In a world still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, the US decision to withdraw from the WHO in 2025 feels like walking away from the lifeboat in the middle of a storm. The US has contributed $988 million annually to the WHO, around 14% of its $6.9 billion budget, playing a pivotal role in supporting global health initiatives.
This move threatens to dismantle essential programmes, from HIV prevention to polio eradication, and weakens our collective ability to respond to future health emergencies. As the H5N1 bird flu edges closer to human-to-human transmission and China battles a surge in metapneumovirus cases, cutting ties with the WHO is a risky gamble that compromises global safety. By severing this crucial lifeline, the US also loses access to vital real-time health data, leaving us all more vulnerable.
Politics should never take precedence over public health. The next pandemic would not respect borders; it will exploit weakened international cooperation. America’s exit from WHO isn’t just a political blunder, it’s an open invitation for future health crises.
Hoor Fatima
Rawalpindi
