President Donald Trump announced on April 14 that he would temporarily suspend funding to the World Health Organization. In other words, Trump is saying the WHO has failed to fulfill its basic duty of responding to COVID-19. However, without funding from the U.S., which supports more than one-fifth of the WHO budget, it is obvious that COVID-19 prevention activities will be disrupted. Trump’s decision puts a damper on mankind’s efforts to overcome the coronavirus early.
As a representative example of the WHO’s failure, Trump cited “opposing measures to restrict travel from China to other countries.” However, China prevented the spread of the outbreak with rapid containment measures when the coronavirus broke out in Wuhan. The WHO also offered guidelines for maintaining physical distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
In contrast, Trump’s response to the spread of the coronavirus distinguished the U.S. as the No. 1 nation in confirmed cases and deaths. Blaming the WHO for its response to the spread of COVID-19 after the fact is like angrily venting at the wrong target. One cannot help but criticize Trump’s reaction as being from someone conscious of the upcoming presidential election in November.
It is true that the WHO’s response to the coronavirus was unreliable, but its role is now more important than ever. The American Medical Association also said that cutting WHO support is a dangerous step in the wrong direction. There will be time to assess the WHO’s response to COVID-19 after the situation is over. Trump should withdraw his decision to suspend funding. Now is the time for the whole world to join forces in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
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