841 - The U.S. & The World Health Organization
Public Health On Call
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
4.6 • 644 Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2025
⏱️ 18 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
About this episode:
President Trump's executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO could have lasting implications on the health and wellbeing of the world, and on the American people. In today's episode, the essential roles that the WHO plays both for the U.S. and around the globe, America's imperfect relationship with the institution, and the potential consequences of a U.S. exit.
Guest:
Dr. Judd Walson is an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist, and the chair of the department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Host:
Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Show links and related content:
-
Reflecting on the US Withdrawal from the World Health Organization—Infection Control Today
-
What Leaving the WHO Means For the U.S. and the World—Time Magazine
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Public Health On Call, a podcast from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, |
| 0:05.9 | where we bring evidence, experience, and perspective to make sense of today's leading health challenges. |
| 0:16.3 | If you have questions or ideas for us, please send an email to public health question at jh. |
| 0:21.6 | jh.edu. |
| 0:23.8 | That's public health question at jh.edu for future podcast episodes. |
| 0:31.2 | It's Lindsay Smith-Rogers, producer of Public Health On Call, and today, the future of the World Health Organization. |
| 0:38.2 | Last week, President Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from the agency |
| 0:42.3 | that coordinates the world's response to health issues and emergencies. |
| 0:46.7 | Stephanie Desmond talks to Dr. Judd-Walson, chairman of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School |
| 0:51.4 | of Public Health, Department of International Health, about both the |
| 0:55.0 | obvious and more subtle ways this decision could impact health and security for the worst, |
| 1:01.4 | not just globally, but here in the U.S. as well. Let's listen. |
| 1:06.3 | Judd Walson. Thanks so much for joining me. |
| 1:08.8 | Pleasure to be here. So today I want to talk about one of the |
| 1:13.4 | big inauguration day executive orders signed by President Trump. This one about withdrawing |
| 1:20.4 | from the WHO, the World Health Organization. While it wasn't a surprise, he tried to do this in his |
| 1:25.9 | last administration, it's still causing a lot of shock waves. |
| 1:29.5 | And I guess I'd like to start by maybe if you could tell us what WHO is and why it's so important, and then what this really means. |
| 1:36.9 | Yeah, thank you so much. Yeah, I think it is really important to think about this from a place of starting with what does WHO do? |
| 1:44.6 | What are the essential roles that it plays? |
| 1:46.7 | And then if WHO were to be not here to support us, |
| 1:50.8 | what would the alternative be and who would serve those functions? |
... |
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