Appearing Wednesday on CBS This Morning, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), praised the World Health Organization after President Donald Trump announced that the United States will halt its funding for the organization.
A transcript is as follows:
ANTHONY MASON: On the topic of the World Health Organization and the president cutting off funding, Bill Gates, in his words, overnight: “that is as dangerous as it sounds.” You’ve called the W.H.O. an important partner. Do you view cutting off funding to them as dangerous?
DR. ROBERT REDFIELD: You know, I’m just going to say the W.H.O. has been a longstanding partner for CDC. We’ve worked together to fight health crises all around the world. We continue to do that. We’re working side-by-side now in the Congo, the DRC, trying to bring the Ebola outbreak to an end. We’re working together on this coronavirus. I think it’s important for us at this point that we leave the analysis of what could have been done better and what maybe did well until we get through the outbreak and get it over.
MASON: But Doctor Redfield, if you cut off funding to the W.H.O., and this is a significant amount that they’re funding in the middle pandemic, what’s the impact internationally to fighting this virus?
DR. ROBERT REDFIELD: Again, I’m going to come back to the W.H.O. has been a long-term and still is a great partner for us. We’re going to continue to do all we can together to try to limit this.