News Alert: Administration’s Decision to Terminate U.S. Relationship With the WHO Could Not Be Worse-Timed

President Trump today announced that the U.S. is terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization. 

In reaction to President Trump's announcement, Dr. Dafna H. Rand, Vice President of Policy and Research at Mercy Corps says:

“As the COVID-19 pandemic exponentially increases in the world’s most vulnerable communities, President Trump's decision to terminate the United States’ relationship with the World Health Organization could not be worse-timed. 

“It is clear that this virus does not respect borders. We need to work with international institutions, not against them, especially during this unprecedented health and economic crisis. Now more than ever, the United States must demonstrate global leadership.

“In many of the countries in which we work, the World Health Organization is playing an important role training local health professionals and helping ministries of health respond to rising caseloads. Mercy Corps is scaling up our efforts to respond to COVID-19 in more than 40 countries around the world. Our team members have seen first hand how strong coordination with the WHO is vital to saving lives.

“Terminating the United States’ relationship with the World Health Organization not only harms the ability of countries with weak healthcare systems to fend off COVID-19, but it is also detrimental to the fight against other infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, AIDS, and Ebola.”