms.
- WHO showed political bias and was influenced by member states.
- The U.S. was asked for unfairly large financial contributions.
Impact on India:
- Health Programs in India: WHO plays a role in several health programs in India, like fighting diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and providing support for the immunization program.
- Funding Cuts: The loss of U.S. funding means WHO may not be able to fund or implement these programs effectively in India and other countries.
- Expertise Loss: U.S. health experts have contributed significantly to WHO’s research and guidelines for handling health crises. Their absence will affect how WHO can guide countries during health emergencies.
The Role of India and the Global South:
- With the U.S. pulling out, countries like India and China from the Global South could play a more significant role in filling the gap left by the U.S.
- India has become a prominent voice in the Global South on health and other international issues, and experts expect India to step up and lead global health efforts along with other nations like South Africa.
About World Health Organization (WHO)
|
PYQQ: Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2020) |
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