The World Health Organization (WHO) said it expects the new president of the United States, Donald Trump, to reconsider the decision to remove the country from its list of member states. The announcement of the United States’ withdrawal from the United Nations health agency was made by Trump this Monday (20), shortly after the inauguration ceremony.
“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and safety of the world’s population, including Americans, by addressing root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go,” the WHO said.
In a note published this Tuesday (21), the WHO highlighted that the United States is among the founding members of the entity and has participated in the definition and management of the work since then, together with 193 other Member States, through its action active in the World Health Assembly and on the entity’s executive board.
Lives saved
“For more than seven decades, WHO and the United States have saved countless lives and protected Americans and the entire global population from health threats. Together, we eliminated smallpox and brought polio to the brink of eradication. North American institutions contributed and benefited from this membership as a WHO Member State”, argued the organization.
“We hope that the United States will reconsider and we hope to be able to engage in a constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the country and the WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the world”, concluded the note.
