Dr. Anthony Fauci’s rapid commitment to the WHO – whose response to the pandemic has been criticized by many, but perhaps very loudly by the Trump administration – points to a dramatic and vocal shift towards a more collaborative approach to combating the pandemic.
“I am honored to announce that the United States will remain a member of the World Health Organization,” Fauci said at a virtual meeting of the WHO from the United States, where it was 4:10 a.m. in Washington. It was the first public statement by a member of Biden’s government to an international audience – and a sign of the priority the new president has made in fighting COVID-19 at home and with world partners.
Hours after Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, he wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres saying the US would reverse the planned exit from the WHO, which is expected to take effect in July.
The withdrawal from the WHO was rich in symbolism – another example of America’s stand-alone strategy under Trump. But it also had practical consequences: the US stopped funding the UN Health Agency and stripped it of cash from the country that had long been its largest donor, just as the agency was fighting the health crisis that affected more than 2 million people worldwide killed. The US also withdrew staff from the organization.
Fauci said the government in Biden would resume regular engagement with the WHO and meet its financial obligations to the organization.
The WHO chief and others stepped in to welcome the US announcements.
“This is a good day for the WHO and a good day for global health,” said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The role of the United States, its role, the global role is very, very important.”
The two men alluded to a warm relationship between them, with Fauci calling Tedros his ‘dear friend’ and Tedros referring to Fauci as ‘my brother Tony’.
The White House said later Thursday that Vice President Kamala Harris had discussed many of the same topics as Fauci raised in a call with Tedros.
But she stresses the need to sharpen the global response to COVID-19, “to mitigate its secondary impact, including on women and girls”, and to work to prevent the next outbreak of an epidemic or pandemic be, “the White House said in a statement.
“In addition, the Vice President emphasized the importance of making America safer through global cooperation,” he added, emphasizing the new tone from Washington.
John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called the renewed commitment “good news” in an email. “The world has always been a better place for the US to play a leading role in solving global health problems, including the fight against HIV / Aids, malaria, polio and other diseases,” he said.
The Danish Minister of Health, Magnus Heunicke, wrote on Facebook: “It will have a big impact on the world’s ability to fight the pandemic. It is crucial that the United States is involved as a driving force and not raging a country seeking the exit as a global catastrophe. ”
Fauci also said that Biden would issue a mandate on Thursday showing that the United States intends to join the COVAX facility, a project to introduce COVID-19 vaccines to people in need around the world, whether in rich or poor countries.
Under Trump, the US was the highest profile – and deepest pocket – of the COVAX facility, which struggled to achieve its goals of distributing millions of vaccines due to financial and logistical problems.
WHO and leaders in many developing countries have repeatedly expressed concern that poorer sites may be the last to receive COVID-19 vaccines, noting that the expansion of large sections of the world’s population is not being vaccinated.
While Fauci pledged US support, he also pointed out some key challenges facing the WHO. He said the United States was committed to “transparency, including the events surrounding the early days of the pandemic.”
One of the Trump administration’s biggest criticisms was that the WHO reacted too slowly to the outbreak in Wuhan, China, and that the Chinese government’s response to it was too accepting and too far-reaching. Others also shared the criticism – but public health experts and many countries have argued that although the organization needs reform, it is essential.
Referring to a WTO-led investigation investigating the origin of the coronavirus by a team currently in China, Fauci said: ‘The international investigation needs to be robust and clear, and we look forward to evaluating it. ‘
He said the US would work with the WTO and partner countries to “strengthen and reform” the agency, without providing details.
Later that day in the White House, Fauci asks Jeff Zients, who is directing the national response to the coronavirus: “You can imagine that we get the comments of the people in the WHO.”
Then he added, with his voice backwards: “They stood in line to resign …”
———
Associated Press writers Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.