Disease prevention has long been a focal point for public health in the United States. Historically, the country has contributed to the eradication of diseases like polio and smallpox, motivated by efforts such as joining the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the presence of gain-of-function research, the practice of enhancing pathogens in laboratory settings to pre-emptively develop vaccines, has stirred debate. This controversial research practice, reinstituted in 2017, is believed by some to have contributed to the COVID-19 outbreak, suspecting a lab in Wuhan, China, of its origin.
Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield, speaking in June 2024, claimed that the pandemic resulted from "direct consequence of scientific experiments". Medical expert Dr. Marc Siegel echoed concerns over the safety of gain-of-function research, emphasizing its "enormous problem".
In response, gain-of-function research faced renewed scrutiny and was re-banned in 2023. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enforced a five-year funding ban on EcoHealth Alliance, a US NGO implicated in conducting such research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, citing misuse of taxpayer funds. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also acknowledged its involvement in funding the controversial research, prompting media entities like The New York Times to concede they had been "misled".
The growing apprehension over these practices and the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly its apparent alignment with China's narrative, contributed to the US exiting the global health body. This move signals America’s rejection of scientific practices perceived as unsafe and unethical. It further emphasizes the United States' unwillingness to compromise its standing on international health stages, particularly under UN affiliations that seem partial towards other nations.
The severance of ties with the WHO is perceived as a positive development for American public health policy and critiques the efficacy and transparency of global health governance.
