US health officials ordered to stop working with WHO immediately
Published on 28/01/2025 - 10:27 GMT+1
US experts said the sudden pause came as a surprise and would set back efforts to contain health threats abroad.
US public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization (WHO), effective immediately, as the Trump administration prepares for the US withdrawal from the organisation.
A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official, John Nkengasong, sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and "await further guidance".
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
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 such as bird flu outbreaks.
"People thought there would be a slow withdrawal. This has really caught everyone with their pants down," said Dr Jeffrey Klausner, a University of Southern California public health expert who collaborates with WHO on work against sexually transmitted infections.