With the recent change in administration in the United States, people around the world, but more importantly American citizens, are hoping for a return to the nation’s former status as a leader on the world stage. President Biden has made a swift return to international diplomacy by rejoining numbers of treaties and agreements that the previous administration had dropped. Upon taking office on January 20, the newly elected president retracted actions of the former administration and signed 15 treaties, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the U.N. Human Rights Council. He also rejoined the World Health Organization (WHO) the international body in charge of the global Covid-19 pandemic. I agree with his decision to rejoin the WHO for the following three reasons. The absence of the USA from the WHO makes it harder for the world to deal with the coronavirus and other global health problems in a collaborative fashion. Trump’s ideas for leaving the World Health Organization were partially false and abrupt. And poor leadership decisions in the US have a great impact on the world.

▲ Joe Biden in his Oval Office, signing to rejoin the World Health Organization on his Resolute desk. (Photo from The Guardian)

   First, leaving the WHO could make it harder for the U.S. and the rest of the world to deal with the coronavirus and other global health problems. The WHO is a specialized agency that belongs to the United Nations. It is at the center of encouraging and directing research in the health sector, and acts as the central manager for the Covid-19 pandemic. The WHO has played a leading role in preventing infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio, and measles from spreading worldwide. The United States has a history of working together with them in the development of disease research. The WHO is the only body that has the ability and authority to certify the elimination of an infectious disease. Many experts criticized Trump when he announced the US would be leaving the WHO because as fatal for public health in the middle of this pandemic. The WHO made mistakes in dealing with the coronavirus. For instance, they claimed at one point that asymptomatic transmissions of the virus were very rare. However, they dealt with the situation promptly by acknowledging their mistake and correcting it. The international coalition should be strengthening their cooperation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic situation since it is an unsafe time for anyone in this world. Countries including the United States should work together to overcome this life-threatening emergency.

   Second, Mr. Trump’s ideas for leaving the World Health Organization were, in the first place, partially false and abrupt. He blamed the WHO for making a late call about the spread of the virus. However, the organizations already addressed the outbreak of the disease in China on January 4. They sent a delegation to Wuhan and warned that the virus might be spreading between humans. Thereafter, they declared a global emergency by the end of January. It was Trump that continuously downplayed the alarm bells the group had sounded. Inside America, the number of confirmed cases were exponentially increasing, and the death toll from coronavirus turned over 100,000 when he was making his claims. He did not admit his failure to rise to the occasion and instead needed a victim to impute all the reproach. It is clear his intention was to shift the responsibility for his poor handling of coronavirus to China and the global health group. He complained last April that China controlled the international health organization. After that, he gave the organization a 30-day ultimatum to change leadership at the WHO. However, he opted to quit the organization before the 30 days ended. He argued it was imperative his country take back the power of managing global health from China.

   Poor leadership from the United States has a particularly big impact on the rest of the world. The United States was the largest contributor to the budget of the WHO. In 2019, the U.S. provided 400 million dollars, or 490 billion won, 15 percent of the WHO’s annual budget. A country with leadership and influence around the world should demand answers to problems rather than simply back away from them. Trump's announcement forced people around the world to question the financial viability and future maintenance of the international health organization. In the past, the United States has provided great assistance and influenced many international organizations. It even helped form the World Health Organization a half-century ago. Unfortunately, the US withdrawal from the WHO was merely an excuse for shorting expenditures. It was a black mark on the history of the United States and I am pleased the decision has finally been reversed.

▲ Joe Biden replied on The Hill’s tweet, suggesting America is safer when it is with the World Health Organization. And he made a pledge for rejoining the WHO. (Photo from Twitter)

   When former President Trump delivered the withdrawal notice from the WHO, Biden replied on Twitter that he would rejoin the international organization on his very first day as a president. And he did. The newly elected president pledged to return America to its leading role in international organizations and regain the respect the nation had lost within the international community. For that, the United States had to remain a member of the World Health Organization and others like it. Without its leadership at the helm, it would be harder to integrate efforts to prevent the spread of diseases between countries. International alliances are imperative in the fight against global challenges. It is for this reason, we should always be looking to strengthen our connections, not destroy them.