Withdrawing U.S. support from WHO in middle of a pandemic is reckless

At a time when public health should be a top priority, the Trump administration is taking steps to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the middle of one of the deadliest pandemics in human history.

As the leaders of organizations, working to tackle the global health crisis, whether driven by a deadly pandemic or a warming planet, we stand together in opposition of such a reckless move.

The ramifications of taking this step during a pandemic are enormous and put the life of every American at risk and our economy in further danger. While the country continues to struggle to fight COVID-19, other compounding health threats loom on the horizon, including the existential threat of the climate crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already taken the lives of over 160,000 people and sickened more than 5 million in the United States, more than anywhere else in the world. While we transform our lives to contain the spread, the American economy has collapsed.

Hospitals are operating under severe stress and dire financial situations as they do everything they can to respond to the pandemic and care for their communities. Simultaneously, climate change is also harming our health and our economy, and in fact, has worsened during the last four months. Even amid a drop in greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere hit an all-time record high in May. Triple digit temperatures in the Arctic Circle led to another warmest month record, tying with last June. And, scientists now warn the planet could hit the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold in the next four years.

This is no surprise. For decades, extreme heat waves, hurricanes, fires, floods, and droughts have led to disease, injury and death, while also impacting our food supply and water resources.. Every year for the last five years, there were 10 or more extreme climate disasters that cost more than $1 billion. Fossil-fuel driven outdoor air pollution kills more than 4.5 million people each year globally and new research shows exposure to air pollution increases the severity and death rate from COVID-19, with communities of color bearing the brunt of these disproportionate COVID-19 and climate deaths.

The WHO serves as a critical coordinating authority on international health issues. Not only is the withdrawal of U.S. support and funding from WHO in the middle of a pandemic reckless, but it also undermines years of work our nation has done in collaboration with WHO — including programs to develop vaccines, increase access to food and essential health services, and eradicate polio worldwide. As health professionals with the ProtectHealthNow campaign point out, the U.S. has withheld funding this year and last from both the WHO and its regional office in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization.

Furthermore, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis recently released a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to address climate change, which includes U.S. membership in and funding for WHO and its climate change and health program. International efforts to research the links between climate change and health, as well as to build health care climate resilience against the impacts of climate change reduces health vulnerabilities and protects public health.

Preventing pandemics and the worsening of the climate crisis requires leadership that recognizes systemic threats apply across international borders. We urge the Trump administration to reverse the actions to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO and work together, with international partners and experts, to protect the health of all Americans and our economy.

This pandemic and the impending climate crisis require us to cooperate with the international community to tackle these systemic threats, rather than shun our allies because of a disdain for science that may not serve myopic political goals.

Our lives and our economy are at stake.

Gary Cohen is the President and Co-Founder of Health Care Without Harm.

Mindy Lubber is the CEO and President of Ceres.