Statement on withdrawal of U.S. from the World Health Organization

| 3 Min Read

The following statement is attributable to:
AAP President Sally Goza, MD
FAAP, AAFP President Gary L. LeRoy, M.D.
AMA President Susan R. Bailey, M.D.
ACP President, Jacqueline W. Fincher, MD, FACP

"The Trump administration's official withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) puts the health of our country at grave risk. As leading medical organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of physicians, we join in strong opposition to this decision, which is a major setback to science, public health, and global coordination efforts needed to defeat COVID-19.

"The WHO plays a leading role in protecting, supporting, and promoting public health in the United States and around the world. The agency has been on the frontlines of every global child health challenge over the last seven decades, successfully eradicating smallpox, vaccinating billions against measles, and cutting preventable child deaths by more than half since 1990. Withdrawing from the WHO puts these investments at risk and leaves the United States without a seat at the table—at a time when our leadership is most desperately needed. 

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