Less safe without WHO

President Donald Trump's decision to "terminate" the United States' relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) is shortsighted and dangerous. The WHO is central to the global response to the COVID-19 virus. Those of us who live in suburban Chicago will only be safe when the virus is controlled everywhere. To do that, the U.S. needs to continue to work with the WHO.

WHO is the only agency in the world capable of coordinating unprecedented global trials on therapeutics. It is also spearheading unprecedented global clinical trials that will speed the development and distribution of an eventual COVID-19 vaccine.

The WHO is already working to preposition manufacturing capacity and distribution channels that will ensure that all, even low-resource countries, have access to future therapies and vaccines faster and at a fair price. That will save lives and benefit our economy. In addition to coordinating information campaigns in dozens of languages, the WHO has helped protect health care workers, with 133 countries relying on it for PPE supplies.

The WHO's work on COVID-19 is important, as are its efforts to eradicate other preventable diseases. As a supporter of the United Nations Foundation's Shot@Life campaign, I am passionate about ensuring that all children have access to lifesaving vaccines and the work of WHO is critical to this effort. We know all too well that diseases do not need passports to travel and that means we need to encourage not terminate global efforts.

The United States helped create the WHO and now we're turning our back on it and on the world. That makes America less safe and it makes the world less safe. The U.S. cannot tackle COVID-19 alone or effectively address other global health challenges on its own. Please ask your Congress members to support the WHO.

Shannan Younger

Naperville