As healthcare professionals specializing in infection prevention, it’s vital to acknowledge that diseases don’t respect borders. Therefore, international health policies bear serious implications for global health security and infectious disease control. The US’s recent decision to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) isn’t merely political—these decisions have immediate, direct consequences for global health, pandemics’ prevention and management, and worldwide infection control infrastructure.
These agencies, UNHRC and UNRWA, play an indispensable part in providing infection control programs, healthcare, and vaccines to vulnerable communities worldwide. Defunding them means that millions of people in conflict-stricken areas and refugee camps will be deprived of essential healthcare resources, including vaccination programs, basic sanitation, and disease surveillance.
The COVID-19 pandemic brutally demonstrated what happens when there’s a lack of global cooperation and a slow international response to a health crisis. Agencies such as UNHRC and the World Health Organization collaborate to monitor global infectious diseases, strategize pandemic responses, and provide healthcare worker training. The recent disengagement of the US from these organisations threatens these vital initiatives and international health programs.
As a leading player in global infection control, antimicrobial resistance initiatives, and pandemic response, the US’s decision to step back threatens to undermine these efforts. This withdrawal runs the risk of ceding power to nations that may not share the same commitment to infection prevention, disease surveillance, or antimicrobial stewardship. The result could potentially weaken international guidelines on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards, leading to discrepant and ineffective infection control protocol worldwide.
Notably, at the 421st Meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestine People (CEIRPP) on February 5, 2025, UNHRC Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini highlighted the significance of UNHRC. He mentioned the extensive aid provided since October 2023, including food assistance provision, housing for displaced persons, and widespread vaccination programs against diseases like polio. These efforts signify the critical role of international health agencies in managing global health crises, a role threatened by funding cuts and political withdrawals.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) professionals frequently rely on international funding and policy guidance from organisations like WHO, the UNHRC, and USAID. The US’s withdrawal and defunding decisions impact not just political discourse but also the reality faced by IPCs, hospitals, and overall public health security. By separating from global health initiatives, the US risks instigating more global pandemics, escalating the demands on healthcare workers, and undermining our capabilities to control infectious diseases, both abroad and domestically.
In this crucial period, infection preventionists must champion global cooperation, vigorous surveillance and health policies that prioritise public health above political maneuvering. The national isolationism currently on show in the US endangers the intricate webs of international cooperation that ensure robust global healthcare. Decisions taken in one country can no longer be seen as affecting that nation alone, when the ripple effects may be felt globally, reaching vulnerable populations that can ill afford the risk.
Source: https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/why-withdrawing-unhrc-matters-infection-control-personnel