Danny Chambers
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Mental Health and Member of Parliament for WinchesterThe United States’ recent withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) is a decision that endangers global health security and demands we rapidly consider our own position. The UK must act now to strengthen the WHO, reinforce global disease surveillance, and invest in international health collaborations. If we fail to step up, we will not only jeopardise lives worldwide but also weaken our own national security and economic stability.
A Call for Immediate Action
The UK government must take decisive steps to mitigate the impact of the US withdrawal. First, we must lead international efforts to broaden the WHO’s funding base, ensuring it does not rely too heavily on any one nation. Second, we must strengthen our own global health capabilities—securing funding for research, maintaining critical collaborations, and fostering new partnerships, particularly with middle-income nations. Third, we must not be cutting the overseas development aid budget further, but should be restoring to 0.7% of GDP, safeguarding crucial initiatives like the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), which has vaccinated over a billion children.
This is not just a humanitarian issue. It is a matter of national security. A threat anywhere in the world is a threat to the UK. Whether it’s polio, antimicrobial resistance, or the next pandemic, disease does not respect borders. If we do not take action now, we risk a future where global health security unravels, putting millions of lives—including those in the UK—at risk.
A Dangerous False Economy
While economic pressures demand efficiency, withdrawing from the WHO is a false and dangerous economy. Instead of working to reform the system from within, the US has chosen to walk away, leaving a power vacuum that adversarial states will be eager to exploit. If the WHO is weakened, its ability to track, contain, and fight disease is also weakened, making us all more vulnerable.
Other nations are already considering following suit. Argentina has voiced similar intentions, and if more countries withdraw, we risk a domino effect that could dismantle the global health framework we rely on to monitor and respond to threats. The UK must actively prevent this collapse by reaffirming its leadership in global health diplomacy.
The Critical Role of Global Surveillance
The WHO is at the heart of international disease surveillance, coordinating rapid responses to deadly outbreaks such as Ebola and highly pathogenic avian influenza. Without robust early warning systems, outbreaks that could have been contained may spiral into global pandemics.
Climate change is also worsening global health risks. Diseases once classified as tropical are now appearing in new regions due to shifting temperatures. The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement had already slowed efforts to tackle climate-driven diseases. Now, its retreat from global health cooperation leaves us even less prepared.
Risks to the NHS and UK Health Security
The impact of this crisis extends beyond emergency outbreaks to the daily functioning of our own healthcare system. Take seasonal flu: the NHS depends on global collaboration, including data from US research centers, to develop effective vaccines. If these partnerships are disrupted, our ability to prepare for the 2025 flu season will be compromised.
The UK and US have also been leading research into antimicrobial resistance, which experts warn is one of the greatest global health threats of our time. Without continued collaboration, drug-resistant infections will spread faster, leading to more deaths from untreatable diseases in our hospitals.
The UK’s Legacy of Global Health Leadership
The UK has a proud history of leading in global health. From Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine to Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, British innovation has saved millions of lives. Today, we have an opportunity to reaffirm that leadership.
Our universities, research institutions, and medical professionals are some of the best in the world. If we invest now, the UK can become a global hub for public health expertise, vaccine development, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge medical research. We can export solutions, shape international policy, and create high-skilled jobs at home.
The Cost of Inaction
The US has made itself and the world weaker by withdrawing from the WHO. The UK now has a choice: we can watch as global health security crumbles, or we can take decisive action to lead, collaborate, and strengthen the systems that keep us safe.
This is not charity. This is global health security—preventing outbreaks before they spread, reducing suffering, and strengthening healthcare systems in fragile regions. It is a matter of national security, moral responsibility, and economic opportunity.
The UK must act now to ensure a healthier, safer, and more prosperous world—not just for others, but for ourselves.
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