Health experts warn that exiting the WHO could undermine smallpox virus management, affecting global safety protocols.
# Trump's Withdrawal from WHO Poses Risks to Smallpox Safety
# Trump's Withdrawal from WHO Poses Risks to Smallpox Safety
President's actions raise concerns over global health security and potential risks of virus misuse.
In a significant health-related decision, President Trump's order for the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) has sparked concerns among health experts regarding the management and safety of the smallpox virus, which historically claimed around 500 million lives. This withdrawal risks dismantling robust oversight programs that safeguard the virus remnants stored in the United States, potentially jeopardizing both research into countermeasures and the security protocols that prevent accidental release or malicious use.
Experts like Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, former CDC director, emphasize that the specialized facilities where smallpox is housed are essentially akin to a "submarine inside a building," pointing to the stringent safety measures in place. He has called for the U.S. to open these facilities for inspection to counteract fears surrounding possible secretive weaponization of the virus.
In a recent blog post, Dartmouth Medical Professor Daniel R. Lucey has argued that Trump's decision threatens the ongoing safe storage, research, scrutiny, and experimentation with the smallpox virus. The WHO's efforts to eradicate smallpox from human populations are often regarded as a hallmark of global public health cooperation, a feat achieved decades ago when two repositories were designated for continued study, one being in Atlanta and the other in Russia.
These storage facilities classified as Biosafety Level 4 are the highest security labs, designed to prevent any possible leak of the virus. With the world still grappling with various infectious diseases, experts delineate that maintaining stringent oversight and cooperative international health protocols is essential, not only for the prevention of health crises but also for fostering global trust.
Experts like Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, former CDC director, emphasize that the specialized facilities where smallpox is housed are essentially akin to a "submarine inside a building," pointing to the stringent safety measures in place. He has called for the U.S. to open these facilities for inspection to counteract fears surrounding possible secretive weaponization of the virus.
In a recent blog post, Dartmouth Medical Professor Daniel R. Lucey has argued that Trump's decision threatens the ongoing safe storage, research, scrutiny, and experimentation with the smallpox virus. The WHO's efforts to eradicate smallpox from human populations are often regarded as a hallmark of global public health cooperation, a feat achieved decades ago when two repositories were designated for continued study, one being in Atlanta and the other in Russia.
These storage facilities classified as Biosafety Level 4 are the highest security labs, designed to prevent any possible leak of the virus. With the world still grappling with various infectious diseases, experts delineate that maintaining stringent oversight and cooperative international health protocols is essential, not only for the prevention of health crises but also for fostering global trust.
