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Trump’s actions are irresponsible

Dear editor,

Here is the real tragedy behind the announcement that the U.S. is cutting off funding to the World Health Organization. The bulk of U.S. funding to the WHO goes to polio eradication, emergency services, infectious diseases including TB, HIV and malaria, as well as to health and nutrition services. All of these needed areas of support, so critical during the pandemic, get blind-sided to make a narcissist’s point.

Take polio. Polio is endemic now only in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the fight against polio is almost won. Not only is historic progress on polio at risk, but so are those countries that have benefited from polio funding to bolster their health care systems. Nigeria, for example, recently eliminated polio. Nigeria was largely spared an Ebola outbreak because it was able to use its polio surveillance program to monitor and treat Ebola. The very tools and systems that were developed for polio are those that will also be used to defeat COVID-19 when a vaccine is found. These tools will be holstered if the largest contributor to the WHO cuts off funding.

I’m thankful Canada has already contributed to the global COVID-19 response. That funding will be needed now more than ever to backstop Trump’s retreat on polio and vaccines.

Happy to be living north of 49.

Randy Rudolph

 

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