Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) is freezing recruitment, restricting travel, and cutting expenses following the U.S. withdrawal, its largest funding source.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned staff of worsening financial pressures and announced measures such as limiting technical missions, virtual-only meetings, renegotiating contracts, and halting office refurbishments.
Critics, like global health consultant Fifa Rahman, say the U.S. move harms global health preparedness.
Italy’s Deputy PM Matteo Salvini has also proposed withdrawing from the WHO, though Italy’s Prime Minister has not taken a stance.
Just in time for the next pandemic.
On a purely selfish angle, the pandemic was a pretty great time for me. Folks respecting personal space, fewer social obligations to meet, watching the “it’s just a flu” people drop like flies in /r/HermanCainAward. I personally wouldn’t mind another round :o
There was a running joke in Finland, where people try to stay as far away from other human beings as possible:
"COVID is terrible: now we have to maintain a 2-meter social distance when it was 6 meters before!
Based on the year’s start, we are indeed heading for 2020 vol. 2
At least they squeezed the remaining disposable income generated by wfh so nobody kids themselves with creature comfort