Goats and soda: NPR

It is the largest global health meeting for this year. The United States will not occupy a seat on the table.

This week, representatives from 194 countries from the World Health Organization – the United States – is incomplete in Geneva to discuss policies that will form global health in the coming years and decades. Topics will range from preparing for the following epidemic to prevent lung cancer by cutting air pollution.

So where is the United States? On the opening day, President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw from the World Health Organization, saying that the United Nations “separated” from the United States and confirms that it is controlled by China. For the first time since 1948, the United States-which provides about five budgets of $ 6.8 billion-will be absent on the annual World Health Association.

“It is extremely sad that the United States is no longer within the group of countries that want to help make the world a better place,” said Barbara Stockgog of Britain, Chairman of the Public Health Convention Committee, an independent group that focuses on the prevention of the epidemic.

This strict absence of each of the people and money will affect the ability of the ability of health crises that are not concerned with limits -as well as the United States's ability to cooperate with the rest of the world to solve it, says global health professionals that have been interviewed by NPR.

But the association also comes at the time of an opportunity. After years of difficult negotiations, member states are preparing to adopt the epidemic treaty, an agreement that aims to ensure the world's response to the next epidemic is better than Covid-19.

“The next World Health Association will be historical,” said Lawrence Gustin, a professor at Georgetown University and director of the World Health Cooperation Center in National and Global Law. He said: “Somehow will be victorious.” “In another way, it will be tragic … because the United States will not be there.”

Here is what must be monitored in the World Health Society for this year: How will it be dealt with from the financing crisis; Whether who adopts the alert and health goals that will be determined without an American voice

The elephant is not in the room

As the largest financial contributor to the World Health Organization, the United States has historically played a major role in negotiations.

“When the United States wanted something, it could lead and influence like any other country, including our competitors, such as China or Russia,” said Gustin. “The United States will not be present to this type of influence now and for expected it. For me, this is very sad.”

What appears in this emptiness of the American leadership is still unclear.

“What is now lacking for those not only the budget,” said Christophe Ben, Director of World Health Diplomacy at the Job Lang Institute in Amsterdam. “The United States has some of the most developed health expertise systems in the world. Some of the best experts always come from the United States, and I can say frankly that they will be vulnerable to them.”

But the discussion and negotiations will continue. Looking at the political climate in the United States, some suspect that their absence can swear a meeting.

“I think there are many countries that you feel that they can benefit in our absence and focus on work and do not have talks that are mired in political discussions,” said the former US health official, who was a representative of previous gatherings, but asked not to identity for fear of revenge on the Trump administration.

For example, some of the epidemic treaties suspect that the sudden withdrawal of the Trump administration has prompted countries to finish the touches on the agreement before the World Health Society. Whether this production dynamic continues still should be seen.

“I will pay attention to those who appear as leaders not only, but perhaps as partners and collaborators,” the official said. “There is a constant question about those who are in charge of his duties now. Maybe China will not be, perhaps the global south will work together to solve problems.”

NPR arrived at the White House to comment on the next meeting, but he did not receive a response.

A massive budget hole

Who faces the most important budget crisis in its history is about 80 years.

It is already short 600 million dollars for the budget 2024-2025 at a value of $ 6.8 billion and has more severe palaces over the next two years due to the Trump administration's decision to end US membership.

Ben said that the exit of the United States “left a large hole in a budget that other smaller contributions from other countries from all over the world cannot be compensated.”

Indeed, which reduced its proposed budget for the period 2026-2027 by about 20 % for compensation. “To be honest, we cannot do everything,” said General Manager Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Budget Committee meeting last week, noting that whoever started cutting positions, including about half of the leadership team, and will expand programs around the world.

Ben, who says that the countries that will be able to respond quickly to the outbreak, such as MPOX or Ebuxe, and quickly convey this information quickly to who: “What the world will significantly notice is the discounts in emergency programs.” “If these rural programs must be reduced, this is a great loss.”

But those who diversify the cash flow. The organization is funded by a mixture of compulsory contributions – member states contribute based on the size of their economy – and voluntary contributions. Voluntary contributions can come from member states and charitable donors – led by the Gates Foundation (which is a fund of NPR and this blog).

“The share of mandatory contributions (in the total budget) was very low, not more than 20 to 25 %, which means that the rest of the budget is voluntary contributions.” Who tries to change this. This week, member states will vote to increase mandatory contributions to 30 %.

Even so, who can exceed one billion dollars for its next budget, not only because of the withdrawal of the United States.

Many other countries stress their belts in the face of global economic uncertainty. As a result, “who also attracts the private sector and private institutions to increase their contributions,” Ben said.

“I most likely attended 25 international health societies in my life,” he said. “I expect the mood this time to be very boring. I think it will be clear that there is a feeling of the crisis here.”

The epidemic treaty that must be adopted

After more than three years of negotiations, the 193 World Health Organization – the World Health Organization – is expected to adopt the United States – not – the Convention on the Prevention of Epidemia, Rehabilitation and Response, which would commit countries to cooperate in preventing and responding to any future pandemic. But the treaty is not without its differences, some of which remain to be resolved.

The agreement is “one of the direct learning from Covid-19”, Maria Van Kirkov, the temporary director of the Ministry of Apilement for Paymissor, Paymissor and Prevention of the World Health Organization, told NPR on Friday in an interview. “Not only to say that the world wants to work better, but in reality he took concrete steps to do so.”

The 30 -page treaty covers a wide range of topics, from paying close attention to the risk of viruses that leak from animals to protect health care workers. But years of difficult negotiations have reduced the initial ambition and the scope of the agreement.

“People may look at the agreement and say that the language is incomplete and of course it is not perfect,” said Van Kirhof. “But there is a lot to work with him in what is already formulated there.”

Even if the countries adopt the agreement, there are details that have not been resolved on the most controversial issue- the rich countries that share vaccine technology and treat them in exchange for the statements of low and medium-sized countries.

The agreement attempted to give the official character to this exchange through the system of access to the nurse and the participation of benefits. “I call it a kind of global social deal,” said Gustin.

He said: “The high -income countries will reach critical health information and scientific exchange, such as the nurse samples, and the genetic sequence data that we need to develop vaccines and life saving treatments.” “On the other hand, we agree to distribute these medical products all over the world, through who through.”

This controversial major deal was proven. Some of the richest countries swinging the possibility of restricting their pharmaceutical industries, while low -income countries protest the idea of ​​sharing the data needed to design treatments and vaccines without guaranteeing some of them.

Currently, countries have agreed to reach “interchangeable conditions” on this issue next year. Whatever it ends, the United States will not be part of it.

“It is difficult for me to see how the United States is accessed without obstacles and fast to the types of scientific information that we need to develop our vaccines and our treatments quickly,” said Gustin. “This can be a problem for every American.”