The US officially withdraws from the World Health Organization: cessation of funding and support

However, the American administration has left an opening for limited cooperation in the future, mainly in specific areas of public health, including monitoring of infectious diseases and the composition of flu vaccines, although a final decision has not yet been made regarding participation in these forums.

According to estimates, the United States leaves behind a debt of approximately 260 million dollars to the organization. International law experts point out that the treaty requires payment of debts as a condition for full withdrawal, but in practice the organization does not have enforcement measures that can compel payment. Legal sources estimate that the organization will not act to prevent the withdrawal, so as not to further exacerbate the crisis with the American government.

The American withdrawal is also based on widespread and continuous criticism of the functioning of the World Health Organization in recent years. In the administration and among other countries, it is claimed that at the beginning of the Corona epidemic, the organization refused for a long time to define the outbreak as a global epidemic, even though at that time thousands of deaths had already been reported in various countries. According to critics, the delay in declaring a global state of emergency damaged the ability of countries to prepare in time, limit movements and activate emergency mechanisms.

Beyond that, the organization has also been severely criticized for its silence in political and security arenas. In Israel and other countries it is claimed that the organization did not work for the safety of abductees in various conflict zones, and did not voice a sharp and clear condemnation of the Hamas organization. In recent weeks, additional criticism has been added against the background of reports from Iran, where, according to international sources, at least 15,000 protesters were killed during two weeks of violent repression, without the World Health Organization having so far voiced a public critical voice on the matter.

The American government claims that these silences reflect, according to them, overly cautious and political conduct, which is incompatible with the organization’s role as a gatekeeper of public health and basic human rights.

On the other hand, in the scientific and health community there is deep concern about the consequences of retirement. Experts warn that the absence of the US from the organization will harm access to epidemiological information, virus samples and genetic sequencing data, which are necessary for the development of vaccines and drugs. Former officials in the American health system claim that bilateral collaborations will not be able to replace the global mechanism provided by the organization, especially in countries where the US does not have a permanent representation.

The American administration, for its part, emphasizes that the USA will continue to act in the international arena through direct agreements with countries and non-governmental organizations, led by the American Center for Disease Control, the CDC. The details of the new strategy have not yet been fully published.