COVID-19: Biden Vows To Reverse Trump WHO Withdrawal

Global health agency’s largest single contributor, United State has withdrawn their membership of apex health body, World Health Organization.

US Presiden Trump formally began the pull out on Tuesday after signalling the move in May. He said the WHO was under China’s control during the coronavirus crisis.

The process could take at least a year.

Mr Trump currently trails Mr Biden in the race for president by a margin of more than 10 percentage points.

Analysts have urged caution in interpreting the polls, but Mr Biden’s lead is far greater than that of Mr Trump’s 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton at the same point in the campaign.

Many voters are concerned by the administration’s handling the pandemic and its economic fallout.

There have been almost three million confirmed cases of the virus in the US and more than 130,000 deaths, far more than in any other country. Meanwhile, tens of millions have lost their jobs.

Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health,” he said.

“On my first day as President, I will rejoin the WHO and restore our leadership on the world stage.”

Democrats in Congress confirmed that the legislature had been notified of the president’s decision.

It leaves Americans sick and America alone.”

Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship,” the official was quoted as saying.

Mr Trump first announced in April that he was going to halt US funding for the WHO unless it undertook “substantive improvements” within 30 days.

Then in late May he said the US “will be terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and directing those funds” to other global public health charities.

“The world is now suffering as a result of the malfeasance of the Chinese government,” he said, adding that China had “instigated a global pandemic”.

The president accused China of pressurising the WHO to “mislead the world” about the virus, without giving evidence for his allegations.

“China has total control over the World Health Organization,” the president said.

The US is the global health agency’s largest single contributor, providing more than $400m (£324m; €360m) in 2019, around 15% of its total budget.

Under a Congress resolution in 1948, the US can withdraw but must give a year’s notice and should pay outstanding fees, although it is unclear where Mr Trump stands on that.

The withdrawal will call into question the WHO’s financial viability and the future of its many programmes promoting healthcare and tackling disease.

Other countries, including Germany and the UK, have said they have no intention of withdrawing funding from the WHO, which is coordinating a global initiative to develop a vaccine against Covid-19.