By taking US funds away from the World Health Organisation, Donald Trump is reducing the international organisation's ability to fight not only Covid-19, but also Ebola, poliomyelitis, malaria and other infections which endanger the poorest and mainly non-white people of the world. The threat to the West from Ebola has been stemmed, but it is still a threat in central Africa. There is a realistic prospect of eliminating poliomyelitis, which is still in the wild in Africa and Asia. WHO has already had to fight for contributions to be paid on time; this new attack threatens its viability. It is all part of a pattern of white supremacy, intent on keeping the third world poor and uneducated. Thatcher withdrew the UK from UNESCO, which the UK had helped found, following a similar move from president Reagan in the US. President GW Bush pulled US support for family planning in Africa. Is it any wonder that China is winning support in the Third World?
And of course Trump's reason for withdrawal is specious. The WHO may have been a week or so late in doing so, but by the end of January the organisation had recognised the potential dangers and recommended preventative measures to national governments. As late as the end of February, Trump was still downplaying Covid-19 and blaming the Democrats for hyping the emergency for political reasons. Moreover, the WHO warnings came in time for Taiwan and Greece to prevent Covid-19 taking hold there. This posting gives links to data from other nations which took faster action than Trump - and Johnson - preventing many deaths.
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