FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
January 23, 2025
Doctors for America’s Statement on President Trump’s Withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO)
Washington, D.C.: Doctors for America (DFA) calls on leaders at all levels, including President Trump, to prioritize public health over politics and reverse the decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). As physicians and medical students, we are deeply concerned that this action undermines our ability to protect the health of the nation and puts countless lives at risk.
The withdrawal from the WHO has already severed vital international partnerships, disrupting the flow of information and resources essential for combating global health threats such as pandemics, infectious diseases, and vaccine distribution. Additionally, the voice of United States (US) scientists and leaders will now be absent from worldwide health discussions. The vacuum left by withdrawing United States input into WHO initiatives and policy provides an opportunity for other countries, such as China, to increase their global influence, while further reducing ours.
As healthcare professionals, we rely on timely, accurate, and evidence-based information to respond to emerging health challenges, save lives, and prevent harm. Blocking access to international public health data creates an information void; eroding trust, hindering transparency, and leaving us ill-prepared to address the health challenges that affect every individual in this country. These actions are counterproductive and dangerous.
Doctors for America calls on leaders at every level—local, state, and federal—to recognize the grave implications of these decisions. Public health transcends political affiliations. It is about protecting the lives and well-being of all individuals, regardless of their background. The decision to withdraw from the WHO is a step in the wrong direction, leading our nation into a dangerous space where evidence, science, and health outcomes are sidelined.
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. We are 27,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X @drsforamerica.