Among the measures that Donald Trump has taken right after assuming the presidency of the United States is the intention to make his country no longer a member of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Trump, highly critical of the WHO's work, already announced the US withdrawal from the organization towards the end of his first term, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this decision was canceled by his successor Joe Biden shortly after taking office in 2021. Now, the president intends to revoke the change once again.
In response to this move, the WHO has issued a statement, expressing hopes that Trump "reconsiders the decision" and "engages in a constructive dialogue, for the sake of the health of millions of people worldwide."
Tarik Jasarevic, WHO spokesperson, has pointed out that "the United States was one of the founders of the WHO in 1948 and its collaboration has been vital over the past six decades."
"The WHO and the United States have saved countless lives and protected everyone from health threats. Together we eradicated smallpox, and brought polio to the brink of eradication," emphasized the spokesperson.
Reactions to the decision among the scientific community have not been delayed.
"It is a very unfortunate measure, with many implications at various levels that will affect us all. On one hand, it devalues the prestige of the World Health Organization globally, leading other countries to potentially do the same. On the other hand, it will reduce the economic funds of this organization, which will diminish the crucial activities it carries out, especially in countries that need it the most. Many diseases that are currently under control (prevention, monitoring, therapies) will likely return with even more strength," stated by SMC Spain's África González-Fernández, researcher at CINBIO, professor of Immunology at the University of Vigo, and academic at RAFG.
The consulted scientists agree that the worst consequences of this withdrawal will be suffered by populations in less developed countries initially, but it will eventually affect the entire planet, including the United States.
"It will exacerbate global health inequalities and put at risk advances made over decades, but it will also increase migrations and certain health problems in developed countries," pointed out Salvador Peiró, epidemiologist, researcher at the Fisabio Foundation.
He added: "Overall, and in addition to jeopardizing global public health and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it will result in a reduced global response capacity to future pandemics and health crises that will not only affect the most vulnerable countries but all of humanity, including the United States itself."
Regarding the situation in the United States and the H5N1 avian flu, which is circulating, María Iglesias-Caballero, virologist at the National Center for Microbiology-Carlos III Health Institute, reflects on the step taken by Trump: "This is another step in a country that currently has the H5N1 avian flu virus circulating completely uncontrolled even during the Biden Administration: in livestock and in humans, with one fatality. As a virologist, I don't know how this will escalate, how the rest of the world will suffer from it, and how it may affect vaccine research and production and other drugs against avian flu."
"We will see how the avian flu develops and where we end up with this Secretary of Health who does not believe in vaccines," concludes Iglesias-Caballero, also at SMC.
But who made this decision and on what grounds? Jacob Lorenzo Morales, full professor in Parasitology and director of the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands and researcher at Ciberinfect, regrets that "health professionals are being sidelined and these decisions are being made by non-experts in this field. The US will enter a dark zone where, despite anyone's opinion, they will realize that they can do many things on their own, but controlling and fighting pathogens is a global health issue, and this country will be completely unprotected if they leave the WHO. Sad news and a terrible decision."
Amós García Rojas, former president of the Spanish Vaccinology Association (AEV) and member of the WHO's Permanent Group for Europe until 2024, assures that "the US's exit from the WHO is a clear sign of something that worries many of us: a new world order. The WHO emerged as a necessity to conduct global analyses of disease distribution since many health problems have a global impact and require global strategies. Thinking that we can build a wall against certain diseases, like between the US and Mexico, is utter nonsense. Furthermore, the WHO has an unquestionable value in defending health interests in developing countries. When the WHO speaks, it does not speak thinking about the US, Spain, or France, but rather about all countries in the world, and unfortunately, many countries live in poverty where the WHO is essential to establish global strategies that allow them to avoid excessively harmful consequences related to health problems."
Óscar Zurriaga, epidemiologist, president of the Spanish Epidemiology Society, has highlighted that "the United States was the main donor to the WHO in the previous biennium, 2022-23," so their departure "will mean losing an amount of 1.284 billion dollars for two years and will put the international organization at significant financial risk."
Apart from that, Zurriaga points out that "the most important risk is the loss of influence of the WHO itself, which, at times, is no longer what it should be; and the constant questioning of multilateral issues in the health field." Additionally, if we combine this decision with the newly appointed US Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is not in favor of crucial programs such as vaccinations, we may see a worsening of global health."