The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat was dismayed to learn of the US government's announcement to withdraw from the World Health Organization.
The USA as a member of WHO, was crucial in shaping global WHO instruments and norms on public health security and wellbeing over the past seven decades.
In Africa, the USA was an early and strong supporter towards the establishment of Africa CDC, the African Union's technical agency for public health emergencies that works with WHO and the global WHO membership to detect, prepare for, respond to and recover from pandemics.
Today, now more than ever, the world depends on WHO to carry out its mandate to ensure global public health security as a shared common good. The Chairperson therefore hopes the US government will reconsider its decision to withdraw from this key global Organization of which it is a founding member.