Its true that the WHO has been hollowed out by funding cuts, as member states trimmed their contributions during the economic downturn. The organizations annual budget is now just $2 billion, about a third of what the U.S. spends on its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- and the WHO directly controls only about one-fourth of its own budget (most of its money comes from foundations and other donors that insist their funds be spent on specific diseases). But even if countries make bigger financial commitments to the WHO, as they must, the WHO needs a new mandate. Its not enough for it to act as a consulting technical agency in international health. It has to become a first responder. The World Health Assembly needs to make sure the organization can detect and respond to outbreaks quickly and efficiently. This shouldnt be too much to ask. Of all the grave issues on which the nations of the world manage to cooperate, including economic and military matters, public health is arguably the most urgent -- and the most rational. Ebola has made that very clear.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 21:05:46 +0000
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