Nearly 15 Million Deaths Are Linked to COVID-19, World Health Organization Says
TimeMAY 2022
Trump Orders US Withdrawal From WHO
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Above: Pres. Donald Trump signs executive orders in the oval office on Jan. 20, 2025. Image copyright: Anna Moneymaker/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump's move threatens to destabilize global health security by stripping the WHO of one-fifth of its budget and vital American expertise. This could cripple crucial programs fighting AIDS, polio, and tuberculosis while weakening worldwide pandemic surveillance and response capabilities. The vacuum left by the US departure may increase Chinese influence, even as poorer nations struggle with reduced access to vaccines, treatments, and technical assistance for public health emergencies.
Pro-Trump narrative
Withdrawing from the WHO reflects a principled stand against an organization that failed its scientific duties during COVID-19. Despite receiving billions in US funding, the WHO pushed draconian policies like lockdowns and child masking, without conducting rigorous studies to validate their effectiveness. Rather than generating evidence-based guidance, the WHO offered opinions aligning with left-leaning politics, effectively undermining its credibility as an impartial health authority.
Metaculus Prediction
There's an 8.7% chance the World Health Organization will report no detected polio cases (wild poliovirus) for an entire calendar year for the first time before 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
