Self-serving ploy to no avail

Withdrawal from the WHO and China blame game can't hide the deep flaws in the US healthcare system

On July 6, the US government notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, following through on the president's announcement in a late-June press conference.

This was not unexpected given the US administration's dislike of multilateral bodies and the souring of US-WHO relations since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

The United States has continuously criticized the WHO, primarily because the world health body has praised China for its actions in the fight against the pandemic, and because the WHO has refused the US' demand it launch a politically motivated and China-targeted investigation into the origin of the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has promised an investigation into the origin of the virus, but also emphasized the need for a broader investigation scope at a more appropriate time, which would mean that a US military laboratory at Fort Detrick that studies deadly infectious materials would be expected to come under the same scrutiny. The disgruntled US government lambasted the WHO for siding with China.

At the crucial point in the fight to contain the virus, the US has quit the WHO and turned its back on the world, diminishing global efforts to fight against the pandemic. It also serves as a means to divert domestic attention from the US' woeful public health system and this administration's poor handling of the pandemic. The US tops the global chart in death toll and newly confirmed cases and the rising trend for both show no sign of easing.

The health system in the US is expensive, high-cost and low-return. The US remains the only member of the rich countries' club that is yet to build a universal healthcare system. Medical products and service have been prohibitively expensive in the US market. For instance, an appendectomy costs at least two times more in the US than in other developed nations. US hospitals have become lucrative money-making machines. In 2010, the revenue of the MD Anderson Cancer Center hit $2.05 billion, its profit $531 million and its profit margin 26 percent. Statistics from National Nurses United show that some US hospitals actually charge patients 10 times more than the actual expense.

The US spends significantly more on healthcare compared to other nations and such spending is expected to continue growing. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's 2019 Health Statistics, the US devotes more of its national income to healthcare than other OECD countries. In 2018, the US spent about $10,600 per person on healthcare－the highest healthcare costs per capita among the OECD members. For comparison, the average for wealthy OECD countries, excluding the US, was $5,300 per person. That figure continues to grow, increasing the government's deficit.

Meanwhile, the high cost of medical insurance precludes many families, and saps the strength of US enterprises, which are legally bound to buy medical insurance for their employees. Some companies have moved out of the country because of this heavy burden. The problems in US healthcare have been laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In stark contrast, China has built a three-tier disease-prevention system and launched its healthcare reform from scratch. It has pioneered a path of realizing some primary public health goals. In the 1970s, its formula for improving health access and quality was summarized by a WHO delegation: heavy emphasis on prevention, the unique role of "barefoot doctors" (rural healthcare providers with minimal basic medical and paramedical training) and a rural healthcare system. In 2017, the WHO presented the Chinese government with the Outstanding Model Award for Health Governance to recognize the achievements of the Chinese health campaign.

Since the onset of COVID-19, China has been closely working with the WHO. It has shared the genome-sequence of the virus, given timely updates on the situation in the country and shared prevention and treatment information with the agency and all member nations.

The recent outbreak in Beijing has been contained within less than 20 days, without locking down the city or disrupting social and economic activities. The commencement ceremonies of universities and the college entrance examination have been held as scheduled, without a hitch.

The success story of Beijing has proved that solidarity can help us defeat the virus, while the pandemic has exposed the institutional flaws of the US, and the US' withdrawal from the WHO has exposed the fractiousness of the current administration. Disengagement will never make the deep-seated problems disappear.

The author is a professor of National School of Development and the director of Center for Health and Development Studies at Peking University.