ICYMI: Donald Trump’s transition team seeks to pull US out of WHO ‘on day one’ Arrow

Key Point: "Donald Trump's transition team is pushing to pull the US out of the World Health Organization on the first day of the new administration, according to experts who warn of the 'catastrophic' impact it would have on global health. Members of Trump's team told the experts of their intention to announce a withdrawal from the global health body on the president-elect's January 20 inauguration. The departure would remove the WHO's biggest source of funds, damaging its ability to respond to public health crises such as the coronavirus pandemic."

Financial Times: Donald Trump's transition team seeks to pull US out of WHO 'on day one'

By: Hannah Kuchler and Oliver Barnes

• Donald Trump's transition team is pushing to pull the US out of the World Health Organization on the first day of the new administration, according to experts who warn of the "catastrophic" impact it would have on global health.
• Members of Trump's team told the experts of their intention to announce a withdrawal from the global health body on the president-elect's January 20 inauguration. The departure would remove the WHO's biggest source of funds, damaging its ability to respond to public health crises such as the coronavirus pandemic.
• "America is going to leave a huge vacuum in global health financing and leadership. I see no one that is going to fill the breach," said Lawrence Gostin, professor of global health at Georgetown Law, adding that the plan to withdraw "on day one" would be "catastrophic" for global health.
• The battle over US relations with the WHO comes after Trump nominated several allies, such as vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy, for top health jobs in the next administration.
• In 2020, Trump initiated the process to leave the WHO as Covid-19 spread, accusing the agency of being under China's control. But the process was never finished and his successor Joe Biden restarted relations with the agency on his first day of office in 2021.
• Experts have been told that some in Trump's team want to move much faster this time around after initiating the process immediately.
• Bodies such as the WHO are key to global co-operation on vaccine development and distribution as well as other treatments during health emergencies, said Jha.
• [Jha] warned that if the US left the WHO, European countries were unlikely to step up funding and China might try to wield more influence. "It would not be a smart move as withdrawal would cede leadership to China," he said.