Geneva: The World Health Organisation (WHO) wishes to continue its collaboration with the United States of America (USA) even though the US President Donald Trump has terminated its relationship with the global health body.
Speaking to the media at the global press briefing from Geneva, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, said, “The world has long benefited from the strong, collaborative engagement with the government and the people of the United States. The US government and people’s contribution and generosity towards global health over many decades has been immense, and it has made a great difference in public health all around the world. It is WHO’s wish for this collaboration to continue.”
At a press conference in the White Rose Garden last week, Trump said, “China has total control over the World Health Organization despite only paying USD 40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying, which is approximately USD 450 million a year.”
“The world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency. Why is it that China shut off infected people from Wuhan to all other parts of China?” he added. “It didn’t go to Beijing, it went nowhere else, but they allowed them to freely travel throughout the world, including Europe and the United States,” Trump expressed.
The US President further elaborated that the WHO “failed to make the requested greatly needed reform” and the U.S. “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.
