DAY ONE: America Re-joins World Health Organization
Joe Biden fulfilled yet another one of his campaign promises on day one as president when he announced the US would once again join the World Health Organization (WHO). In a fast reversal of former President Trump's abandonment of WHO, Biden signed an act and notified the non-profit organization that the US is back on board.
In July, Trump’s departure from WHO was considered an act of stepping away from the global stage.
Amid the epic global Pandemic, Trump ordered the US to leave the organization and accused WHO of being a “puppet of China," saying China had “total control” over the non-profit organization.
There is a 12-month withdrawal plan for any ‘state’ leaving WHO, so the US reentry to WHO occurred seamlessly.
Numerous scientists plus domestic and foreign leaders applauded the United States' formal reentry into WHO. Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Biden’s decision, saying cooperation is vital for humanity's health.
"We congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and we look forward to working with this administration very closely,” said Ghebreyesus. “We need to reimagine leadership, build on mutual trust and mutual accountability to end the pandemic, and address the fundamental inequalities that lie at the root of so many of the world’s problems.”
What this means for the US is that significant funding must be continued, along with America's commitment to boost public health worldwide.
The US has always been the WHO’s largest supporter both philosophically and financially.
Historically, the US has been WHO’s top donor, with contributions for one year alone, from 2018 - 2019, at about $893 million.
President Biden also appointed Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, to represent the US on the WHO executive committee.
Dr. Fauci said the US would become a full-fledged participant in WHO and maintain US staff pulled by Trump for other projects.
Another major commitment, Fauci noted, will be to help people across the world to be vaccinated. Once again, he stressed, health collaboration is on the global table.
“We will seek an improved, shared system for early warning and rapid response to emerging biological threats,” said Fauci.
The Who, founded in 1948 as part of the United Nations, comprises 194 members, aka ‘states.’ The organization has a mission to provide health care globally and offer protection against health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rejoining WHO propels the US toward advancing global pandemic responsiveness, helping reverse the myriad of health issues caused by climate change, and more.
The Biden administration has not yet said if the US will be part of COVAX, the WHO international program to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it equally among countries worldwide, including third-world countries that cannot afford to purchase vaccines.
With Biden’s focus on reaching across the aisle, unifying the US and now the world, the administration is expected to announce a decision to participate in COVAX soon.
