CDC Ordered to Halt Collaboration with WHO Immediately, Raising Concerns Over Global Health Efforts

Experts said the sudden stoppage was a surprise and would set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa, as well as brewing threats from around the world. It also comes as health authorities around the world are monitoring bird flu outbreaks among U.S. livestock. The Associated Press viewed a copy of Nkengasong’s memo, which said the stop-work policy applied to “all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centers, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or other means — in person or virtual.” It also says CDC staff are not allowed to visit WHO offices. President Trump last week issued an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the U.S. from WHO, but that did not take immediate effect. Leaving WHO requires the approval of Congress and that the U.S. meets its financial obligations for the current fiscal year. The U.S. also must provide a one-year notice. His administration also told federal health agencies to stop most communications with the public through at least the end of the month. “Stopping communications and meetings with WHO is a big problem,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a University of Southern California public health expert who collaborates with WHO on work against sexually transmitted infections.

America’s federal health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been ordered to suspend its work with the World Health Organization (WHO). Experts warn the move could disrupt collaborations on global virus outbreaks, including the recent bird flu.

President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. exit from the global health body last Monday, citing what he described as a mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and other international health crises. This is Trump’s second attempt at withdrawing the United States from the WHO. According to an email sent from CDC’s deputy director for global health to staff Monday morning, “effective immediately all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centers, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or other means – in person or virtual – must cease their activity and await further guidance.” The WHO has 71 collaborating centers based in the United States, including 18 at CDC. The work affected includes consultation about the makeup of influenza vaccines, which must be updated every year because of the constantly evolving nature of influenza viruses. One of the biggest effects on the CDC will be in its global immunization division, which usually has between 20 and 30 staff assigned to WHO regional offices in more than a dozen countries, said the federal health official.

CDC staff ordered to cut off all communications with World Health Organization. Follows President Trump's executive order last week calling for U.S. to withdraw from funding the U.N. health agency. Mr. Trump has long been critical of the WHO, blaming the organization for mishandling COVID-19.

John Nkengasong, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official (CDC) official, sent the memo to agency leadership. The stop-work policy applies to “all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centers, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or.