Last Monday witnessed an important decision by former President Trump, who endorsed an executive order prohibiting ‘lethal gain-of-function biological studies’ not only within the boundaries of the U.S. but also globally. With this move, he fortified his earlier determination to detach the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO). Although crucial, these actions do not entirely shield the U.S. from global governance, particularly in case of an occurrence of a speculated ‘Disease X’ pandemic.
In response to the escalating COVID-19 crisis, the director general of the WHO announced an ‘international public health emergency’ on January 30, 2020. Upon the utterance of these potent words, the International Health Regulations (IHR) of WHO were activated, which the U.S, as a member, was bound to comply with.
Under the umbrella of this IHR ‘treaty’, the WHO was able to virtually exert influence over the decisions of all its member countries, even ones that had sovereign status. This had a significant impact on America, where federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health suddenly became prominent.
President Trump declared a ‘national public health emergency’ on March 13, 2020. As a result of this declaration, a transfer of administrative control occurred, placing certain individuals, who were implicated in previous coronavirus crises, into positions of power.
Still, even after this unprecedented decision, the WHO maintained an ability to exert influence over the U.S. healthcare system during global health emergencies. Despite the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO by Trump, full independence from the organization can only be realized when Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., serving as the Director of Health and Human Services, completely disentangles the connections between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO.
Until such complete disassociation is achieved, the well-being of all Americans could potentially be shaped by the directives issued by the director general of the WHO. It signifies that, in case of a mere suggestion of a new infectious disease outbreak, he could require each member state of the WHO to yield their jurisdictional powers, sovereignty, and decision-making capabilities to the organization.
Although the U.S. is no longer formally connected with the WHO, it would still feel the impact due to the organization’s significant authority over the global health and medical fraternity. On a worst-case scenario, such impact could manifest most acutely in the event of a feared ‘Disease X’ pandemic.
‘Disease X’ is a technical term used by the WHO to denote an awaited yet unspecified future pandemic. But there are speculations that such predicted future might be unraveling now. Studies suggest that ‘Disease X’ may have already been manipulated and disseminated in the form of an enhanced version of COVID-19 that carries a higher infectious and lethal capacity than its predecessor.
To add to the concern, there is also an indication from our studies that a potentially more harmful vaccine has already been formulated as an alleged remedy to ‘Disease X’. Without a complete separation of the CDC from the WHO, the consequences of an outbreak of ‘Disease X’ may turn out to be catastrophic.
The critical query that arises here is regarding the future positioning of the U.S. military during a ‘global health emergency of international concern’. Would they continue to operate under the directives of the commander in chief? It is worth noting that the president is the sole government official granted constitutional authority to guide the U.S. in preventing the implementation of medical martial law, regardless of the severity of a possible ‘Disease X’.
The potential impacts of a ‘Disease X’ outbreak cannot be completely understood or predicted. The global panic, social disruption, mortality, and economic impacts are likely to be unprecedented. Hence, the urgency for nations and governing bodies to prepare for the potential threats cannot be overstated.
The grounding of the executive order by President Trump stands as a clear indicator of the U.S. proactively taking measures against the potential threats from ‘Disease X’. Nonetheless, the real independence in decision making could only be attainable by the complete separation of CDC from WHO, as the latter holds significant leverage in global health emergencies.
In conclusion, while significant steps have been taken on a national level to fortify our defenses, it remains vital to address the salient question of whether America will yield its jurisdictional powers in a future pandemic situation. Until full decoupling from WHO, the American health infrastructure would remain vulnerable to global influences during health crises.
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