Dear President Trump and Mr. Robert F Kennedy Jr.,
Re: Exiting the WHO and cancelling USA WHO Collaborating Center agreements
Congratulations on withdrawing the United States of America from the World Health Organization.
To truly exit the World Health Organization, it will be essential to have both awareness and transparent knowledge of the binding agreements made with the USA WHO Collaborating Centres and USA GOARN Partner Institutions with the World Health Organization, as a matter of urgency and priority.
World Council for Health is calling for an Urgent Independent Global Review and Investigation of the World Health Organization and its established collaborations and binding agreements with so-called WHO Collaborating Centres.
This is an essential requirement to assess an honest and transparent benefit and risk of the WHO policies being deployed in sovereign nations through these established WHO networks.
The WHO’s objective as stated in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. During the Covid-19 crisis, the WHO clearly failed to uphold this objective.
What are WHO Collaborating Centres and what are their functions?
Directly quoted from the WHO website:
Definition
By definition, a WHO collaborating centre is an institution designated by the Director-General of WHO to form part of an international collaborative network set up by WHO in support of its programme at the country, intercountry, regional, interregional and global levels. In line with the WHO policy and strategy of technical cooperation, a WHO collaborating centre also participates in the strengthening of country resources, in terms of information, services, research and training, in support of national health development.
Designation is made with the agreement of the head of the establishment to which the institution is attached or with that of the director of the institution, if it is independent, and after consultation with the national government. An institution is designated initially for a term of four years; the designation may be renewed for the same or a shorter period.
Designation is independent of financial support being given to the institution by WHO. Grants may be made to any institution that is able to perform a specific task connected with WHO’s programme but this has no relevance to the eligibility or ineligibility of an institution for designation.
Not eligible for designation as WHO collaborating centres are, for example, networks, working groups, partnerships and programmes; or nongovernmental organizations and similar bodies with a membership structure, including professional associations or foundations. For collaboration with nongovernmental organizations, please refer to the Principles governing relations between WHO and Nongovernmental organizations contained in the Basic Documents.
Functions and role
The functions of the WHO collaborating centres are diverse, and may include the following:
- collection, collation and dissemination of information;
- standardization of terminology and nomenclature, of technology, of diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic substances, and of methods and procedures;
- development and application of appropriate technology;
- provision of reference substances and other services;
- participation in collaborative research developed under the Organization’s leadership, including the planning, conduct, monitoring and evaluation of research, as well as promotion of the application of the results of research;
- training, including research training; and
- the coordination of activities carried out by several institutions on a given subject.
The WHO collaborating centres are an essential and cost-effective cooperation mechanism, which enables the Organization to fulfill its mandated activities and to harness resources far exceeding its own.
WHO gains access to top centres worldwide and the institutional capacity to ensure the scientific validity of global health work. Through these global networks, the Organization is able exercise leadership in shaping the international health agenda.
Conversely, designation as a WHO collaborating centre provides institutions with enhanced visibility and recognition by national authorities, calling public attention to the health issues on which they work. It opens up improved opportunities for them to exchange information and develop technical cooperation with other institutions, in particular at international level, and to mobilize additional and sometimes important resources from funding partners.
The main role of the WHO collaborating centres is to provide strategic support to the Organization to meet two main needs:
- Implementing WHO’s mandated work and programme objectives
- Developing and strengthening institutional capacity in countries and regions.”
“the term “institution” means the part (e.g. department, division, unit, etc.) of the institution (e.g. university, research institute, hospital or academy) or Government.”
“the term “WHO CC” means the institution designated as a WHO collaborating centre while performing the agreed terms of reference and workplan with WHO (as opposed to the institution performing other activities outside the agreed terms of reference and workplan).”
“A WHO CC is not a legal entity. The legal entity which controls and is responsible for the WHO CC is the institution or the ministry, academy, university, established research institute or hospital of which the institution forms part”. (WHO Terms and conditions for WHO collaborating centres Version 2022) terms-and-conditions-for-whoccs.pdf
WHO states there are “over 800 institutions in over 80 countries supporting WHO programmes”. Find out more about the Collaborating centres …
As of the 20th January, 2025, the USA has 72 active WHO Collaborating Centres. Of these centres. 18 active CDC, WHO CC’s, 3 active NIH, WHO CC’s and 1 active FDA, WHO CC.
Read the full open letter from World Council for Health to the Trump Administration
Additional Links
The WHO Guide to WHO Collaborating centres 2018
About the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) About GOARN
GOARN Partner Instutions GOARN Partners
