Editing World Health Organization (section)

=====Response to the COVID-19 pandemic=====
{{main|World Health Organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic}}[[File:World Health Organization Bangladesh.jpg|thumb|Staffs of World Health Organization Bangladesh are in COVID vaccine program in Dhaka.]]

The WHO created an Incident Management Support Team on 1 January 2020, one day after Chinese health authorities notified the organization of a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology.<ref name="Withholding-funding-from-the-World-Health-Organization-is-wrong-and-dangerous-2020">{{cite news |title=Withholding funding from the World Health Organization is wrong and dangerous, and must be reversed |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01121-1 |access-date=3 June 2020 |publisher=Nature |date=17 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607033413/https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01121-1 |archive-date=7 June 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="whopneumonia">{{cite web |title=WHO: Pneumonia of unknown cause – China |url=https://www.who.int/csr/don/05-january-2020-pneumonia-of-unkown-cause-china/en/ |website=WHO |access-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107032945/https://www.who.int/csr/don/05-january-2020-pneumonia-of-unkown-cause-china/en/ |archive-date=7 January 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Guardian-superpower-struggle">{{cite web | first=Julian | last=Borger | work=[[The Guardian]] | title=Caught in a superpower struggle: the inside story of the WHO's response to coronavirus |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/18/caught-in-a-superpower-struggle-the-inside-story-of-the-whos-response-to-coronavirus | date=18 April 2020 | access-date=19 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423044038/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/18/caught-in-a-superpower-struggle-the-inside-story-of-the-whos-response-to-coronavirus | archive-date=23 April 2020 | url-status=live }}</ref> On 5 January the WHO notified all member states of the outbreak,<ref name="Amanda-Watts-and-Veronica-Stracqualursi">{{cite news |author=Amanda Watts and Veronica Stracqualursi |title=WHO defends coronavirus response after Trump criticism |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/08/politics/who-responds-trump-claims-coronavirus/index.html |access-date=9 April 2020 |work=CNN |agency=CNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408192136/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/08/politics/who-responds-trump-claims-coronavirus/index.html |archive-date=8 April 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> and in subsequent days provided guidance to all countries on how to respond,<ref name="Amanda-Watts-and-Veronica-Stracqualursi" /> and confirmed the first infection outside China.<ref name="SCMP-WHO">{{cite news |title=Thailand confirms first case of Wuhan virus outside China |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3045902/wuhan-pneumonia-thailand-confirms-first-case |access-date=9 April 2020 |work=South China Morning Post |date=13 January 2020 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113130102/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3045902/wuhan-pneumonia-thailand-confirms-first-case |archive-date=13 January 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 14 January 2020, the WHO announced that preliminary investigations conducted by Chinese authorities had found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1217043229427761152 |title=Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus |user=WHO |date=14 January 2020}}</ref> The same day, the organization warned of limited human-to-human transmission, and confirmed human-to-human transmission one week later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/wuhan-virus-has-limited-human-to-human-transmission-but-could-spread-wider-who |access-date=14 April 2020 |work=The Straits Times |title=Wuhan virus has limited human-to-human transmission but could spread wider: WHO |date=14 January 2020 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114144609/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/wuhan-virus-has-limited-human-to-human-transmission-but-could-spread-wider-who |archive-date=14 January 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="reuterswarns">{{Cite news|date=14 January 2020|title=WHO says new China coronavirus could spread, warns hospitals worldwide|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pneumonia-who-idUSKBN1ZD16J|access-date=20 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120175511/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-pneumonia-who-idUSKBN1ZD16J|archive-date=20 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="KesslerApr17">{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |title=Trump's false claim that the WHO said the coronavirus was 'not communicable' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/trumps-false-claim-that-who-said-coronavirus-was-not-communicable/ |access-date=17 April 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=17 April 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200417193804/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/17/trumps-false-claim-that-who-said-coronavirus-was-not-communicable/ |archive-date=17 April 2020}}</ref> On 30 January the WHO declared a [[Public Health Emergency of International Concern]] (PHEIC),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)|title=Statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)|website=World Health Organization|language=en|access-date=27 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131005904/https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)|archive-date=31 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kennedy |first1=Merrit |title=WHO Declares Coronavirus Outbreak A Global Health Emergency |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/30/798894428/who-declares-coronavirus-outbreak-a-global-health-emergency |access-date=19 April 2020 |work=[[NPR]] |date=30 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326170153/https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/30/798894428/who-declares-coronavirus-outbreak-a-global-health-emergency |archive-date=26 March 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: the first three months as it happened |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00154-w |access-date=3 June 2020 |publisher=Nature |date=22 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222101840/https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00154-w |archive-date=22 February 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> considered a "call to action" and "last resort" measure for the international community and a [[pandemic]] on 11 March.<ref name="Rull2015">{{Cite journal|last1=Rull|first1=Monica|last2=Kickbusch|first2=Ilona|last3=Lauer|first3=Helen|date=8 December 2015|title=Policy Debate {{!}} International Responses to Global Epidemics: Ebola and Beyond|journal=International Development Policy|language=en|volume=6|issue=2|doi=10.4000/poldev.2178|issn=1663-9375|doi-access=free}}</ref>

