AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) Chief Scientific Officer Ross McKinney, Jr., MD, issued the following statement on President Trump’s announcement to end the United States’ relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO):
“The AAMC is extremely disappointed in the president’s decision to withdraw the United States from the WHO. In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, countries of the world should be working together to improve the health of all people. This decision is counter to that goal.
Since its foundation in 1948, the WHO has been at the center of international efforts to fight for better health, and the United States has been a key partner in the organization and its success.
The president’s decision to leave the WHO is very troubling, in both the short- and long-terms, and we hope the decision is soon reversed. The world needs a collaborative effort now, more than ever, to resolve our ongoing crisis and prepare for future global health emergencies.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health care through innovative medical education, cutting-edge patient care, and groundbreaking medical research. Its members comprise all 155 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and more than 80 academic societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC serves the leaders of America’s medical schools and teaching hospitals and their 173,000 faculty members, 89,000 medical students, 129,000 resident physicians, and more than 60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences. Additional information about the AAMC and its member medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org.