I just saw reports that Mr Trump has decided to cut US funding for/to the WHO. Unbelievable but what really gets me is that this will be supported down there by his core supporters. Why worry about saving lives when there is an election to be won.
And we are no better here in Canada where we have a conspiracy theory suggesting that this was all a ploy of the Trudeau Liberals to knock off all of us geezers who routinely vote Tory. No comment from that lunatic fringe on why we started it in China but there you go
The WHO has been a force for great good in many parts of the world and has undoubtedly improved the lives (and saved the lives) of tens of millions of people over the years. But it’s role in the current epidemic has been disgraceful, in particular its toadying attitude to China, it’s refusal to challenge the Chinese on the origins of the disease and the cover up of the epidemic. This is an organisation which has as its sole purpose understanding and advising on the spread of disease. As late as 24 January it was advising that there was no problem with international travel and large gatherings of people, or going to live animal markets (let alone closing them) as long as you washed your hands a lot. Admittedly this may have been because China had lied to them, but they have never apologised or of course challenged China. I suspect this is because, although the US give WHO the most money, China controls the voting on senior appointments (top 3 WHO funders - 1.US, 2. Bill & Melinda Gates, 3. UK. All 195 members states who have paid their dues get to vote on who is leader every 4 years, in an Oscar like ceremony).
Plus it is dysfunctional and has a ‘lead’ on COVID 19, David Nabarro (British) who accused his boss, Tedros, of covering up cholera epidemics in his native Ethiopia when they were both competing for the top job. Nabarro is the man constantly issuing conflicting advice on face masks (latest we should wear them not because they work but because they are an alert to social distance - in my experience they are the reverse) and who has said it’s fine for Wuhan to reopen it’s wet markets. Nabarro also led the widely criticised WHO response to Ebola.
So Trump, odious moron that he is, does actually have a point, in my opinion, though his motivation is entirely selfish and wrong as always. We need a WHO, so I don’t agree with removing funding, but I do think that funding should be made contingent on a fundamental review of the organisation, a clear out of its leadership and its depoliticisation.
In my opinion.
According to the Chinese embassy Raab has promised not to negatively mention China in relation to the pandemic.