TOKYO/GENEVA -- President Donald Trump's move to officially withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization will rob the body of a leading provider of funding, treatments and personnel, and leave China in a position to fill the void.
The exit will not leave the WHO in an immediate crisis, thanks to a rise in private philanthropic contributions from such sources as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which ranks second only to Washington. Still, its disease-fighting efforts in developing nations could be hindered if the move interferes with American personnel support or relationships with U.S. pharmaceutical companies, with potential consequences for its ability to combat the coronavirus outbreak and future pandemics.
