US public health officials were invited to stop working with the World Health Organizationin force immediately.
An American official of disease control and disease prevention centers, John Nzengasong, sent a service note to the senior agency leaders on Sunday evening by telling them that all agency staff working with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and “wait more advice”.
The experts said that the sudden judgment was a surprise and that the work was investigating and attempting to stop epidemics of the Marburg and Mpox virus in Africa, as well as threats of brewing from all over the world. This also occurs when health authorities around the world monitor the epidemics of the flu influenza between American cattle.
The Associated Press watched a copy of the Nkengasong note, who said that the working policy policy applied to “all the staff of the CDC engaging with the WHO through groups of Technical work, coordination centers, advisory advice, cooperative agreements or other means – in person or virtual ”. He also indicates that CDC staff are not allowed to visit WHO offices.
President Trump released a decree last week to start the US withdrawal process from which, but that did not take immediate effect. Leaving who needs the approval of the congress and that the United States complies its financial obligations for the current financial year. The United States must also provide a one-year opinion.
Its administration also told federal health agencies to stop most communications with the public until the end of the month.
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“Stop communications and meetings with whom is a big problem,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a public health expert at the University of Southern California who collaborates with WHO on work against sexually transmitted infections .
“People thought there would be a slow withdrawal. It really attracted everyone with his pants, “said Klausner, who said he had learned from someone to the CDC.
“Talking to who is a double-meaning street,” he added, noting that health and American officials benefit from the expertise of the other. Collaboration allows the United States to find out about new tests and treatments as well as emerging epidemics – information “which can help us protect Americans abroad and at home”.
An American health official, who was not allowed to talk about the memo and spoke under the cover of anonymity, confirmed the stop.
An WHO spokesperson has returned questions about the withdrawal to US officials.
Officials of the US Health and Social Services did not immediately respond to a request for comments sent by email.