Tag: World Health Organization

‘Blackmail’: Trump ‘blindsided’ officials with list of 7 demands for World Health Organization. ‘It was an enormous backfire’

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In the early days of the pandemic, President Donald Trump tried to handle the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) as if were just another business transaction — but he likely did not bank on Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ refusal to comply with his wishes. 

According to The New York Times, Trump had Andrew Bremberg, the American ambassador in Geneva, to deliver a list of seven demands to Tedros. He reportedly was not pleased when Tedros refused to negotiate.

Bremberg also released a statement criticizing the W.H.O. and placing blame on the organization for its failure to “rebuild trust among some of its critical member states.” Continue reading.

Trump administration moves to formally withdraw US from WHO

The Hill logoThe White House has officially moved to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), a senior administration official confirmed Tuesday, breaking ties with a global public health body in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. has submitted its withdrawal notification to the United Nations secretary-general, the official said. Withdrawal requires a year’s notice, so it will not go into effect until July 6, 2021, raising the possibility the decision could be reversed.

Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted that the administration informed Congress of the withdrawal plans. Continue reading.

Are asymptomatic people spreading the coronavirus? A WHO official’s words spark confusion, debate

NOTE:  This article is being provided free of charge by The Washington Post.

Washington Post logoThe World Health Organization moved Tuesday to clarify its position on whether people without symptoms are widely spreading the new coronavirus, saying much remains unknown about asymptomatic transmission.

A comment by a WHO official on Monday — calling such asymptomatic transmissions “very rare” — touched off a furious scientific debate over the unresolved question and attracted widespread criticism of the organization.

Less than 24 hours later, WHO convened a special news conference to walk back its comments, stressing that much remains unknown. But the comment from Monday had already spread widely and been seized upon by conservatives and others to bolster arguments that people do not need to wear masks or maintain social distancing precautions. Continue reading.

AMA statement on president “terminating” U.S. relationship with WHO

“In the grip of a global pandemic that has already killed more than 100,000 Americans, severing ties with the World Health Organization (WHO) serves no logical purpose and makes finding a way out of this public health crisis dramatically more challenging. This senseless action will have significant, harmful repercussions now and far beyond this perilous moment, particularly as the WHO is leading worldwide vaccine development and drug trials to combat the pandemic. COVID-19 affects us all and does not respect borders; defeating it requires the entire world working together. In the strongest terms possible, the American Medical Association urges the president to reverse course and not abandon our country’s leadership position in the global fight against COVID-19.” View the post here.

Trump: US ‘terminating’ relationship with WHO

The Hill logoPresident Trump said Friday that the United States is “terminating” its relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) over its response to the novel coronavirus, following through on a threat issued earlier this month.

Speaking at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, Trump accused the WHO of being under China’s “total control” and of failing to make reforms requested by his administration. The president said he would “redirect” funds promised to the WHO to assist other global health needs.

“We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act,” Trump said.  Continue reading.

Scoop: Xi accepts, while Trump rejects, invite to address WHO

Axios logoPresident Trump declined an invitation to address a virtual gathering of the World Health Organization, which proceeded today with addresses from several world leaders but only a blistering rebuke from the U.S.

The big picture: A source familiar with Trump’s thinking said he has no interest in doing anything with the WHO right now. Trump has excoriated the WHO, saying it’s kowtowing to China, and he’s frozen U.S. funding for the global health agency.

Behind the scenes: The WHO extended an invitation earlier this month for Trump to speak at Monday’s virtual gathering of the World Health Assembly, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Continue reading.

EXCLUSIVE: Meet the top American fighting COVID-19 at WHO

The Hill logoWhen Maria Van Kerkhove sat before a room full of reporters on Jan. 14, she admits she was a little nervous.

As the newly appointed technical lead in charge of a key pillar of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) response to a coronavirus outbreak that was beginning to spread in China, it was her first experience talking to a media scrum hungry for answers.

Three months later, Van Kerkhove, 43, looks like the savvy veteran. Continue reading.

Leaked Memo Shows Officials Warned Trump Against Defunding WHO

An internal memorandum written by U.S. officials and addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warns that cutting funding to the World Health Organization, as President Donald Trump said he would do Tuesday, would erode America’s global standing, threaten U.S. lives and hobble global efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The memo, which was prepared before Trump’s Rose Garden announcement, was written by officials within the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and includes a detailed list of how U.S. funding to the WHO helps countries in the Middle East control the pandemic.

A draft version of the memo, which was labeled “Sensitive But Unclassified” and was titled “Information Memo for the Secretary,” was seen by ProPublica. Continue reading.

Trump WHO cuts meet with furious blowback

The Hill logoPresident Trump’s decision to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) is meeting with furious blowback from business groups, Democrats, foreign leaders and health groups, who say he is jeopardizing the global response to the pandemic.

While Republicans, some of who have joined Trump’s criticism of the WHO, have not slammed the decision to halt funding, the White House is coming under attack from many other directions over the issue.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, usually an ally of Republicans, said Trump’s action cut against U.S. interests. Continue reading.

China hawks flex muscle amid coronavirus fallout

The Hill logoThe fallout from the coronavirus is shaking up the U.S.-China relationship on Capitol Hill, as a group of hawkish lawmakers fiercely criticize Beijing’s response to the disease.

Republicans are pushing for their colleagues and the Trump administration to take a more aggressive stance toward Beijing, which they say downplayed the virus’s danger.

China’s government has become a target for criticism for Republicans, along with the World Health Organization (WHO). President Trump on Tuesday said he would halt funding to that organization. Continue reading.