DATE, 2020

The Honorable Nita Lowey
Chair
House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Lindsey Graham
Chair
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Karen Bass
Chair
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Lindsey Graham
Chair
Senate Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Hal Rogers
Ranking Member
House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Ranking Member
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Christopher Smith
Ranking Member
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Tim Kaine
Ranking Member
Senate Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Rogers/Chairman Graham and Ranking Members Leahy and Kaine/Chairwoman Bass and Ranking Member Smith,

On behalf of our [hundreds of thousands/millions] of members and supporters globally, we, the undersigned -- including U.S. and international public health organizations representing communities in the U.S. and in low and middle-income countries of the Global South, are writing to urge you to take appropriate action to bolster the World Health Organization in the midst of and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

As I know you’re aware, The World Health Organization's (WHO) work is critical for creating a comprehensive research and development agenda to get safe vaccines and effective therapeutics in play. A WHO-led approach allows multiple countries to work together to accelerate the pace of research and development and increase the amount of what can get done. The WHO will be key in addressing the next frontier of the pandemic, which will devastate low-resource countries and humanitarian settings. While more than 70% of the world remains underprepared to prevent, detect, and respond to such public health threats, WHO has been working with low-income countries to help them prepare. Strong, effective and functional public health systems within countries are crucial for reducing risks. In New Zealand, the doctor who devised the country’s response credits WHO’s early reporting from February as inspiration for a country that is now a world leader in COVID-19 response.
The WHO leads the U.N. development system's public health work at the country level. We cannot afford to live in a world where poverty, hunger, and childhood disease are a worsening reality, and people across the globe should never be put in the impossible position of not being able to provide critical care and resources to their families during a global pandemic. The WHO works with vital operational arms of the United Nations, including UNICEF, the World Food Program and UNHCR. Though U.S. assistance is essential to aiding these countries, funding is still insufficient.

The WHO is also critical in supporting and coordinating supply chains for vital public health commodities, such as personal protective equipment and lab kits. WHO is the lead of the U.N. COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force for the global procurement of pandemic commodities. The U.S. federal government is purchasing its own supplies, many times outbidding state governments access. But if all countries were to follow this plan of action, prices would skyrocket everywhere as the global market struggles. Bulk purchasing will support global and equitable access to health supplies for everyone.

Right now, the current federal administration has submitted formal notice to withdraw from the WHO after the administration’s failed attempts to halt funding for the WHO. Despite reported alarm and confusion from senior officials who work closely with the WHO within the Trump administration, the President “expedited” the process of severing ties with the WHO. These moves and veiled threats continue to hamper the WHO’s ability to perform its crucial work as outlined above, needlessly endangering lives in the midst of a global pandemic. In addition this rash decision will result in the U.S. losing its seat at the World Health Assembly -- a vital space to determine the response, attention, and resources to some of the leading global public health issues. This will remove multiple opportunities for the U.S. to contribute to myriad global health discussions that can transform a post-COVID19 pandemic world for the better.

Further, while the COVID-19 response is currently the preeminent issue, halting funding of the WHO at any level also hampers all other crucial programs that the WHO leads, including tackling communicable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria, addressing issues of child and adolescent health, and taking on non-communicable diseases globally -- to name just a few programs. Measles vaccination resulted in a 73% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2018 worldwide in part because of the WHO’s involvement. As we tackle a pandemic of global proportions it's critical that we fund, not defund, the very institutions with a proven track record on handling disease.

We urge Members of Congress to:

1. Take steps to ensure that currently appropriated funds are spent as initially intended including the reported outstanding payments ($118 million this year and $81 million from the year before), and that Congress continue to appropriate funding for the WHO;

2. Halt any inquiries into the WHO and its staff that are not objective, fact-based, and proportional, allowing the organization to focus its full resources on addressing the COVID-19 crisis;
a. Additionally, do not call on the WHO Director-General to be investigated before Congress. This could set a dangerous precedent of other countries wielding power over independent international institutions;

3. Expressly state both its opposition to withdrawal and its unambiguous support for continued U.S. membership.

Further, we recognize the need for systemic change that would bolster the WHO for the long haul. As the WHO continues to be hamstrung by the lack of financial commitments from governments globally, it is especially important that Global North governments like the U.S. end the current system of voluntary funding, and commit to assessed funding that meets the scale of response for alleviating the suffering brought on by global public health issues. In so doing, the U.S. would acknowledge its historical responsibilities and set an example of good faith and global cooperation that other countries across the globe can and should emulate. We therefore urge you to fully fund the WHO and its programs and support communities all around the globe in solving public health crises that inequitably impact Black, Brown, Indigenous, low-income, and vulnerable populations.

Now is the time for the U.S. to stand with the global community in fighting this devastating, worldwide pandemic. In order to chart a vision for a post-COVID19 world, that vision needs to include the WHO. Thank you very much for your time and attention to this crucial issue.

Sincerely,

Co-Sponsors:
Action on Smoking and Health
Healthy Latin America Coalition CLAS

US signatories
Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER)
FIC BOLIVIA
Samoa Cancer Society
CIET
SANIPLAN
Global Peace and Development Organization
The Jus Semper Global Alliance
Global Bridges: Healthcare Alliance for Tobacco Dependence Treatment
Cigarette Butt Pollution Project
International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
Tobacco - Free Association of Zambia
Coalición Latinoamérica Saludable CLAS (Healthy Latin America Coalition)

International Signatories (by region and scope of work):
Salud Justa Mx
Personas ProactivasconENT
Universidad Peruana Unión
African Coalition for Corporate Accountability
ALTSEAN-Burma
Comité National Contre le Tabagisme
International Society of Nephrology
SLACOM Latin American & Caribeann Society of Medical Oncology
Fundación Anaas
RENATA
ACEID
CEDRO
Fundación Salud Ambiente y Desarrollo
Grupo Publicitario Perfil
Association VISA
Universidad de Guadalajara
AMUCC Associação Brasileira de Portadores de Câncer
Indian Cancer Society
PPSS/Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement
Associação Ribeirãopretana de Ensino,Pesquisa e Assistência ao Hipertenso - AREPAH
Fundación Ellen Riegner de Casas
Universidad Adolfo Ibañez
Retired
UNION ANTITABAQUICA ARGENTINA AUTA
Zukunftskonvent Germany
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa
International Federation of Medical Students Associations
TANZANIA TOBACCO CONTROL FORUM (TTCF)
Sri Lanka Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations Against Drug Abuse
OxySuisse
Georgian Health Promotion and Education Foundation
'pratyasha' anti-drug's club
African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA)
Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance
Centre for Combating Tobacco
Vascular Societies
Austrian Council on Smoking and Health
Medical University of Vienna
Swiss Association for Tobacco Prevention