COVID-19 – US President decides to halt funding for WHO

When WHO is working full time to lead the world’s efforts against COVID-19, Donald Trump decides to halt funding for the organization, saying that it has “failed in its basic duty.”

Trump’s action has been roundly condemned by world leaders, including the UN Secretary General; numerous Government officials in countries throughout the world, and Bill Gates, head of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a major WHO funder. Among organizations of health professionals, the American Medical Association has called Trump’s action a “dangerous step in the wrong direction”.

Trump accused WHO of failing to adequately assess the outbreak when it first emerged in the city of Wuhan, thereby losing precious time. Surely, with more than 600,000 cases and 26,000 deaths from the virus in the US and with health workers working tirelessly to fight the virus in so many other countries, such a decision by the US President at the present time will be more detrimental. Now is not the time for political antics but for united action against a common enemy…