One day into his second term and President Trump is already metaphorically turning off the countrys smoke alarms.
On Monday evening, Trump signedan executive orderstating the countrys intention to leave the World Health Organization.
Its a decision thats likely to imperil public health both in the U.S. and globally.
The World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.© diegograndi via Getty
Many of you may be experiencing a bad sense of deja vu right about now.
That threat never fully came to fruition.
Then as now, Trumps reasoning for leaving WHO largely centers around the covid-19 pandemic.
WHO certainly isnt perfect.
In leaving the WHO, we put the whole worldbut most particularly ourselvesat higher risk of health catastrophes.
Prepping for the next big one
This issue isnt just theoretical.
Of course, public health agencies in the U.S. are tracking bird flu locally.
So any added delays in catching these shifts as theyre happening would be playing with fire.
Were in a society where health information, as well as diseases, move at rapid speed.
Right now, for example, theres an effort to negotiate apandemic treaty.
And I assume that the US wont be part of that process.
Benjamin notes that researchers may also be delayed in accessing data thats being maintained by the WHO.
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