A Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) says America’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) will have a negative impact on global health in general.
Shortly after his inauguration to a second term on Monday 20th January 2025, President Donald Trump announced the signing of an executive order on the withdrawal, directing the US to quit the WHO, which he criticized over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the US contributing between 18 and 22 percent of the international organization’s core funding, Prof Adamson Muula hinted there will always be a gap which will be experienced in terms of funding.
The Head of Department of Community and Environmental Health at KUHeS however noted it remains unclear whether there will be other countries coming in to fill that gap or if that money will affect WHO’s support to Malawi.
In terms of vaccinations, the public health specialist assured that Malawi gets them from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Global Alliance Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) which is continuing to get funding so the issue remains intact therefore a good thing.
U.S. contributions account for 33 percent of the Global Fund’s total external resources for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, with Malawi being allocated more than $2.1 billion since 2003.
A Full Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology, Muula was upbeat not all is gloom and doom as some funding has only been put on hold for 90 days, arguing the Trump administration may wish to continue to supporting those initiatives.
On the other hand, he feared for funding that comes in through its aid agency USAID, PEPFAR that has huge investments in HIV and AIDS, the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) noting these are areas where Malawi is likely to suffer negative impact.
“If the US Government were to stop PEPFAR; then we will be in a very big big problem, but I don’t think that anybody is imagining that PEPFAR will be stopped but if it did, then it will be a huge blow to global health and Malawi will be affected quite severely” noted the health expert.
Since 2006, interventions and investments of more than $1.8 billion through PEPFAR, and in collaboration with the Global Fund and Malawi Government, reached nearly 940,000 Malawians with HIV treatment, which has suppressed the virus in 95 percent of those on treatment, as reported to UNAIDS.
In 2023 alone, the U.S. Government invested $176 million for HIV through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), $24 million for malaria through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, and $5 million for tuberculosis through USAID.
In its 21st January statement, WHO regretted the announcement by the newly elected Trump administration’s intent to withdraw from the organization.
It described the US as its founding member in 1948 which has participated in shaping and governing the UN agency’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States.
For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats.
The Geneva based body indicated that together, they ended smallpox, and brought polio to the brink of eradication with American institutions having contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO.
“With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 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”. Read the WHO statement.
Washington’s decision sets a 12-month notice period for the U.S. to leave the United Nations health agency and stop all financial contributions to its work.
