House deputy majority leader Janette Garin said the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) may affect the resilience of the Philippines’ health and other programs being supported by the WHO and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Garin, a former health secretary who represents Iloilo’s first district, made the statement in light of US President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to sever ties with the WHO and its implications to countries relying on its funding.
“This is very important for the Philippines because there are many health issues and many health programs that we get funding support from the WHO. And of course, it is expected that USAID will decrease the amount of aid it gives to countries in this movement,” Garin said mostly in Tagalog.
The lawmaker said it could pave the way for countries such as China or Russia—given their substantial economies—to assume leadership of the health organization, granting them access to sensitive information that might pose an international security threat.
“Ang kalusugan kapag may pandemya threat ‘yan sa buong mundo so sila ang mag-initial access, that is what is going to happen (Health– when a pandemic exists — is a threat to the whole world, so they are the ones who have initial access, that is what is going to happen),” she said.
Garin also cited the need to reform the costs of working with the WHO, saying that unnecessary expenses should be reduced, such as the “frequent travels” and “wine and dine,” to allocate more funds to health-related matters.
She stressed the important role of WHO to global health as it primarily conducts surveillance to public health emergencies nationwide.
USAID’s partnership with WHO supports collaborative activities in a wide range of health-related activities, including infectious diseases, maternal and child health, family planning, safe motherhood, newborn health, among others, according to the USAID website.
The US was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing its work ever since. In a recent statement, the WHO said it hopes the US under the Trump administration would reconsider its intention to withdraw.