President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization has shocked health officials around the world.
Although it was a decision he had announced in 2020, at the height of the pandemic when he was president, Trump executed the order immediately after returning to the White House as the 47th US leader.
Albanian doctors at home and abroad see it as a decision that will have serious consequences for global public health policy. Doctor Leidon Shapo from Lodra, where he lives and works, says that Trump's decision has its origins in the US-China clash over the pandemic and the origin of the virus.
The US is the largest funder of the WHO, covering 1/3 of its funds, and has the highest scientific expertise in its composition. Doctor Skënder Brataj says that the greatest consequences of this withdrawal will suffer Africa and Asia, and less Europe.
But how much would this decision affect Albania, according to the head of the Institute of Public Health?
Donald Trump has previously criticized the WHO for its policies and ties to the Chinese government. But could the WHO survive without the United States?
After President Trump signed the order, the World Health Organization expressed regret for the announcement and called for a reconsideration of the decision and the engagement of the parties in dialogue. The WHO office in Tirana has declined to comment after the statement from the WHO spokesperson.
The World Health Organization has been established since 1948 and plays an important role in protecting the health of people around the world, through disease prevention policies, vaccination programs, etc. (A2 Televizion)
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