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The WHO and its role in global safety and health

How do recent events affect commercial cleaners around the world?
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Recently, President Donald Trump signed an order to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). According to CNN, the executive order states that the decision was made as a result of the “organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”

The WHO is a vital component in protecting global health and security by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go.

On a recent Straight Talk! episode, host Jeff Cross interviewed Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, ISSA senior director, who sheds light on what this withdrawal means for today’s global cleaning industry.

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner stresses that the world does need infrastructure to fight the world’s infectious diseases, highlighting the importance of coordination and collaboration as the keys to the WHO’s success.

What impact will the United States’ recent withdrawal from the WHO have when it comes to commercial cleaners and frontline workers? According to Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, many of the ISSA member companies are national and this step will leave a “massive gap when it comes to prevention, detection, and response to infectious disease threats.” He points out that America cannot stop pathogens from entering its borders, citing the example of someone travelling by plane to the U.S., entering the airport, city, hotel, and hospital, potentially spreading a disease throughout their journey.

Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner sees this as an opportunity for the cleaning industry to come together with a coordinated, proactive effort to educate and train to define the role in preventing and responding to infectious disease threats.

He suggests that focusing on building technical capacity, strengthening supply chains, and establishing technical norms, standards and guidance are the key areas of focus. He stresses that the industry needs to come together as a team, and that team includes people manufacturing and distributing cleaning products, cleaners, and building operators to close the critical gaps of what’s required to clean and disinfect to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

At this time, trade associations like ISSA become even more critical in filling in those gaps created by governmental decisions to set a standard of care for the industry.

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