While organizing the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing "more than 35 emergency operations" for cholera, measles and other epidemics internationally,<ref name="Withholding-funding-from-the-World-Health-Organization-is-wrong-and-dangerous-2020" /> the WHO has been criticized for praising China's public health response to the crisis while seeking to maintain a "diplomatic balancing act" between the United States and China.<ref name="Guardian-superpower-struggle" /><ref>{{Cite news|first=Sarah|last=Boseley|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/18/china-coronavirus-who-diplomatic-challenge|title=China's handling of coronavirus is a diplomatic challenge for WHO|date=18 February 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 February 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228061528/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/18/china-coronavirus-who-diplomatic-challenge|archive-date=28 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/14/asia/coronavirus-who-china-intl-hnk/index.html|title=WHO's relationship with China under scrutiny due to coronavirus crisis|first=James|last=Griffiths|work=CNN|date=16 February 2020|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228223255/https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/14/asia/coronavirus-who-china-intl-hnk/index.html|archive-date=28 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-idUSKBN1ZM1G9|title=Wuhan lockdown 'unprecedented', shows commitment to contain virus: WHO representative in China|date=23 January 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=28 February 2020|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124203401/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-idUSKBN1ZM1G9|archive-date=24 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[David L. Heymann]], professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the [[London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine]], said that "China has been very transparent and open in sharing its data... and they opened up all of their files with the WHO present."<ref>{{Cite news |title=WHO coronavirus team in Wuhan to work out next containment step |last1=Jaipragas |first1=Bhavan |last2=Zheng |first2=Sarah |newspaper=South China Morning Post |date=22 February 2020 |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3051917/who-coronavirus-team-ground-zero-wuhan-work-out-next-containment|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415014430/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-team-ground-zero-wuhan-105556254.html |archive-date=15 April 2020}}</ref>

