CDC employees ordered to cut ties with WHO following US withdrawal

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees have been directed to stop working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) effective immediately.

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According to a report by the Associated Press, an official at the US CDC, John Nkengasong, issued a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night, directing all staff working with the WHO to halt their collaborations and “await further guidance.”

The Associated Press reported that it had obtained a copy of the memo stating that the stop-work policy applies to “all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centres, advisory boards, cooperative agreements, or other means — whether in person or virtual.”

The memo further instructed that CDC staff are prohibited from visiting WHO offices.

The CDC’s decision to cease collaboration with the WHO stems from President Donald Trump’s directive to withdraw the United States from the global health body.

US withdrawal

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Trump signed several executive orders hours after his inauguration at the White House last Monday. Some of these orders dealt a heavy blow to global efforts and drew criticism from leaders, experts, and stakeholders worldwide.

One of these is the US withdrawal from the WHO, which had been predicted to hamper the agency’s activities.

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However, the president had argued that the US withdrawal was due to the inappropriate political influence of member states on the global body.

“The organisation’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states is the reason for US withdrawal,” the text of Monday’s executive order reads.

In response, the WHO has called for a constructive dialogue with the US, emphasising the need to preserve their decades-long partnership.

The organisation said its relationship with the US is pivotal to protecting global health and security.

It noted that the country played a significant role in tackling disease outbreaks, strengthening health systems, and responding to emergencies in challenging environments.

The agency said, “With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has, over the past seven years, implemented the largest set of reforms in its history to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues.”

“We hope the United States will reconsider, and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.”