Donald Trump Announces Termination of US Relations With World Health Organization

President Donald Trump has announced that the U.S. had terminated it relations with the World Health Organization. In a new statement from the White House, trump revealed the plans, after reportedly making critical comments about China. In his speech, Trump stated, “China has total control over the World Health Organization despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying, which is approximately $450 million a year.”

He went on to say that he believes the world needs answers from China on the virus,” and demanded to the nation to “have transparency.” Trump then rhetorically asked, “Why is it that China shut off infected people from Wuhan to all other parts of China?” he also stated that Covid-19 “didn’t go to Beijing” or anywhere else in China, “but they allowed them to freely travel throughout the world, including Europe and the United States.” In his announcement, Trump stated WHO “failed to make the requested greatly needed reform” and therefore the United States “will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.”

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program, previously commented on the possibility of the U.S. pulling its funding from WHO, saying that the money given by the nation helps countries in “all sorts of fragile and difficult settings,” per CNBC. “We’ll obviously have to work with other partners to ensure those funds can still flow,” Ryan, then saying that the move would “be a major implication for delivering essential health services to some of the most vulnerable people in the world.” He then added that WHO trusts that “developed donors will, if necessary, step in to fill that gap.”

The news of Trump pulling Unites States funding to the World Health Organization comes as the nation confirms 1.7 million diagnosed cases of Covid-19, and at least 102,201 deaths from the illness. Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 5.8 million people, and killed more than 362,000, according to ABC News. The Centers for Disease Control strongly encourages everyone to maintain safe social distancing, to wear a mask when in public, and to wash their hands regularly. These three things specifically can have a big impact on slowing the spread of Covid-19.