The WHO faced criticism from the United States' [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] while "guid[ing] the world in how to tackle the deadly" [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="Withholding-funding-from-the-World-Health-Organization-is-wrong-and-dangerous-2020" /> On 14 April 2020, United States president [[Donald Trump]] said that he would halt United States funding to the WHO while reviewing its role in "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/coronavirus-updates.html|title=Coronavirus Updates: Trump Halts U.S. Funding of World Health Organization|newspaper=The New York Times|date=14 April 2020|access-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414224652/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/coronavirus-updates.html|archive-date=14 April 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> World leaders and health experts largely condemned President Trump's announcement, which came amid criticism of his response to the outbreak in the United States.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web | title= WHO regrets Trump funding halt as global coronavirus cases top 2 million | first1= Stephanie | last1= Nebehay | first2= Jeff | last2= Mason | work= [[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus/who-regrets-trump-funding-halt-as-global-coronavirus-cases-top-2-million-idUSKCN21X0AL | date= 15 April 2020 | access-date= 16 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415232139/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus/who-regrets-trump-funding-halt-as-global-coronavirus-cases-top-2-million-idUSKCN21X0AL | archive-date= 15 April 2020 | url-status= live }}</ref> WHO called the announcement "regrettable" and defended its actions in alerting the world to the emergence of COVID-19.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web | title='We Alerted The World' To Coronavirus On Jan. 5, WHO Says In Response To U.S | first=Bill | last=Chappell | work=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/15/835179442/we-alerted-the-world-to-coronavirus-on-jan-5-who-says-in-response-to-u-s | date=15 April 2020 | access-date=16 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415230012/https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/15/835179442/we-alerted-the-world-to-coronavirus-on-jan-5-who-says-in-response-to-u-s | archive-date=15 April 2020 | url-status=live }}</ref> On 8 May 2020, the United States blocked a vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at promoting nonviolent international cooperation during the pandemic, and mentioning the WHO.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Allies despair as Trump abandons America's leadership role at a time of global crisis|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/09/politics/us-leadership-coronavirus-intl/index.html|last1=Gaouette|first1=Nicole|last2=Hansler|first2=Jennifer|date=9 May 2020|website=CNN|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509094116/https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/09/politics/us-leadership-coronavirus-intl/index.html|archive-date=9 May 2020|access-date=9 May 2020|last3=Atwood|first3=Kylie|last4=Dewan|first4=Angela}}</ref> On 7 July 2020, President Trump formally notified the UN of his intent to withdraw the United States from the WHO.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |last1=Knutson |first1=Jacob |title=Trump administration notifies UN of intent to withdraw from WHO |url=https://www.axios.com/trump-withdraw-world-health-organization-757cd93d-d085-4cdf-acdd-6194f0f0789b.html |website=Axios |publisher=Axios Media |date=7 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707204220/https://www.axios.com/trump-withdraw-world-health-organization-757cd93d-d085-4cdf-acdd-6194f0f0789b.html |archive-date=7 July 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, Trump's successor, President [[Joe Biden]], cancelled the planned withdrawal and announced in January 2021 that the U.S. would resume funding the organization.<ref name=":4">{{cite web|first1=Noah|last1=Higgins-Dunn|access-date=20 January 2021|title=Dr. Fauci to lead U.S. delegation at WHO meetings as Biden plans to reverse Trump withdrawal|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/dr-fauci-to-lead-us-delegation-at-who-meetings-as-biden-plans-to-reverse-trump-withdrawal-.html|date=20 January 2021|website=CNBC}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite web|access-date=20 January 2021|title=Biden signs executive actions on COVID, climate change, immigration and more|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-executive-orders-watch-live-stream-today-2021-01-20/|work=CBS News|first=Bo|last=Erickson|date=20 January 2021|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120233631/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-executive-orders-watch-live-stream-today-2021-01-20/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite news |title=Biden's US revives support for WHO, reversing Trump retreat |url=https://apnews.com/article/us-who-support-006ed181e016afa55d4cea30af236227 |access-date=20 March 2021 |work=AP NEWS |date=21 January 2021 |archive-date=28 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128000932/https://apnews.com/article/us-who-support-006ed181e016afa55d4cea30af236227 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2025, during his second term, President Trump issued an executive order to withdraw the United States from the WHO, citing their alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic originating in Wuhan, among other reasons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cuevas |first=Eduardo |title=Trump orders United States to exit WHO again. Health experts warn of danger. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/01/20/trump-orders-us-exit-world-health-organization/77772989007/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-21 |title=Withdrawing The United States From The World Health Organization |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref>

In May 2023, the WHO announced that COVID-19 was no longer a world-wide health emergency.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McPhillips |first1=Jamie Gumbrecht |last2=Jacqueline |first2=Howard Deidre |date=5 May 2023 |title=WHO says Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/health/who-ends-covid-health-emergency/index.html |access-date=10 May 2023 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=5 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505143319/https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/health/who-ends-covid-health-emergency/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>