America's Relationship With The World Health Organization

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4.4 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 January 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

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Summary

It was instrumental in coordinating global action during the pandemic. However, that meant became a target for the president of then and now.

The World Health Organization helps to protect and maintain the health of the world's population. It receives about 10 percent of its budget from the United States. President Donald Trump, however, doesn't see a lot of value in its work, signing an executive order Monday to withdraw America from the membership of the agency.

He called the organization "corrupt" and has accused it of taking more from the U.S. than it gives.

We discuss the future of global health without America at the table of one of its greatest proponents.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, so does this sound like you?
0:02.4	You love NPR's podcasts.
0:04.6	You wish you could get more of all your favorite shows,
0:07.5	and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public.
0:12.8	If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR Plus bundle.
0:18.7	Learn more at plus.npr.org.
0:30.8	For several decades, the United States has had considerable influence on global health policy. But that's set to change.
0:38.3	What is this one? Withdrawing from the World Health Organization.
0:41.2	Oh, that's a big one.
0:43.3	During a flurry of executive orders on his first day in office, President Donald Trump
0:47.6	directed the U.S. to exit the World Health Organization or the who. It's a year-long
0:53.4	process to withdraw, but it's something the president is already having
0:57.4	second thoughts about.
0:58.9	But maybe we would consider doing it again.
1:01.0	I don't know.
1:01.4	Maybe we would have to clean it up a little bit.
1:03.9	It's not the first time Trump has tried to pull the U.S. out of the Who.
1:07.9	He's continuously criticized the organization for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
1:12.8	and says the U.S. pays an unfair portion of dues. It also comes as the Trump administration more
1:19.5	broadly shakes up the world of public health. In the past week, the White House paused
1:24.4	communications at health agencies and froze funds for AIDS relief.
1:28.8	What does all of this mean for our public health systems and for you?
	...

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