Staff across Disease Control and Prevention Centers They were ordered on Monday to interrupt all communication with the World Health Organization, more federal health officials were confirmed by CBS News, in order to adhere to President Trump Executive Last week.
In addition to the call to the United States to start a year -round procedure to officially withdraw from the Financing of the UN Health Agency, Mr. Trump Executive command He also instructed the federal agency to “recall and assign” any US government staff from working with WHO.
The powerful order implementation Director was issued by the Deputy Director of CDC for Global Health John Nkengasong UE on Monday, said one official, waiting for further guidelines for when and how the exceptions can be carved.
CDC staff assigned to work for those who were also told that they did not come to the office, according to the UE -Poruti, waiting for further guidelines from the lead.
Mr. Trump has long been critical of WHO, accusing the organization of misjudging Covid 19 and saying that it gets too much money from now, which donate most of any country.
On event In Las Vegas, on January 25, he said that who offered to reduce the US financing obligation to approximately the amount given by China.
“Maybe we would think we’re repeating it. I don’t know. Maybe we would have to clean it a little,” said Mr. Trump.
Former health officials say CBS News to take care of withdrawing USA from could endanger the efforts to respond to the diseaseBoth undercover the UN agency, and also make it difficult for US officials to prepare.
The first way that US officials would sometimes hear about the worrying epidemics were through WHO, especially in countries that decided to work with US authorities. WHO also relies on diseases that have sent the US and other countries to fulfill their ranks.
“As repeated many times, infectious diseases do not know the boundaries, and in today’s world of fast journey, the outbreak is threatened everywhere,” said James Leduc, an assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Between the work for medical research by the US army and the guidance of the Galveston National Laboratory, Leduc worked for the CDC as a WHO clerk and later one of the world’s best health officials.
“The fact is that there is no alternative to that. Who has a global mandate that allows health issues to be resolved in a coordinated manner at a global level,” Leduc said.
A spokesman for the World Health Organization refused to comment on the movement. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversee the CDC, did not immediately respond to the commentary request.
Preparing for seasonal and pandemic flu
The GAG command comes before the key meeting of the Committee next month, where CDC officials were supposed to help WHO to choose the effort for the flu vaccine in winter.
Flu vaccine manufacturers and the US Food and Medicines Administration rely on the information and find this panel to decide on the footage used every fall around the northern hemisphere.
CDC also plays a key role as the “Cooperation Center” for the flu and serves as one of the world’s worldwide testing and studying laboratories.
Many countries send samples of worrying cases of flu in the CDC laboratory for monitored mutations that could be a threat of pandemia, such as bird flu or pork flu.
Responding to viruses like Polio and Marburg
CDC staff assigned to work for The WHO often serves as connections with experts in the agency’s disease, offering insight into the concerns of new clips that respond worldwide.
Others work with other countries erupt Long -term illnesses, like Initiative to eradicate Polio Supported by both agencies.
WHO also plays a key role in the issuing of permits and coordination of testing that allow the use of drugs to respond to diseases, especially for smaller countries that face the epidemics of new diseases.
More former federal health officials said they also played a key role in facilitating answering and introducing American vaccine respond to outburst Marburga disease similar to eboli, in Rwanda last year.
The authorities are closely watching another outbreak of Marburg this year in Tanzania, which Who announced that last week confirmed.
Replacement of American expertise in WHO
“The expertise provided by CDC and other US government agencies is absolutely important for the success of WHO activities and for the benefit of the United States,” Leduc said.
Leduc recalled that US staff was once proud to have brought uniforms, working steps from scientists of former Cold War opponents to start emerging in the emergence of diseases from the Office of the Geneva Office of the International Organization.
“I don’t think we want, especially as public health experts, that they feel like they can only wave the American flag in these positions. The reason why it seemed to be able to be Americans and also be global citizens,” said Loyce Pace, director of global affairs for HHS under the management of Biden.
Pace said there are hundreds of officials of US health agencies working with WHO. She said that other countries would probably try to step in to fill the void left behind by US public health officers.
Another former federal official said China sought to fill in multiple jobs within the UN agency, caring some US officials about how they could seek to use their positions.
“I hope that there will be a part of us who will continue to do so that it does not see it as a weakness, but as strength, to distinguish us from other actors who do not have that approach and, honestly, they were not so effective in building partnerships for the protection of the world,” he said is pace.
