GENEVA (AP) — President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser on COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Thursday announced renewed U.S. support for the World Health Organization after it faced blistering criticism from the Trump administration, laying out new commitments to tackle the coronavirus and other global health issues.
Fauci, speaking by videoconference from pre-dawn United States to WHO’s executive board, said the U.S. will join the U.N. health agency’s efforts to bring vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to people in need, whether in rich or poor countries. He said the U.S. will also resume full funding and staffing support for WHO.
Fauci’s quick commitment to WHO — whose response to the coronavirus outbreak was repeatedly berated by the Trump administration — marks a dramatic and vocal shift toward a multilateral approach to fighting the pandemic.
“I am honored to announce that the United States will remain a member of the World Health Organization,” Fauci said. Just hours after Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, his administration announced the U.S. will revoke a planned pullout from the WHO in July that had been announced by the Trump administration.
Fauci said the Biden administration “will cease the drawdown of U.S. staff seconded to the WHO” and resume “regular engagement” with WHO. “The United States also intends to fulfil its financial obligations to the organization,” he added.
He referred to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, as “my dear friend.”
Other countries and the WHO chief jumped in to welcome the U.S. announcements, and pledged to work with the Biden administration.
“This is a good day for WHO and a good day for global health,” Tedros said, referring to “my brother Tony” in reference to Fauci, while congratulating Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. “The role of the United States, its role, global role is very, very crucial.”
The United States under Trump had been the highest-profile — and most deep-pocketed — holdout from the COVAX Facility, which has faced financial hurdles and contractual challenges with vaccine manufacturers as well as vast logistical issues. Both the European Union and China have given their support to the program.
AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng contributed from Toronto.
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“WHO’s executive board, said the U.S. will join the U.N. health agency’s efforts to bring vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics to people in need,” Translation,,,,the US taxpayer will now have to pay triple for our vaccines so they can redistribute cheap drugs to failed countries. Can’t you just hear that giant sucking sound of our more borrowed COVID dollars going overseas in sad sad socialist redistribution of American Strength. Lad-Biden will obviously recognize CHina as a poverty backward ecomonic deprived country and give them special attention, while his own and Hunter’s bank accounts grow larger in kickbacks, and if he is fortunate enough not to die of old age in office, will eclipse Obama and the financial haul he and Hillary took with them when they left, which was only peaceful becasue they did not want anyone to findout.
Oh, and all those masks you thought were easy to get, WILL GO BACK TO Being hard as hell to acquire…
Tedros, with his communist faction overthrew the Ethiopian government in 1991. Fauci, in bed with Tedros after what Tedros did to the United States and the world, by spreading communist propaganda from China. Fauci, helping fund the Wuhan Lab in China and stating that he trusted the scientists and Doctors in the Wuhan Lab. This is the garbage that we have in Washington DC. Traitor Fauci!
DR Fauci and malpractice go hand in hand. Just ask the parents of school aged children.
Which is why i am glad, i never had any!
The enemies of the US in the government, the “news” and entertainment media, sports, etc. are supported and funded by the Chinese Communist Party. Such as they are traitors and should be paid the wages of traitors with a rope!
Fauci is a lifetime unelected politician. WHO is the enemy, which is the answer to who is the enemy?
TRUMP should have grown a pair, and FIRED HIM BACK IN JUNE…