The decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) cuts off both financial and technical engagement of official American government agencies with the world’s leading public health agency. It is particularly damaging to a concerted global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, being coordinated by WHO. It is especially startling to India, as our Health Minister has just assumed office as chair of WHO’s Executive Board.
I must state for the record that I have served on several WHO expert committees since 1993 and continue to do so. These committees draw upon the technical strength of independent experts from across the world. I have stepped away from opportunities for employment in senior positions at WHO, because I felt committed to work in and for my country, even while supporting the work on global health issues as an independent expert. Though I did find some of the bureaucracy and inter-divisional politics at WHO irksome, I respected the technical expertise and dedication of many of the technical staff at WHO and admired the vast talent they could mobilise from all parts of the world for scientific deliberations.