Trump’s Halting Of WHO Funding Is More Than Regrettable; It’s Dangerous

By Charles Mwewa
Guest Contributor

On April 14, 2020, US President, Donald Trump, suspended funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), for reasons that make no sense, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump is “… accusing WHO of mismanaging the spread of the novel coronavirus, and of not acting, quickly enough, to investigate the virus, when it first emerged in China, in December 2019”, as expressed on CNN, last week Tuesday.

The reason given for the suspension is laughable, at best, and damaging to Africa at worst. If, indeed, WHO had conspired, with China, to silence the origins of the pandemic, or if, indeed, WHO mismanaged the spread, why suspend funding, when the pandemic is reaching its highest devastating peak?

If the US president’s motive is the good management of the organization, why risk the lives of the majority of innocent African poor, who depend on WHO’s funds for research and containment?

I do not believe that Trump is so concerned about WHO, that he was moved with compassion, to suspend funding. I believe that Trump suspended funding for four major reasons.

First, it is because of the mounting criticism, he faced, at home (USA) for alleged failure to respond to the pandemic in time. Initially, he had accused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But when criticism increased, he found a scapegoat in WHO.

Second, it does not make sense to halt funding, right in the middle of the pandemic. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, “warned that the timing for the decision was wrong,” according to Fox News. Wrong it was, indeed. In the midst of rolling deaths, the funding is stopped. This means just one thing: more deaths.

Third, this action is injurious to race relations and the effort against racism. To those, who follow world events, no-one can be duped that Trump is such an angel that he wants the best for Africa. The target of this suspension is Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, who also happens to be a Black African. Trump is punishing the entire continent of Africa, just because WHO’s boss is an African. Just so Tedros Adhanom regretted and said, “…the coronavirus is not the only health crisis that the group works to combat,” (Axios, April 15^th, 2020). Suspending funding to WHO is also causing the worsening of conditions for other diseases that WHO combats in Africa, such as malaria.

And fourth, the US President is forgetting actions, such as these, led to the failure of the League of Nations (LON) in the early parts of the twentieth century. It does not surprise those, who remember the demise of LON and the emergence of the United Nations (UN), that the move “…drew immediate [worldwide] condemnation,” (Al Jazeera, Tuesday, April 14^th, 2020).

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is not buying into Trump’s maneuverings.  According to the Canadian Global News, of April 15^th, 2020, the Canadian PM is smart, and said, “…U.S. President Donald Trump hasn’t tried to get Canada to follow suit in cutting off funding to the World Health Organization as the coronavirus spreads.”

I hope that African leaders should stand up and force the Trump administration to reverse its off-colored decision. This is patently wrong and dangerous.