Former Food and Drug Administration Commission Scott Gottlieb says now is the not the right time for the United States to cut ties with the World Health Organization (WHO.)
“The president raises valid concerns about the WHO,” Gottlieb said during an interview on CBS’ “Face The Nation” on Sunday. “But this is not the time to be pulling out the WHO.”
“And I don’t think pulling out was the right measure,” he added.
Instead, Gottlieb said he believes the U.S. could have tried to force changes within the WHO rather than cutting off funding to the organization.
He also noted that for many countries, the WHO “is their [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Gottlieb said he believes that cutting off funding would “contribute to the hardships” other countries will face as they battle the COVID-19 outbreak.
Watch the video below:
.@ScottgottliebMD on the impact of U.S. pullout of @WHO funding:
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 31, 2020
"The president raises valid concerns about the WHO, but this is not the time to be pulling out the WHO. And I don't think pulling out was the right measure"
Suggests reforming @WHO from "within" pic.twitter.com/tI2KHOrjb1
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. would cut ties with the international health organization.
“China has total control over the World Health Organization despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying which is approximately $450 million a year,” Trump said during remarks in the Rose Garden.
He continued, “We have detailed the reforms that it must make and engaged with them directly, but they have refused to act.”
“Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.”
In a May 18 letter, Trump threatened to cut off funding if the organization did not make reforms within 30-days, as IJR reported.Â
While Trump has suggested that China exerted influence on the WHO to hide crucial information about COVID-19, officials at the agency have strongly pushed back against that allegation.
“Our interest is in sounding the alarm when the evidence is indicates the alarm should be sounded and that is exactly what Dr. Tedros did,” Stewart Simonson — the assistant director-general of general management for the WHO — said when asked about Trump’s allegation and threat to cut off funding.
