WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(EPICSTORIAN) – In a sudden and unprecedented move, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been ordered to immediately cease all collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The directive, issued in an internal memo by CDC senior official John Nkengasong, instructs staff to suspend participation in WHO-related initiatives, advisory boards, and technical working groups until further notice.
Cessation of CDC-WHO Collaboration Followed After Trump’s Executive Order Signing
The abrupt decision follows an executive order signed last week by President Donald Trump to initiate the U.S. withdrawal from WHO.
Although the process requires congressional approval and a yearlong transition, the immediate cessation of cooperation has alarmed health experts and international partners.
“This decision blindsides us,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner of the University of Southern California, who has worked with WHO on sexually transmitted infection research. “Many expected a gradual separation, not an outright ban overnight.”
Health specialists fear the move will disrupt critical efforts to address emerging threats, including Marburg virus, mpox outbreaks in Africa, and the spread of bird flu in U.S. livestock.
Without WHO collaboration, the CDC loses direct access to global data-sharing networks and coordinated outbreak responses.
An unnamed U.S. health official confirmed the directive but declined to provide further details. WHO officials, meanwhile, have deferred inquiries to U.S. authorities, while the Department of Health and Human Services has yet to issue a public response.
The policy shift also extends beyond WHO relations. In a related action, the Trump administration has frozen funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program credited with saving 25 million lives worldwide. Experts warn that cutting financial support could have devastating consequences.
“Defunding PEPFAR essentially halts HIV treatment,” cautioned Beatriz Grinsztejn, president of the International AIDS Society. “If this continues, people will die, and HIV will surge again.”
The White House has defended the measures as part of a broader effort to reassess international health commitments and redirect resources toward domestic priorities.
However, public health officials argue that cutting off WHO ties could weaken America’s ability to respond to global pandemics, potentially increasing risks at home.
Also Read: JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs Defy Pressure to Scale Back DEI Programs
Meanwhile, global health experts warn that the fallout from this decision could be felt for years to come as many await further guidance on whether exceptions will be made for ongoing disease control efforts.
